7 WAYS to Keep Donors Engaged

In today’s busy world and even busier online landscape, it’s not easy to know how to keep donors engaged. 

There has never been more competition for your givers’ attention and more easy-to-find, worthy recipients for their generosity.

Financial engagement is NOT the first place to focus to keep donors engaged. For most givers, “investment” in your church usually starts with spiritual, physical and emotional engagement.

7 COMMON-SENSE Ways to Encourage Greater Engagement

• First, make sure your website and facilities extend a warm welcome.

  Review this checklist of areas that welcome visitors … or DON’T.

• Next, welcome first-time guests from the pulpit … and beyond.

  Many churches think they’re friendly … and they are … to the people they know. Encourage your members to act like hosts not guests.

  Train up (or appoint) connectors in your church. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet” can be a powerful way to spark a friendship and greater integration into the church.

  Equip members to connect others to resources they may need or invite them to lunch or to an upcoming event.

• Offer ministry resources.

  Remember that poor attendance may indicate severe financial or other needs. While it’s important to tread lightly, make sure people are aware of ministry resources you may offer. These could include help with groceries, handyman resources, abuse services, single pregnancy support, and childcare during services and events.

• Extend personal invitations.

  It’s no secret that a personal invitation is one of the most powerful motivators for a first-time guest. In the same way, being asked by a ministry leader (face to face, if possible) to have coffee or to join a discipleship quad with other people in their demographic (i.e. new moms, divorced dads, etc.) may help establish important connections.

• Serve together.

  As a means of connecting people to one another, encourage internal outreach, such as asking volunteers to invite someone they don’t know well to join them in attending an event together or volunteering with them in a one-time event (i.e. check-in at VBS).

• Launch a Generosity Rockstar Program.

  Some churches have learned to grow financial generosity with this simple program. The program motivates givers to take the first step in giving with small but regular online gifts, even if it’s just $1/week. Givers learn to trust God with their finance, experiencing the blessings of a life of generosity, and eventually become a tither.

• Involve major givers in ministry decisions.

  It can be tempting to avoid “poking a sleeping bear” by taking a hands-off approach with your top givers. But generally, this group needs to feel needed and appreciated, and often wants to be involved early on in new projects. They want and deserve to know the tangible ROI of their gifts. They might appreciate being involved in a volunteer role, championing the project to others, and sharing a public testimonial.

The Vision2 Difference

Vision2 giving system takes a Ministry-First Approach to Generosity which means knowing your givers and engaging with them in personal ways. You'll learn 26 tactics for using giving data to better serve your members.