As you’re in the midst of your fall ministry kick-off activities, you can’t afford to forget about what’s coming—your year-end giving campaigns and projects. If you do, you may miss out on a chance to meet and even exceed those goals.
We’ve talked before about what makes people really want to give to your church. People give to a vision, not to a line item or a budget or a “project.” As you think about your year-end giving communications, that’s a principle you can’t afford to forget.
As you develop your year-end giving materials (and we’ll be talking more about that in the next few weeks), make sure you’re focused on the vision your church shared for ministry in 2016 and how the generosity of your givers has helped make that vision reality. Include stories and numbers in each communication. Capture and share things like…
- Number of new baptisms or faith commitments
- Videos of mission projects and trips
- Number of children participating in programs
- Written testimonies of new families in your church and how they’ve connected with your faith community
- Number of meals provided in your community and around the world
When your givers (and potential givers) can see the tangible results of their donations, they’ll be encouraged to continue and increase their financial support. And when your givers can see the names and faces of people whose lives are better because of their gifts, that support becomes even more meaningful.
How are you incorporating stories of life change in your year-end giving?