Now is the perfect time, as you’re launching into your fall ministries, to prepare your year-end giving campaign.
We know, we know—your ministry teams likely don’t think they can add one more thing to their schedules. But when you’re in the thick of year-end preparations and holiday activities, you’ll have a solid plan and communication pieces ready to go—and you’ll thank us!
Here are four things you can start doing this week to help meet (or exceed!) your year-end giving goals.
- Cast vision for your staff, and encourage their gifts. Make sure your staff and key volunteer leaders are fully committed to your year-end goals and giving projects. Your donors and regular attenders won’t be inspired to give if your staff isn’t. As much as you feel comfortable, make sure your staff is financially supporting your year-end goals and projects as well. Seeing your staff and volunteer leaders literally putting their money where their mouths are will encourage generosity and reinforce your church’s commitment to your year-end goals as well. Actions really do speak louder than words.
- Set goals for your groups of givers. Take a look at your giving records and divide your givers into categories based on their giving habits. Who gives regular gifts? Who makes larger “one-time” gifts? People will likely follow those same patterns as the year winds down, so determine what your vision may be for each of those groups and start making plans for how you’ll reach them.
- Show your appreciation to your most faithful givers (and don’t ask them for an additional gift). Right now, before expectations for a year-end gift start coming into play, reach out to your most faithful givers and let them know how much you appreciate their financial support. You’ve already acknowledged their financial gifts as they happened (we hope), but now is the time to let them know once again how their generosity has helped bring your shared ministry visions to life.
- Start educating your members and regular attenders on their giving options. Make sure your giving options are communicated regularly to your attendees—in your email newsletters, in your weekly bulletins, through giving materials available at your welcome center, everywhere. You may think you’ve told people enough times how to give, but you haven’t. Keep publicizing those options anywhere and everywhere you can.
By laying the groundwork now, your year-end giving efforts will be that much more effective and you’ll start the new calendar year on even more solid financial footing. And that will make for a very merry Christmas season indeed!
How are you preparing now for your year-end giving efforts?