by Hilda Spann

When I was a child, the Second Vatican Council was held in 1964, and for the first time allowed the Roman Catholic mass in my hometown to be said in English. I saw quite a clash between the older generation who felt the Latin mass was part of the mystique of the church experience while the younger generation wanted the meaning of the mass to be accessible.

When I first started serving churches in 1980, I could see that many mainstream churches were losing membership. There was so much in society to compete with Sunday morning church attendance not the least of it was being able to watch exciting worship services on tv.

I had a passionate interest in church growth. I felt the church and Jesus Christ had something very precious to offer people. First, however, you had to reach those people. I was fortunate in that the first church to hire me felt it was dying and wanted to grow. They said they would do everything possible to support my leadership to help their church grow.

The first thing we changed was the music. Fortunately we had a versatile and talented organist who was delighted to play the electric piano and invite other instrumentalists in including electric guitarists.

I am going to stop here because this story is not about me but about how churches need to make themselves accessible to contemporary culture in order to grow and prosper. Recently I paid all my bills online. I even paid the water bill I could have paid by running a mile up the street with a check. But online banking is how I keep a clear record and budget now. Many if not most people do online banking.

Continue to Give is giving churches the opportunity to update the way they fundraise and accept tithes and offerings. Continue to Give is giving churches a way to handle donations that is congruent with what most people do: online banking and using credit/debit cards instead of cash or checks.

The point I am trying to make is the church can only benefit by being accessible. If it is inconvenient to give then the church will have less donations. Say Betty Rouel came to church without her check book but does have her debit card. If she would like to use that card to bring her tithe up to date, shouldn't she be able to? Personally, I find it annoying when a business doesn't provide me with a way to pay electronically or their bookkeeping is sloppy when I pay electronically. It should be easy and joyful for people to give to their churches. In order for that to happen, your church needs a Continue to Give program for tithing made easy.

They are of hundreds of thousands of fundraisers out there today. Some are raising hundreds and thousands of dollars from donors all across the nation and even across the world. You have a fundraising idea and you want to start a fundraiser online just like the successful stories you hear about, right? But how do you do successfully implement crowdfunding and fundraising in general? It is literally the million-dollar question and the experts at Continue to Give have put together some great tips for you so that you can reach your fundraising goal!

1. Brainstorm

According to Continue to Give research and that of Crowdfundingacademy.com, less the 40% of personal fundraisers actually reach their goal or get close to their goal. Yikes! One of reasons is that people think you can just throw up a free crowdfunding profile and hit your goal. Yes, sometime this happens but the chances are so few and far in-between that we would like you to erase that idea out of your mind all together. The truth is that fundraising takes time, planning, and commitment. You need to sit down, answer these questions, and write them on a piece of paper.

What is the money I raise going towards? If you truly do not know what you are going to use the money for then the people that give won?t know the answer either. This may even make people skeptical to even give to you.

Who would be interested in donating to this cause? Do not ask people that work in a paper mill to donate to a forest conservation effort that eliminates cutting down trees. For one, that is their job that is at stake and they may even be offended. Think of a like-minded audience.

Am I going to follow through with what the donation funds are intended for? The worst thing a person can do is start a fundraiser and people that donate see that you are not using the money for the cause itself! Do not do this ever.

What is your timetable? Are you raising money for cancer? Then plan your fundraiser during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In addition, it may take a month or two to really create a plan of action. Getting all your ideas straight and start talking to people about your fundraiser. Get people excited. Finalize all your pictures; create your mission and description statements, plan events, get bracelets to give away, etc. Plan, Plan, Plan. Expound on your ideas and how long will it take you to get everything in order to open the door to your fundraiser! Good things take time.

2. Market

Now that you have done some planning it is time to market your fundraiser and here is how you get started.

Write a description of your fundraiser. Have bullet points, describe exactly what the money is going to be donated to and write out how you are going to implement your plan. If you need money to start a record label tell people the breakdown. You need so much money for (first thing you need to purchase), and so much money for (second thing you need to purchase), etc. Let them know the progression and steps you are going to take and follow to reach your ultimate goal! You want people to donate online to you right? So tell them why they should.

Put up pictures. Are you raising money for your dogs surgery? Then take pictures of your dog. Pictures do not mean taking sexy selfies. Pictures should relate to what you are fundraising for. You can even do a video to talk to people about your passion for what you are doing and how they can be a part of that by donating.

Now that you know who you are going to target for donations now it is time to figure out how to reach them. If you are raising money to build a playground, in a city in Texas, for families to visit you are not going to market the idea to people in New York. People that are interested in your fundraiser will be local moms with kids. These people are most likely going to be found at other playgrounds, read school newsletters, visit daycares, etc. Do you see the logic? Your specific fundraiser has a very specific target audience that will be interested or even moved by your cause! All you have to do is find the best way to contact your audience. Start thinking is email better, starting a group on Facebook, personal phone calls, etc. Find out where your audience is and how you can reach them.

3. Implement

Only if you have done the planning above should you actually implement your fundraiser. So let us recap:

Start brainstorming what you are going to start fundraising for, what it is about, what steps you are going to take once you get the money, who shares your passion, and WRITE IT DOWN!

Next, finalize all your brainstorming notes. Make a final draft with pictures and other content and learn how to reach your targeted audience that will share your same passion in your fundraiser.

Now, implement your fundraiser that you have put thought and hard work into. You can start a fundraiser online through fundraising platforms such as Continue to Give or other websites that will allow you to take credit card donations.

Other references: Forbes.com "Before you Launch your Crowdfunding Campaing Read This"

Coming up with new ideas for fundraising events is the difference between meeting your goals or falling short. People have grown tired of buying wrapping paper, cards, candy, cookies, candles, and popcorn. As such, organizations running the same fundraising events year after year frequently notice donations start to decline at a steady pace. Rather than continue to do the same thing every single year, try out new and fun ideas to give people a reason to give more, such as:

1. Cooking Competitions: Cook offs and cooking competitions are popular with people of all ages. Host a competition between local community celebrities, like news and television anchors, radio hosts, or sports teams. Encourage people to make a donation in order to vote for their favorite dishes and/or celebrities.
2. Happiness from the Misfortune of Others: Solicit volunteers from your organization or local celebrity pool to be willing to undergo misfortunes, like dying/cutting hair, dressing in an embarrassing costume, or trading jobs for a day, voted upon by donors. For every $1 donated, the donor gets one vote.
3. Online and Silent Auctions: Many local businesses are willing to donate goods and services to fundraising events if you take the time to solicit them. The donations do not have to be large ticket items, either. For instance, ask restaurants to donate $10 or $20 gift cards, movie theaters for free movie tickets, oil change shops for free oil change certificates, and so on. People get caught up in the hype of auctions and end up bidding far more than the retail costs of the donated items.
4. Sell Employee Perks: Businesses looking to raise money for a nonprofit or charity they support can encourage employees to give more by selling employee perks. For every $1 donation, give employees a free casual day pass to use during the week, or, for larger donations, allow them to purchase time off with pay.
5. 50/50 and Reverse Raffles: Sell raffle tickets where half of the ticket price goes to the fundraising event and the other half to the winner. Another popular raffle is a reverse raffle event where all potential donors receive tickets for free, but must do something embarrassing, unless they pay the organization a predetermined amount. To keep things fun, allow donors the option to give the ticket to another person, who must also pay to give it away and get out of the embarrassing task.
6. Online Murder/Mystery: Donors donate money to examine clues, evidence, and details surrounding a murder/mystery to attempt to solve the case. “Winners” could be awarded with a small item, like a T-shirt or coffee mug.

Do not overlook the power of social media and online donations, no matter what type of fundraising events your organization uses. Setting up online fundraising requires registering with a reputable service, creating your online fundraising page, advertising the event, and receiving donations. Donations can be accepted through your organizationÂ’s Facebook page, too, by posting a donation badge on the page.

To learn more about online fundraising processes, or to register your organization for an upcoming event, contact us now at 800-684-0550.

Church parishioners have adapted to technology-driven payment methods. People rely upon electronic and credit/debit payments these days. One common problem many churches often find themselves facing is overcoming situations where parishioners arrive for services, only to have forgotten to bring their checkbook or cash. While subtle reminders sometimes work, they are not always the most effective way to ensure your church is receiving the maximum amount of donations and tithes. As a result, churches need to find new technology-driven solutions to make it easy for their parishioners to give, like installing an offering kiosk in the church.

What Is an Offering Kiosk?

An offering kiosk is a tablet device secured to a kiosk stand. The tablet is supplied by the church and configured with software specific for your church. A credit and debit card reader can be connected to the device, so parishioners may swipe their card instead of manually entering their payment information. The donation and tithing process is simple and easy for anyone use.

How Do Parishioners Make Donations and Tithes?

Parishioners walk up to the kiosk where they see your church’s donation page and click on the “Donate Now” button. On the next screen, they select the amount of donation, select which area of the church they want their money to go for, such as tithes, other special church sponsored programs, or missionary work, select how often they want to give, select the payment date, enter in a personalized message, decide on privacy preferences, enter in the billing information or swipe the card through the card reader, and click the “Donate Now” button to finalize the secure transaction. After the transaction is submitted the kiosk is reset for the next person to use.

Other Technology Driven Solutions for Church Donations

In addition to offering kiosks, churches have the option to use a special QR code for people to scan with their smartphones. The QR code can be listed on the churchÂ’s kioskÂ’s home page to give parishioners an alternative method to give. Another way to use your churchÂ’s QR code is to publish it in your church bulletin with an appropriate inspirational message. People simply scan the code and are taken to your churchÂ’s secure donation page.

On the main page, visitors have the option to share the churchÂ’s mobile page on Facebook, Twitter, or through email, as well as to like the page on Facebook. The donation and tithing process is very similar to using the kiosk stand, except people have the option to sign in using their email or Facebook profile, or make an anonymous donation. If someone logs in with their Facebook profile, they can invite friends to also make donations. By utilizing a QR code, a church is able to take advantage of modern technologies and social media to encourage people to make regular donations.

For more information about the Giving Kiosk, or other electronic tithing and donation solutions for your church, contact us today at 800-684-0550.

Let's face it fundraising can be difficult. You have such a great cause and you are really making this world a better place but you need funding to keep making this happen.

How do you get people's attention and show them that you need help? This is the question charities and personal fundraisers around the world are facing. Fundraising seems to take time away from doing the actual cause itself! Even though fundraising takes your much-needed time remember itÂ’s not time wasted. Without funds you simply cannot help your cause, which is the reason you are taking up fundraising in the first place! So spend the time fundraising but save time by fundraising the right way.

At Continue to Give we help fundraisers just like yours meet their fundraising goals everyday and we are prepared to share with you some of our best tips to make this happen.

1. Make the Giving Process Easy and Accessible without Added Costs

This is one of the most overlooked aspects of fundraising and one of the most important. It is your responsibility to put the “sign here” in front of your audience of potential donors. The best way to do this is to have all giving avenues available for your donor to give through: Mobile, Kiosk, and Online.

Now before you say youÂ’re only a personal fundraiser or you couldnÂ’t afford to have mobile, kiosk, and online e-giving options, know this, all three can cost the same to have as it does to have just one online giving option. Yes thatÂ’s right! If you use a personal fundraising account through an online giving platform that setups a WePay you wonÂ’t even be required to pay any monthly setup. So make sure you do your research when you choose a provider and check out both the organizationÂ’s nonprofit rates and the personal fundraisers nonprofit rates and compare with your situation. Either type should offer you all the giving avenues.

Next, DonÂ’t expect your givers to be caring around cash and checks. According to a Bankrate survey 2 in every 5 people carry less than $20 in cash on a given day! Get easy donations avenues that can accept credit, debit, and ach payments.

Now, one way you could make it easier for givers is to have a self addressed already stamped return letter in your fundraising letters right? Wrong! Instead of eating that extra cost of that stamp and the extra return letter add your Text-To-Donate number and QR code. Chances are most people will have their mobile device right in their pocket! After 10 years of electronic fundraising experience, Continue to GiveÂ’s personal data shows that over 17% of donations are made on a mobile device! ItÂ’s quick, itÂ’s easy, and you will receive the donation faster. If you donÂ’t have a mobile option for your givers you need to get one.

Secondly, harness electronic giving avenues. Get that donate button on your website that is strategically placed either in the upper right hand corner of the screen at all times or is in your menu bar. Do not make your givers go on a hunt for your donate button! People get frustrated when finding information, such as the donate button, turns into a scavenger hunt. If you already roped them in and they want to donate, donÂ’t make them frustrated with your giving process.

Thirdly, at fundraising events have a point of donation kiosk setup with a credit card swiper or have staff sit at a computer to take peoples donations through your online giving provider. This will make donating with a credit card easy and convenient for your givers. Remember; donÂ’t expect people to be caring around cash and checks. Expect a credit or debit card.

In addition, credit and debit cards are not the only electronic giving method people use. Over 22% of donations made on Continue to Give software is ACH donations. What is ACH? ACH is when people can donate online with their checking account. ACH transaction rates can be a quarter of a credit card transaction. Allow your givers to donate in a way that is cheaper for you.

2. Harness the Recurring Donation

Don’t let the donation process depend on your givers! They have families, basketball games, funerals, medical, and other situations running their life besides your fundraiser. Remember the slogan, ‘The squeaky wheel gets the oil.’ Instead of constantly reminding them about your much-needed funding take time to talk with your givers about setting up a monthly donation to your cause. Remember, one conversation could lead to 12 months of steady donations!

Fundraisers setup with Continue to GiveÂ’s services that emphasized setting up recurring donations saw an increase of donations because without consecutive missed months of giving the fundraiser had a steady flow of cash coming in that they could count on.

Make the process of recurring donations easy! When a donation is being made ask if they would make it a recurring donation. Or if the donor gave a while ago ask them if they would extend that donation to become a recurring monthly donation using the same payment information that you already have on file. All they have to do is say yes and your golden!

3. Understand the word “Why?”

There are a few different reasons you should examine the word ‘Why’.

First question, “Why should I give this specific fundraiser my money instead of a different one?” You need to show the giver what their donation will go towards. Give them specific examples that will stick in their mind. For example you might be able to tell them that for every $10 given they feed a child 4 times that week, or $100 a month will ensure a family clean drinking water. Give them something to brag about. They need to know that they are making a difference.

Second question, “Why am I targeting this person or group to get funding from?” This is very important. If you are trying to get funding for an animal rights fundraiser, do not go and try to get donations from people who hunt. Take your time to know your audience. Ask yourself, “Who cares about my cause as much as I do?” Think about the perfect match of link-minded people that would be willing to give.

We hope that you have enjoyed our fundraising tips and that you can use them to increase giving. All you have to remember are these three rules: make it easy, ask for recurring donations, and relay your fundraiser to like-minded supporters.

Technology touches just about every aspect of our lives, including how we bank, how we find significant others, how we educate our children, and much more. Churches and houses of worship arenÂ’t always quick to adapt to new technology, and in some cases, may be uneasy about it.

Online applications and related technology are like any other tools God has given us – they can be used for good or ill, depending on those using it. For churches, technology can be a powerful force for good, helping to provide information and support, engaging with today’s parishioners in a context relevant to their lives and making the task of fundraising easier and more convenient. Church donation software including giving kiosks, mobile giving applications, blogs, and informational videos can expand the mission of the church and reach out to parishioners where they are – online.

Technology isnÂ’t going away and neither is the church. Churches that embrace technology and make use of the many efficiencies and conveniences it provides will be more effective in reaching out to those in need and helping them with spiritual and other needs.

Churches & the Internet

While some churches and religious organizations are leery of the Internet because of the plethora of questionable content types and online malicious actors, many have embraced it, making the same choice Christians in the Middle Ages did when they embraced the printing press – using new technology to fulfill the commission of the church. Here are a few facts about how churches are using technology:

• About a third of all churches use PowerPoint or video clips as part of their worship service. These technologies can provide additional content and reinforcement of lessons being taught in the service and are appealing to more visually-oriented young parishioners.
• More than 98 percent of churches who said they used social media in a recent survey reported using Facebook. Twitter was the second most used social media platform, being used by 77 percent of respondents.
• About 92 percent of churches said Facebook was the most useful social media tool to engage members. Only about a fifth reported Twitter as being effective.
• According to a Tyndale University poll, about 74 percent of church members have read the Bible in an electronic format.
• About 27 percent of all churches make no use of the Internet whatsoever, according to The Clergy Journal.
• More than half of all churches provide Internet access for their staff to complete church-related work.
• Nearly all churches use electronic sound equipment in worship services.

Church Online Giving

Blogs and Facebook pages are great tools for outreach, but the Internet offers more than just an online bulletin board and mail services for churches. Churches can also harness the Internet to make online giving and mobile giving easier and ensure that finances are more transparent and accountable for members.

The truth is that fewer and fewer of us carry cash or use checks. According to the Washington Post, about nine percent of Americans carry no cash at all and about half of us carry less than $20 at any given time. Americans are also writing fewer and fewer checks each year. As older generations who relied on cash pass on, this trend will only accelerate as Millennials become the primary donors for churches. Providing a method of giving relevant to how this generation handles its financial affairs is essential to the fiscal health of churches.

Younger generations demand options for mobile tithing, whether it is via offering kiosks where they can swipe their credit cards at church or online through the churchÂ’s website.

Setting up online giving options has a variety of benefits, including:

• Convenience – Members will be more likely to tithe if it is easy. More and more Americans are going online to pay their bills and are enjoying the convenience. Coaxing donations may be easier if donating is easier.
• Increasing donations – Members may donate more if theyÂ’re donating money using their debit or credit card rather than whatever cash they happen to have on hand Sunday.
• Making tithing easier – Many online giving platforms allow members to set up regular deductions from their debit or credit card account, making regular tithing more convenient
• Increasing transparency – Churches can more easily organize financial information derived from electronic giving to present to members, making accountability efforts easier.
• Increased efficiency – Having funds deposited directly into church bank accounts causes less administrative work than depositing checks and cash donated by members.

Facilitating Online Giving

The technology involved with setting up online methods of giving or offering kiosks can be intimidating to many church leaders who may be unfamiliar with such equipment and software. Finding a trusted partner to help facilitate online giving can help ease these worries and create a user-friendly method of giving. Continue to Give is an online giving platform that works with churches and non-profits to facilitate easy, trustworthy, and effective giving. Continue to Give can provide churches with a variety of options for giving, including:

• Offering Kiosks – These discreet and convenient giving kiosks can be set up at church to give members an easy way to donate using their debit or credit cards.
• Online giving – Continue to Give can set up convenient giving buttons on church websites and social media pages. This will allow members to give from the convenience of their homes. Churches can also uses this option to facilitate giving campaigns for capital projects or missionary support.
• Mobile giving – More and more people are using their smartphones to conduct transactions. Continue to Give can print QR codes on bulletins and flyers that members can scan to go to a mobile giving page. Mobile phones are quickly replacing desktops and laptops as usersÂ’ primary connection to the Internet. Setting yourself up with mobile giving platform can be an important investment in the future. The text to give feature is easy to use for supporters.
• Donations to churches and religious organizations have been declining in recent years. According to the Wall Street Journal, churches accounted for half of all charitable giving in 1990. Today, they account for just a third. Incorporating online technology in giving can help to halt this trend, giving parishioners an easy way to increase church donating, and handing churches a more effective way to reach out to their membership.

Sources:

Photo: MLB

Continue to Give now allows split donations!

Now giving multiple donations to multiple projects has never been easier! Simply add another donation for and add your amount. You can even make the entire donation recurring!

Split donations are also available for mobile and kiosk donation avenues!

Let's face it fundraising can be difficult. You have such a great cause and you are really making this world a better place but you need funding to keep making this happen.

How do you get people's attention and show them that you need help? This is the question charities around the world are facing. Fundraising seems to take time away from doing the actual cause itself!

Here are some tips to boost your fundraising so you can spend more time on doing what you feel called to do.

1. Be personal. Get on the phone or send an email that speaks in plain language about your cause. When you take the time to personally reach out to someone over the phone ask for a recurring donation to be set up. This effort will be well worth your time in the end.

2. Have a mission statement, description, and a clear call to action. Answer the question of why am I asking people for money and why should they give to me instead of a different charity.

3. Show an amount, a time frame, and what the money will go towards and ask for recurring sponsorships for that specific thing. Set up a projects for each amount that people can donate towards. For example, have a project call "Feed a hungary Child for a Week." Then set an amount like $30 and have a call to action that states 'that by setting up a recurring donation weekly in the amount of $30 to that project, that donor will be keeping a child from starving'.

4. Have a giving thermometer of some kind that fills as you reach your fundraising goal. This way if it's low then people will give because they feel bad it's low. If it's high, people will give because they want to see it finish it's goal

5. Have a nice thank you letter with suggestions of other projects they can support. Make sure to add pictures!

6. Have easy donation avenues on your website that are clearly visible to the giver.

7. Have pictures! Don't overlook this. People want to hear and see what you are doing. Put pictures up of your projects and cause. Let donors get a feel for what its like.

Need to set up online giving? Click Here.

If you would like to share other tips from your fundraiser or would like to comment on these tips, comment below!

Have you found it harder and harder to maintain consistent tithes on a weekly basis?

Well if this is the case and you are struggling to Increase Tithes and Offerings, then this message might be just what you have been looking for.

At www.ContinuetoGive.com, we are dedicated to building & delivering revolutionary online fundraising tools designed to help you meet your congregation's financial goals, and to help support your missions and outreach programs.

We offer you Three Simple Solutions to fit today's Online Trends:

Getting started is simple and absolutely free!

Just visit our website at www.ContinuetoGive.com, or give us a call at 800.684.0550 FREE to see how simple and easy it is to get started on the path to more tithes and offerings every week.

If You'll Act now, you can receive $200 off your first Kiosk Stand order!

Click Here to Get Started!

We can help you with funding by providing online, mobile, Facebook, and kiosk donation avenues for you current, potential, and future givers.

Imagine having a donate now button on your current website where anyone could give to your cause!

Or send out flyers with your free personal QR code and text to donate number so that anyone can scan and donate on their smartphone to your organization or personal fundraiser!

We also have a donate button that goes on your Facebook page so you can take advantage of crowdfunding.

Now you can accept credit card, debit card, and ACH donations from all of your giving avenues!

Plus your givers can set up recurring donations monthly, weekly, or bi-weekly so they won't forget to donate regularly!

Connect with your givers using our online internal mailing system!

Use our tools to spread the word about what you are doing and how people can help. Make projects and watch your world thermometer fill to your fundraising goal! We can equip you with all the tools you need to make your fundraiser successful!

Call one of our representatives today to learn more at 800.684.0550 FREE

We are proud to announce that we are now offering Church Community Builder reporting!

We want to make church administration as easy as possible! Now you can enjoy the convenience of online, mobile, kiosk, and Facebook donations AND update your current Church Community Builder software with those donations!

Increase your donations by staying connected with your givers.

It's very important to stay connected with the people that give to your fundraiser. Keeping them up to date on what your organization is doing, what projects you have started or completed, or just basic knowledge of what is going on is very important.

Keeping your donors up to date can increase giving and keep people giving regularly. All you need to do is keep them informed. So how do you do that? Create some sort of online community, whether it's a blog, online giving profile, facebook page, projects, newsletters, etc. Sounds like a lot of extra work to try all those avenues? But it doesn't have to be!

With your Continue to Give fundraising page you can keep everyone up to date on what you are doing and how their money is impacting your organization. The more they know the more they will be willing to give!

Here are some tips:

1) Connect your blog to your profile. This way anyone who follows or has donated to your Continue to Give fundraiser will get an email when you add a new blog post. Givers can also see all your blog posts on your Continue to Give profile page. They can read about what you are doing and then give to you right then and there!

2) Snap some pictures and add some videos a couple times a year and upload them to your Continue to Give profile. Now your givers can integrate with your organization and what you are doing.

3) Create projects or Giving Pages with clear calls to action! What is this project/giving page raising money for? For example are you building a church in Africa? Then call your project "Raising Money to Build a Church in Africa." Be very specific. Write a description of where the church will go and take some pictures of the process and how close the church is to being complete. Then blog about it and share that current project!

4) At least once a year blog about the donor. Let them know exact accomplishments that would not have been made possible without their support. Let them feel responsible for the good that is being done.

Whenever your giving is low just think about how you can get and stay connected with your givers. Maybe you even need to pay them a visit or a phone call just to keep them updated on how things are going!

We want to hear one thing you are thankful for today!

Everyday is special, even when it doesn't seem like it. If you are having a bad day cheer it up by thinking of one special thing you are thankful for or if you are having a good day share just one of your many warm fuzzies!

Write/share your CTG thankfulness challenge on your facebook status or on your twitter with the hashtag #ctgthankfulness and @ContinueToGive and nominate your friends to share one thing they are thankful for.

Let's let our thankfulness spread! From our friends to our friends' friends until everyone has had a chance to share what they are thankful for!

Continue to Give thankfulness and let it grow!

LLS Donation Winners

We want to thank all of you that participated in chelsealynn's fundraiser for LLS!

As most of you know Chelsea is running a marathon in New York and fundraising for a goal of $2,600 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. All your donations helped Chelsea meet that goal!!! During part of the fundraiser there was a chance to get into a drawing for a free month membership at the Woodson YMCA in Wausua, WI and also a $10 starbucks card.

The drawing has closed and this is the official announcement of the winners!

Winner of the Woodson YMCA Free Month Membership:

Tina Jensen

Winner of the $10 Starbucks card:

Cheryl Westwood Harvat

A big shout out to our sponsors!

Woodson YMCA who sponsored the free month membership!

Schulz Sheep Farm who sponsored the $10 starbucks card!

1. Have easy avenues for your donors to give. This includes a donate button on your website and facebook page, a mobile option on a poster or in your newsletter, or a kiosk stand at your public events. The more avenues you add, the more chances you will open to donations. Click here to set up online giving for your organization!

2. Ask for a specific low amount and tell the giver what that donation will go towards. For example, ask for $5, $10, or $20. In addition, add a caption that says "Your $10 donations will feed a starving child today.." or something like that. Let the donor feel responsible for the good he/she is doing

3. Try not to sound too technical and have positive language. Don't say things like 'if you don't donate $10 a child will starve today'. Be positive and uplifting. Make that person feel good right away by taking away any guilt trip feelings and by letting them know they have a choice. In addition, don't be too technical with your wording. Keep it short and simple. The average donor wants to know exactly how they are helping not all the technical details of it. Wording that is too technical can confuse the donor as to what the donation goes towards. If they want to learn more direct them to a blog or have a number or email they can correspond with you.

4. Generational Differences play a huge role in how you should advertise your charity events. Read more about generational differences and how you can cater to every age.

Fees Fees and More Fees

Shouldn't an organization receive all of it's donations free of charge? When you give in a check or cash you receive all of the money not just some of it right? Why should my church, organization, or fundraiser have to have a portion of the donation taken away in fees?

These are the questions plaguing the non-profit world. Lets face it, we don't want to have to pay fees just to collect donations we work so hard to get in the first place. Our charity runs off and needs those donations to keep doing the good work of making this world a better place, right? Then why pay the fees?

A common misconception: Charities keep all check and cash donations.

Yes, they do and they don't in a way. Charities need to pay staff members so the charity can exist. In addition, they have to buy accounting software, CRM software, and maybe even pay monthly fees for different software that they use. These are fees that take away from the donation. In addition, online giving is a service and really should be seen is similar terms as accounting software, church crm, snail mailing printouts, etc. Yes, I know it's one more cost to the list but just like those other things you pay for it is worth it. Plus, online giving can increase your bottom line!

Where does that money go that you pay in fees to online giving?

It goes towards new technology features to make the online, mobile, and kiosk giving process easier for you! It also goes to the salary of the customer service people that help you out when you have a question. Thirdly, it goes to the physical and government regulated movement of money from one bank account to the next so that you receive your donation. Lastly, that small fee keeps that service around for you to use!

Why Invest?

You probably already know why, because your donors have been asking you for an easy electronic giving avenue, right? This is the best answer. You need to make the donations process easy for the donor so that they continue to donate and thats why we have built you all these tools to accommodate them!

How it can benefit you.

Crowdfunding and electronic giving has proven to increase donations to charity. Crowdfunding allows your cause to go viral receiving donations from friends of friends of your donors. Those would be donations you never would have received! Mobile and Kiosk options allow your organization receive donations at social events when someone wants to use their ACH or Credit card to donate. Using electronic giving and in-person giving at the same time will only increase your chances for more donations.

Recurring donations are huge. People get busy all the time and cannot make it to social gatherings to donate. Recurring donations can be set up one time and can stay setup for out to three years! Plus you can budget your charity better when you can count on recurring donations. This will take out the gaps in your giving and make giving more regular.

Accommodate your giver. The bottom line is the donor. You need to be able to accommodate all avenues that they wish to give. This is what keeps them giving to you.

With online and in-person giving it never hurts to do both! Your giving can only increase with more giving avenues!

Four Main Groups

There are four different generations and each has a different way they can help with your cause and each generation has different giving patterns. If you can learn these patterns and put them into practice for your marketing you may be able to increase your giving.

Generation Y ages 18-32:11% of Giving

This is the generation that uses social media and would work great for crowdfunding. This group will be more motivated by projects versus a general fund. For example, if your organization builds wells in Africa, feeds local children, buys clothes for orphans, then instead of having one general fund where people can donate have different projects associated with each way your organization is making a difference in the world. This gives a sense of intimacy between the donor and the cause. It?s like they are almost buying a can of beans right off the shelf and then handing them to a person in need. There is more donor satisfaction this way. This generation wants to see where their donation is going and exactly how they are helping make the world a better place.

Generation X ages 33-48:20% Giving

This generation is busy with raising families and furthering careers. They need a simple convenient fast method that they can donate through and then get back to what they need to do. Things such as online giving that is simple and right on your organizations website will work. Also, connect with a corporate business and have them market you as their charity to their workers and have easy ways for donations. Email marketing with a link to your donation form would also be a quick and easy way for donors to donate. Since this generation is all about time the quicker they can donate the better.

Baby Boomers ages 49-67:43% of Giving

This is the largest group of all the generations and this may be your focus point. This generation wants to know that the company is reputable. Maybe have some facts of what your organization has done over the years or what credentials it has. Don't let their age fool you they are just as willing to donate on their mobile phone as they are to donate to you through the mail.

Matures 68 and up:26% of Giving

This generation is willing to give with the new technology avenues but are very responsive to a phone call or mailing.

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The Online Giving Fee Trap! Watch out for unnecessary fees when setting up online giving!

Don't Pay More Than You have To

There are a lot of companies out there that allow your church or organization to get set up with online giving including online, mobile, and kiosk. But there are a lot of unnecessary fees! Read this article to be aware of unnecessary fees and how you can avoid them.

Set Up Costs

You should never, and I mean never, pay for set up costs. Especially if those set up costs are for each avenue of giving. For example, some companies have you pay for your online donation avenue and then if you want mobile you have to pay an mobile setup cost on top of that. These costs can be completely avoided and are just an extra cost to your church or organization. Don't pay them just move on to the next company that doesn't require that unnecessary fee.

Service Charges

You should never pay a service charge on top of your transaction fees. This is an unnecessary cost to your church. A service charge can be a set dollar amount or it can be a percentage of your donations but you shouldn't have to pay either. Like in the set up costs if there is a service charge in addition to your transaction costs just move on to the next company that doesn't charge you a service charge.

Transaction Costs

Yes, this is a real fee and no matter where you go you need to pay this. However, be on the lookout for excessive transaction costs. Anything over 3% is a high transaction cost for non-profits and churches. Anything over 5% is high for individuals. If you want to save money look for a company that has a transaction cost split where they charge a different fee for ACH then they do Credit Card. ACH is a cheaper method of accepting donations and you can greatly reduce your transaction costs by asking your donors, or even having the ability for your donors to choose, ACH payment methods.

Monthly or Yearly Costs

This is a little bit of a muddy water cost. A lot of places do charge a monthly cost but there a few that don't. (If the company doesn't charge a monthly cost that mean they are covering that cost for you.) If the transaction rate is the same between two companies and one has a monthly cost then of course go with the one without the monthly cost. However, if they seem comparable in that the transaction rates are significantly lower and the monthly cost is very low then you might have to do some math to see which would be cheaper for your church.

You can find our rates here to compare them with other companies

https://www.continuetogive.com/content/help-rates.html

In today's age it's important to stay up to date on technology. Computers, Smart phones, Kiosks, Apps, etc. the list goes on and on of what new avenues are coming to light in the church realm. Some churches already do online fundraising and are very familiar with all the new gadgets associated with it. However, there are some churches who have not looked into online giving yet and have no idea how it works and what trap of fees they might fall into. In this article, I'm going to go over what online giving is and how you can use online giving in your church.

Online giving is a way for churches to collect tithes and donations online through a website, on a phone, or on a kiosk.

For online methods: When someone is on your church website there can be a button that allows that person to give to the church. It doesn't have to be big or anything. It can just be another tab that says "Give to the Church." This button will be affiliated with a piece of code that will allow a donor to give right from your church website. This can increase your donations because that same person can set up recurring donations whether it's for tithing or for a new church project. Now just think of this for a second. During vacation season most people forget to tithe to the church because they are on vacation and did not step into the church building that Sunday to drop off their offering in the plate. Now they can go online and give their tithe from a computer whenever they are! In addition, you can always send out an email with a link to your donation page reminding families that they can tithe online. This will increase your reach to your congregation.

For Mobile: Churches should also look into mobile donations. Now-a-days with smart phones people can scan whats called a QR code. This will allow the congregation to give on a mobile device. In addition, there are text to donate numbers that allow congregation members to give through texting methods. (We recommend text to donate links instead of text to donate through phone providers. Be on the look out for our blog on why text to donate through phone providers might run you into trouble.) With QR codes and Text to Donate numbers, you can print them in any media. Now church members can see them in their bulletin and can easily donate anytime before, during, or after the service. These are also great for youth fundraising events or snail mail newsletters. This can also save the church money by printing a QR code and link for online donations instead of sending a self-addressed and stamped envelope.

Kiosk Stands: Kiosk stand are great for church tithing. This is like a virtual offering plate that can sit right outside your sanctuary. Your congregation can go to the kiosk stand and make a donation to the church or even set up their recurring donation. This is also great because it can provide the time and place needed to help out folks that are not technology savvy to get setup with a recurring donation or show them how to make their tithe on the offering kiosk.

To Learn More About Online Giving For Churches: Click here