Lesson #4: How to Promote Recurring Giving

People are actively looking for a church to connect and contribute to during year-end. According to Google Trends, searches for the word “church” spike in December. The uptick in traffic to your website leads to an increase in attendance, and in giving. This makes right now the ideal time to promote recurring gifts (even if you’re campaigning for other funds and activities).

Remember, people expect A LOT to be going on at church around the holidays, and they’re looking forward to it! Give them a chance to find the fund or activity that inspires them. This extra attention makes year-end the perfect time to encourage recurring giving.  

Let’s check out the best ways to emphasize recurring giving this Christmas.

Make recurring giving obvious on your website

Your recurring giving option can be as pronounced as you want and thoughtfully balanced alongside other events. Even a subtle mention of recurring giving on your website can make a noticeable impact. 

• Add the option “Set up recurring gifts” in the footer of your website
• Place a recurring giving button on your home page
• Create a dedicated page reviewing what recurring giving is, how to set it up, and the benefits
• Include a brief description of recurring gifts on your primary giving page
• Enable the “Make this Gift Recurring” box that people can check going through the motions of giving one-time

By seeing this option on your website, givers can explore if it’s right for their budget and schedule.

Strategically send emails

Engaging donors is more effective when you tailor communication to reflect where they are in the Giver’s Journey. Take advantage of 4 email templates created to specifically message first-time, casual, consistent, and recurring givers while helping guide them towards the next step in generosity.

• First-time giver email template
• Casual giver email template
• Consistent giver email template
• Recurring giver email template

Not only do these email templates help you thank givers and increase recurring gifts, but they also help you retain donors.

Share videos featuring recurring gifts

Did you know viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it? By sharing videos on social media and your website with the steps to set up recurring gifts, you’ll capture the attention of more people.

Mention recurring giving during service and in welcome packets

During the offering, tell real-life stories about how recurring gifts impact lives in the community. Feature these stories in welcome packets with pictures of volunteers in action. When people see for themselves how giving helps the church make a difference, they’re more likely to sign up for recurring gifts.

Show recurring giving tiers on a slide before service

Include slides before and after services highlighting the giving tiers for an ongoing campaign. This shows people where to start and where their gifts are going. Here’s an example of what that could look like for a church’s ongoing outreach campaign that helps fight hunger.

Set recurring giving goals everyone can rally around

By enrolling in programs like Youth UpLift, you set generosity goals that your congregation can celebrate together. It costs nothing to enroll, and churches that sign up receive $200 for every 25 new recurring givers. Each church can be awarded up to 10 scholarships, so you have a chance to cash checks totalling $2,000!

If you’re a current customer, enroll by clicking on the gear icon in the top right corner of your dashboard and selecting the Youth UpLift card. It’s that simple!

Marketing resources like the video featured in this course, bulletin inserts, and one-on-one sessions with success coaches are provided to help you promote the program.

Next Steps

List the different platforms that you can promote giving on and decide where to emphasize recurring gifts. Highlight it on 1 or 2 platforms, or during the activities and services when it makes sense. Then, evaluate the results and pivot based on those outcomes.

Now, let’s take recurring giving to the next level and learn How to Create a High-Performing Recurring Giving Program.