Why Most Churches Have More Vision Than Funding

Startling statistic … Only 14% of churches exceed their annual budgets each year. That means that 86% of the churches out there are at break-even or BROKE. This is a problem for multiple reasons.   PROBLEM #1 – Most churches have more vision than funding. This is only normal, natural, and generally a good thing.…

Read More

Clarity Creates Certainty in Fundraising

One Essential Element to Effective Church Fundraising by Ben Crawshaw I meet with people all the time who tell me they need to raise some money. I ask them how much. They shrug. At that point, I realize they’re trying to grab a vapor. They’re reaching for a reality that doesn’t exist yet. In order…

Read More

I Got 99 Problems But Fundraising Ain’t One

5 Steps to MUCH Better Fundraising by Keith Cook Do you know the #1 reason why people have trouble raising money? IT’S HARD. 🙁 There’s no way around it. It’s just straight up difficult and it’s hard for everyone. When I talk to pastors and ministry leaders about fundraising it’s like they are shocked that…

Read More

How to Increase Donations from New or First Time Donors

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW  ABOUT USING OFFERING ENVELOPES TO INCREASE DONATIONS We are rapidly advancing in this digital age. Mobile phones have replaced landlines. Credit cards have replaced cash. Email has replaced the Postal Service. And we’ll continue to change. Changes in culture lead to changes in the church. Lyrics on a screen have…

Read More

How To Help Church Members With Their Personal Finances

When you think about it, church can be a strange place.  We do things like: Drink grape juice and say it’s Jesus’ blood. Dunk people under water and call it a “public profession of faith.” To lifelong churchgoers, all of this makes sense (and is, in fact, quite meaningful).  But I imagine it can be…

Read More

10 Creative Ways to Say “Thank You” to Donors

When it comes to thanking donors for their donations, good intentions are the pathway to failure. No one feels thanked because you had intentions to say “thank you.” They feel thanked because you actually thanked them. Many people skip this because it feels so overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to feel that way. You don’t have…

Read More

Why a Giving Strategy Matters

There are two kinds of churches, and they’re revealed by the way they answer this question, regarding their giving strategy: How much money will your church bring in this year? Type 1 answers with a figure. Type 2 answers with something vague. The thing is, those Type 1 churches are usually correct in their confident,…

Read More

3 Simple Phases To A Great Fundraising Campaign

Let me ask you a question: do you want to execute a successful fundraising campaign? Stupid question, right? It’s like one of those questions a college professor asks at the beginning of his first lecture to get you to pay attention in his class all semester… something like, “Do you want to succeed when you…

Read More

7 Reasons For Giving Talks: What To Think About When You Write Them

52 times a year, you have the opportunity to link your congregation to God’s heart for generosity and your church’s mission in the community. But effectively connecting the dots requires planning. You must think about the offering time in advance.  Too many churches tack this on with little consideration. The worship leader mumbles a few…

Read More