Own It: 7 Keys For Crushing Your Year-End Offering

Newsflash: We’re fast approaching the end of the year. You know, that most wonderful time of year. That season of thanksgiving and gratitude. That time of year when the spirit of so many things seem to be permeating season… Pumpkin spice and peppermint. Snowflakes and season’s greetings. The stress of a little too much time…

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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.…

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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…

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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…

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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…

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Broke Proof Church

How to Create a “Broke-Proof” Church in 2017

YIKES! 86% of churches in America are at break-even or broke. Sobering statistic. That means that only 14% of churches collect more in tithes and offerings that their budget requires for operating. Twelve years ago, I was on staff at a church. Because I was responsible for the Sunday bulletin every week, I got to…

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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…

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3 Ways to Make Giving Exciting

Do you ever want to add some creativity to the way your members give? With all of the buzz about crowdfunding and texting services that allow for instant giving, there are plenty of ways to keep members engaged and interested in continuing to give. 3 WAYS TO GET PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT CONTRIBUTING:  Host an Event…

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4 Ways to Build Happy Givers

Do you think it’s important for people in your church to be happy givers? Let’s face it–it’s one thing for your church to receive money from people who are begrudgingly, or even apathetically giving, but wouldn’t it be amazing for people in your church to joyfully give out of what they’ve been given? How would…

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