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April 9, 2009
My answer - Should churches offer "premiums"
Now that you've had a chance to respond to Should churches offer "premiums" to encourage online giving, I want to lay out a few of my thoughts on the issue.
First, I don't think the church needs to be in the business of gimmicks. We already do enough of that. We toss "books" of printed paper at visitors and guests. We have welcome committees and welcome packages that weigh as much as a gift basket from Harry and David. So, in a sense, churches are already offering premiums to prospects.
What we are learning is that no one choose to invest their time, talent, and resources because of a premium they are offered. People choose a community to join and contribute to because of the people they meet and the relationships they build. It's an emotional process; it's an emotional investment.
Second, premiums come in many forms. The traditional non-profit world uses products as premiums. The reason premiums are so effective is that they give the existing or potential new donor a reason to take action. When it comes to church giving, there are few "call to actions" outside of the offertory or the occassional special offering.
Fundraising for special events is one thing. Raising funds to support an ongoing operational budget for a complex ministry is a completely different thing. It's the difference between a sprint and a marathon.
What if instead of a coffee mug or the classic church t-shirt, the church offered experiences? What if the premium was every new giver this Sunday will be given a partial (or full) scholarship to participate in some mission project? It's so easy to restrict ourselves to thinking of premiums in the traditional way. Premiums are simply a tool to generate a response and only work when coupled with a compelling call to action.
Third, churches need to reconsider the methods they use to generate the funds they need to accomplish the ministry God has placed on their hearts. Premiums are one way to begin thinking about things differently. It forces the church leader to consider those things that only the church could offer a potential donor, especially the opportunity to become personally invested in the ministry of the church.
Capture the heart of the giver, and you'll create a long-term donor. Growing your base of long-term donors creates a more sustainable funding model.
Many church leaders still assume that Christians automatically reserve the tithe for the church alone. This simply isn't true. If churches don't respond, the dollars of the people who occupy our pews will be funneled to those outside the church who make a more compelling ministry case.
Finally, I want to suggest to you that one benefit of online giving (which was the context of the research cited in yesterday's post) is that people who don't visit your church campus are able to easily contribute to the ministry of your church. This is an entirely new dimension of funding that I don't think many in church leadership have considered.
If we believe that the internet is a ministry tool, why exclude those who find spiritual nourishment from your Web ministry (online sermons, tools, Bible searches, etc.) from contributing to the organizational needs of your church? Or, what if you have a parent of a child who has been changed by your ministry who wants to contribute but doesn't go to your church or doesn't go to church at all? What if this tool, if encouraged, becomes the bridge between you and this individual?
All churches have "premiums" that they can offer to encourage participation and grow their giving base. The question is will you do the hard work, the necessary creative thinking to find those things that inspire others to become a part of what you are doing? Better yet, is what you are doing so compelling that others want to join you in your efforts and fund your ministry?
Posted by bstroup at April 9, 2009 3:50 PM
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