Recurring Giving for Churches – The Ultimate Guide
Ready to grow faithful, sustainable giving at your church? Read on to learn how recurring giving can help support and grow your ministry.
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Ready to grow faithful, sustainable giving at your church? Read on to learn how recurring giving can help support and grow your ministry.
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According to the latest tithing statistics, the average weekly donation per U.S. churchgoer is $17. That equals a yearly donation of $884 per person.
Recurring donations help maintain church facilities, staff, and ongoing needs while enabling you to support your community through various ministries.
Below, I’ll explain why recurring giving is crucial and share tips to encourage recurring donations in your church.
Recurring giving for churches includes repeat donations at regular intervals, plus scheduled tithing. On each pre-scheduled date, the donor’s credit card or bank account is automatically charged.
These gifts are typically set up online, making it easy for your donors to manage their gift amount and frequency at any time. It also enables you to view and collect data.
Recurring donations reduce the risk of members skipping their offering for the week since they are automatically charged. This provides consistent and reliable funds year-round, even during typical seasonal dips.
Allow church members to quickly and conveniently set up a recurring gift online by creating a donation form using a platform like Donorbox. Choose from seven recurring intervals and include up to four on your form. Options include daily, weekly, biweekly, 1st and 15th, monthly, quarterly, and yearly, in addition to one-time donations.
See how the Metropolitan New York Synod is collecting recurring gifts for their church using Donorbox:
Collect Recurring Donations for Your Church with Donorbox
Get buy-in from leaders in your church. These include worship leaders, board members, and influential members of the congregation.
Explain the benefits of recurring giving and how it can increase your church’s fundraising.
Once they are on board, train them on how to promote recurring giving with other congregation members.
Here are a few ways to promote recurring giving in your church:
However you decide to spread the word about recurring giving, keep reminding members about it.
Show exactly how recurring gifts make a difference. Supporters will be more likely to give – and give more – if they feel an emotional connection to what your church is doing with their donations.
Share various missions and projects that have either been made possible or could be made possible with their long-term support.
Check out this example of how Pioneers Church indicates the impact each donation can bring about:
Make it easy for your church to provide steady, ongoing support by using a church fundraising platform for recurring donations. The tool you use should enable supporters to update their recurring donation plans at any time.
Set up a giving kiosk in your church lobby and ask volunteers to assist congregants as they set up their own recurring gifts.
If you’ll be printing out recurring giving instructions, include a QR code so members can quickly scan to access your donation form.
For your younger visitors and members, try text giving to quickly redirect them to your recurring donation form.
Pro tip: Add a gentle prompt that encourages one-time donors to upgrade to a monthly gift with Donorbox’s Recurring Donation Upsell.
When made on a regular basis, smaller gifts add up. The average one-time gift made via mobile is $76. The average monthly online donation is $24, or $288 each year.
Ask for smaller donations when you’re setting up your giving intervals. For example, for weekly donations, you may suggest amounts of $10, $15, $25, and $50, while your one-time asks may start at $50.
Analyze your donor database to align ask amounts with your donors’ giving preferences.
Discover actionable strategies to turn your one-time donors into long-term supporters of your church in this video:
Offering recurring giving options can bring in more mission-fueling funds for your church. Recurring donations also ensure your church members won’t forget their offering and provide consistent, reliable revenue year-round.
Ready to launch your own recurring giving program? Sign up for Donorbox or log in to your existing account to get started. Recurring donors can manage their recurring gifts at any time via their Donor Portal. Share this demo video to show them how.
For more church fundraising tips and ideas, visit the Nonprofit Blog.
Explain what recurring giving is, share helpful resources, and encourage them to sign up during church services and gatherings. Set up an online recurring donation form and share it with church members during sermons, in newsletters, and on social media. Place a giving kiosk in your church lobby that features your campaign with recurring donation options.
Promote recurring donations across different communication channels, such as during sermons and via email. Highlight the impact of each recurring gift on your donation form, and make it easy for supporters to sign up and donate. Finally, include smaller ask amounts when adding recurring donation options to your fundraising campaigns.
Kara has several years of experience in communications and marketing for nonprofit organizations. Her love for serving others began while fundraising for and attending mission trips. She then worked with multiple local nonprofits through various marketing agencies and volunteer opportunities before becoming a communications manager at Variety the Children's Charity of St. Louis for more than four years. Kara now specializes in writing and enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge with others on this platform.
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