Our main focus at SecureGive is helping all of the ministries we serve to grow their giving as much as possible. Part of my job is to help you encourage donors to use your new giving options. There are three best practices that I always suggest implementing because they have been proven time and again to increase donations.
1) Train Your Team
Before launching your new giving platforms, it’s very important that you and your team become as familiar with your new platforms as possible. The more information you have about how to use the software, the easier it will be to lead your donors through the process. We have many training videos and printable resources to guide you through learning the system, which are available to you as soon as your account is setup! Once you have your account customized to fit your ministry, and your team is well-versed in how the donation process works, you’re ready to launch!
2) Communicate Consistently
The most important thing to remember when rolling out a new giving platform is to talk about your giving options during every service or meeting that your organization has. For churches, this can be as simple as mentioning something like, “Whether you give during the service, online or at the kiosk, we appreciate your generosity.” To apply this practice to a non-profit, I would suggest including a similar line in each email newsletter you send.
Talking about your giving options doesn’t have to be lengthy every time, what matters most is consistency. It’s also most effective if the person giving the announcement is in a senior position within your ministry, at least for the first few weeks. If your congregation or donor base hears someone they know and trust telling them about your giving platforms, they are more likely to trust these new options as well.
3) Provide Simple Instructions
Whenever a new account is setup with SecureGive, we send out an email filled with free promotional material to help your ministry be successful. We’ve realized that one resource every organization needs is clear and concise instructions on how to give. The giving instructions that we provide are simple and concise so that each member can walk through steps quickly and easily. I always suggest that these instructions be passed out during services, posted on social media and listed on your website. If you have kiosk giving available for your ministry, it is also extremely important to have signage around your kiosk. The best way to let donors know what your kiosk is used for is to have “Giving Kiosk” listed on a banner, kiosk graphic, or on the wall directly behind the kiosk.
We have seen these three practices benefit each organization that has consistently applied them. We have various other resources available to help your ministry grow including promotional videos, monthly webinars, and scheduled training calls. If you have any questions, or would like to develop a launch strategy specific to your organization, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help!
