3 Easy Ways to Increase Church Donations

This is a common question in recent times. It is no secret that church attendance has declined over the past several decades. It may seem easy to blame the falling size of Sunday Service on things such as the internet, Covid, even church members not feeling up to the task of waking up early. This not only has an effect on filling up your pews; it has an effect on your bottom line. The less that the collection plate is filled, the less good we are able to do for the community. Fear not, the age of the internet and endless deliveries can be used to your advantage! In this article, we will discuss several methods to increase donations that are not only inexpensive, but also free in many cases.

Community Involvement 

You likely already know how important it is for your church to be involved in the community. After all, giving to those in need is what we do as Christians. When members of the community need help, we spring into action. Though the path of least resistance is often to be humble, there is nothing wrong with gaining subtle recognition for our good deeds. Showing members of the community that your church was behind a community initiative is likely to express the type of congregation your church attracts. This in turn can lead to gaining new members and as a side effect, increasing donations. Some very simple, inexpensive options could be:

• Host a community lunch regularly at your church. Members of the congregation would likely be more than happy to donate their time and cooking skills. After all, who doesn’t like a potluck! There are many in need, and a free lunch is sure to raise not only spirits, but community awareness.
• Host support groups at your church. As Christians, we seek to help those in their moment of need. Oftentimes, a person to talk to is all that an individual needs to get or keep their life on track. Hosting those with grief, addiction or anyone in need of a listening ear is sure to raise community recognition while helping those in their moment of need.
• Host toy and food drives for those struggling. Members of your church, and the community as a whole will be more than happy to help children and the hungry. You can place simple cardboard boxes inside the lobby of your church, and allow individuals to drop off items to donate at their leisure. 

Social Media

While many of us didn’t grow up in the age of Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, there is no denying the importance of maintaining multiple social media profiles. These platforms are essentially the new town squares, and are the easiest way to both actively and passively find those who may be looking to join a church. All of these platforms allow churches and companies of all sizes to create a profile for free. Posting regularly to these platforms, and making your congregation aware of your profiles will lead to organic growth. Similarly, you can also run inexpensive awareness advertisements on these platforms. Here in Ohio, it often costs less than ten dollars to have Facebook ads promoting local churches to over two thousand people. This cost will of course vary depending on your location, however it is usually quite inexpensive. 

Direct Mail

The direct mail capabilities of today aren’t the “junk mail” experiences that many are used to. Technology has come a long way. Artificial intelligence and highly variable scripting allow mail to be indistinguishable from hand typed letters. Basically, computers and the engineers that make these mail campaigns are able to take a massive amount of data and provide an extremely personalized experience to millions of individuals. The sky is the limit in terms of using data to increase member participation and donations. Some examples of how Mission Envelope targets congregants for donations are:

• Sending offering envelopes pre filled with a church’s return address, with the name of the member on the envelope so churches can track donations.
• Using data churches have available to send letters to members that have not attended service in a while. Oftentimes, we find that members will at the very least reply indicating why they have not been to a recent service.
• Sending church members letters that include a QR code that a member may scan to donate with a cell phone. It only takes someone a few minutes to donate to the church from their phone, versus mailing a check or coming to service in person to fill the collection plate. 

In Conclusion

Though in recent years, it may appear harder to increase donations to your church, there are a variety of ways to increase donations in today’s modern age. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, or just to say hello! If you would like free offering envelopes to test with your church, fill out this form!