Tag: online giving

We’ve all heard the Ben Franklin quote: “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Well, in the world of digital giving, we can add a third pillar of certitude: death, taxes, and processing fees.

Ah yes, the fees. The “fly in the ointment” of The Digital Giving Revolution. For all the explosive growth online and mobile donation channels have experienced in recent years, and for all of the new gifts (and new givers!) these tools have enabled, the cost of receiving these donations continues to be a sticking point for many people.

We have written in the past about keeping “the costs” of online giving in their proper context. Obviously, we wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing if we didn’t believe that the benefits of giving technology far outweighed the costs. However, we also understand how frustrating it can be to see 3% of your cash receipts leaving your organization’s bank account each month. Especially if your organization is strapped for cash, as most nonprofits are.

Because of this, it is no surprise that many churches and ministries actually encourage people away from digital giving. But that doesn’t seem to be the right approach either. You’ve taken the time to invest in providing additional giving tools for your supporters. Why make them feel guilty for taking advantage of them? (more…)

By: Generis Team

If the only time your church talks about money is when you need money, you aren’t leveraging the worship service to create a generous church. There is a place for honest dialogue about the state of the church budget, but it is not healthy for pastors to speak about finances only when the church is in need. This is why it’s important to regularly preach about generosity and stewardship as an essential aspect of discipleship and following Christ.

Sometimes the way we approach the connection between ministry and money makes people uncomfortable. We should view money not as a necessary evil to be reckoned with but as a partner for ministry. No ministry thrives without needed resources. If ministry is the vehicle for accomplishing our mission, financial resources are the fuel. (more…)

As I talk with pastors and ministry leaders about transforming the way giving is discussed in their congregations, one of the high points I hit most frequently is the importance of using stories when discussing generosity. I’ll say things like “names over numbers” and “stories instead of statistics,” and we’ll talk at length about the deep-seated human desire for narrative.

As wonderful as alliterative couplets might be, they don’t tell the whole story. (Forgive the pun.) Which is why I want to dive a bit deeper today. And I want to do so with the help of a friend who spends a considerable percentage of his days thinking and talking about giving to churches.

Erik Ely is a Generosity Strategist for Generis, and he brings over 20 years of experience to this conversation. Erik and I had a conversation recently about where, how, and why churches need to deploy stories for the sake of stewardship. (Last alliteration. Promise.) Below are the highlights of that discussion. Enjoy! (more…)

One of the most frequently cited and widely used reasons for the rapid growth of digital giving over the past decade is the proportionate decline in checks during that time.

And the trend continues! In fact, according to one report, we are on pace to write our final check sometime in the year 2021. A mere six years away!

Nowhere is this “check-less” trend more prevalent than with Millennials, 20% of whom have never written a check in their life. There are piles and piles of statistics to back this up (like these), but – for today – I thought we’d forego stats and focus on some good, old-fashioned anecdotal evidence. (It is election season after all.) (more…)

Ring the bells! Bang the tambourines! The blessed day has finally arrived!

That’s right, after months of talking, tweaking, and testing, Mogiv‘s new and improved administrative dashboards have finally been released into polite society.

Why all the excitement? Because we love churches! And we know that bookkeepers, treasurers, finance secretaries, and business managers are some of the hardest working people on any church’s staff. So anything we can do to make these warriors’ lives easier, is a BIG WIN in our book!

Our new dashboards do just that! Here’s how… (more…)