Tag: text giving

All press is good press, right?

While certain overworked celebrity publicists might disagree with the truth of that statement, it certainly holds true when “press” refers to inclusion in a national campaign highlighting the impact mobile technology can have on churches and other faith-based organizations! Which is exactly what happened to Mogiv earlier this month.

And it wasn’t even anything we did! The credit belongs entirely to our friends at Concord Church in Dallas, TX.

Concord Church has done such a great job of leveraging mobile technology at their church that they were recently featured in a campaign by a company that knows a thing or two about mobile technology: AT&T. Per AT&T’s website, their “Inspired Mobility” campaign is meant to start “a national conversation about the cultural shift in how people use mobile and Internet technology to enhance their faith experience.” It doesn’t take long to see why Concord Church was selected as the subject of the campaign. (more…)

By: Nathan Elson

The other day I walked into a church service and noticed on the two side screens a slide that read, “Please silence your phones.” The implicit idea behind the slide is simple: phones can be distracting and being distracted in church is not good. So I reached into my pocket to grab my cell phone…

Wait, this isn’t 2002. I no longer have a cell phone – rather I have a small computer with an advanced touch screen, constant Internet access, and a bevy of apps that fits in the palm of my hand. And the device was (literally) in the palm of my hand.

In working with churches around the United States, I am generally asked for advice on how to drive interaction between the church and congregants; how to build community; and how to maximize communication. I get questions about websites, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; about apps and email. All of which are good things.

However, most of the conversations center on how to drive interaction apart from Sunday. Because Sunday, you know, is Sunday. (more…)

After six years of consistent and considerable growth, the importance of online and mobile giving has now been firmly established. Yet for many churches and charitable organizations, the thought of introducing digital giving to their supporters is more than a little intimidating.

But it doesn’t need to be! Yes, it requires a bit of research and a bit of legwork, but a successful digital giving solution really comes down to getting three basic things right. Focus on the three things below, and you’ll be an e-giving expert in no time at all!

1)  The Right Platform

I could write an entire series of posts on this point alone. For our purposes today, lets just focus on the three essentials that any self-respecting online giving platform will include.

Scheduled giving: Online giving’s ability to transform one-time givers into consistent monthly “partners” can completely transform your organization’s finances. Your platform should make recurring giving a snap. The less time and fewer clicks required, the better!

Mobile integration: Mobile Internet usage is expected to overtake desktop usage by the end of this year. Your online giving solution needs to be a mobile giving solution as well. Giving apps, mobile optimized forms, text giving, something really cool we haven’t even heard of yet. It doesn’t have to be one thing, just make sure you’ve got something. 

Customization / Flexibility: How seamless does your platform integrate with your website? Does it allow you to easily create multiple giving campaigns? Can the reports be customized to your liking? Can givers easily control and modify their giving activity? Your fundraising needs are always changing and your platform should be able to change with them. (more…)

Each week, as I talk with pastors, administrators and elder boards about the impact that online giving can have in their churches, there is one question that comes up more frequently than any other: “Why should we be paying 1 – 3% in processing fees for donations we could be getting for free?”

This is a valid and important question, but “donations we could be getting for free” misses two key points.

First, gifts received via cash and check are not really “free.” Someone on your staff has to count them, organize them, enter them into your accounting system, safely store them and then go to the bank in-person to deposit them. Online giving automates all of these processes, reducing your labor costs.

Second, online giving does not compete with the gifts you are already receiving via cash and check. The reason online giving to religious organizations increased 18.1% in 2013 is because more and more churches realized there are gifts that the offering plate is missing. (more…)