The Problem With Young Givers – Technological or Psychological?
“We have young people at our church, but most of them give inconsistently or not at all.”
Have you ever heard or said this at your church? Join the club. Figuring out how to encourage consistent giving among young churchgoers is not a new challenge, but it is certainly a common one.
Enter the Millennial Impact Project, a research group that helps organizations better engage with the Millennial Generation (i.e. people born from 1979 – 1994). Here are a few key findings from last year’s report:
–83% of Millennial respondents said they gave a gift to a nonprofit organization last year
-84% of Millennials said they prefer to give on a website, while giving in person came in a distant second with 48%
-52% of Millennial respondents say they’d be interested in monthly giving
These statistics are encouraging because they point to a solution that is technological as opposed to psychological or spiritual. The problem with your young givers is not that they are poor, selfish, or disinterested; it is simply that you may not have the right tools in place to collect their gifts.
Think about it. When was the last time you saw a 20-24 year old with a checkbook? Conversely, when was the last time you saw that same person without their phone? Millennials are already shopping, socializing, and going to school on the Internet and via their smartphones. Why not provide a way for them to give back to The Lord through those channels as well?
If you think mobile and online giving might be a path to connecting with your young givers, we would love to hear from you! Our intuitive online giving form makes it possible to create a monthly gift in under 60 seconds. Our text giving option allows attendees – especially twenty-somethings who have never used a checkbook – to text in tithes and offerings right from their seat. Feel free to contact us at info@mogiv.com or at (760) 205-1165 to learn more about these and other solutions.
(NOTE: While technology and internet usage is commonly regarded as the realm of the young, your twenty-somethings are not the only ones who will find value in an online giving option. A recent study of “mature givers” revealed that 47% of donors over the age of 60 gave a gift online last year.)
(Photo from examiner.com.)