Discover how to leverage technology in your church

Vanco is an online giving tool that integrates with Church360° and Shepherd’s Staff.  We know some churches are hesitant to get started with online giving.

Every church, regardless of size, relies heavily on donations. But the offering is more than just a donation to support various projects or meet certain fundraising goals. And it is certainly more than just a tax-deductible contribution. A sense of gratitude for God's gracious gifts is usually where most churches start, but keeping donors engaged depends significantly on your specific situation. You’re working hard to make God’s amazing grace clear to your church, so what’s holding people back from giving?

Churches often fall short of their stewardship goals. In many cases, it’s because churches don’t have an online giving platform, leaving church members unsure of how to give.

If you want to know more about the benefits of online giving for churches, keep reading.

In many places, churches are returning to what feels normal: in-person services with members coming together in the building. But as churches face the future, there are many things they must confront. These topics include virtual services, changing attendance habits, and shifts in how members want to give.

This post was written by Richard Bauer, e-Giving Ambassador for Vanco Payment Solutions, and originally appeared on the Vanco blog. Vanco Payment Solutions is the exclusive e-Giving partner of Concordia Technology Solutions.

Two years have passed since we released the first findings from our groundbreaking survey of churchgoers’ attitudes, preferences, and behaviors toward electronic giving, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll soon have an update to share with you.

Easter is a season of anticipation and celebration for people who may seldom attend church the rest of the year.

For churches, Easter also requires preparation for greeting those infrequent attendees and converting them into regular members. Starting the outreach process immediately shows that your church embraces, listens to and cares about connecting with them.

Now that we're all full of Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie (or at least I am), and we've taken time to think about and thank God for all of the ways He's abundantly blessed us, we follow the example scripture gives us in Luke 3:11 and give to others out of what He's given us. As church workers, it can be helpful for our members to give them a guide to giving on Giving Tuesday.

In August of 2015, Vanco Payment Solutions conducted an online survey of 1,002 U.S. Christian churchgoers. They created a report that details the survey’s findings about current attitudes toward e-Giving, the most compelling motivations for church giving and preferences for communication and technology. Some of their findings were that:

Technology has changed so quickly over the last 20 years that many of us (at least those in my generation) have trouble remembering a time when it was not such a part of our daily lives.

For example, I vaguely remember as a kid looking in the newspaper for the show times for an upcoming movie. It's probably been twenty years since I did that, because it is so easy to now search for that information online.

Nonprofits, including churches, see a huge influx of donations and gifts during the month of December. With this in mind, it’s important for churches to talk about giving this time of year!

This can be done on social media, through email or a letter, on the church website, or in the church newsletter. By starting the conversation, you’ll increase the likelihood of people giving to your church (and it’s Christ-centered mission) when the desire to be generous strikes!