Greater Frequency Increases Annual Online Gift Amounts; 4 Points about Parish Benefits

More Parishioners Using Online Giving

We just completed our most recent quarterly review of trends in contributions based on parishes who use Online Giving from Our Sunday Visitor.  A number of our parish customers have more than 20% of active parishioners using Online Giving, with more than a few at or near 50% of parishioners.  Overall we see slightly more ACH (direct withdrawal) used for regular contributions in comparison to credit card,   (around 55% ACH and 45% Credit Card).  Parishioners are starting to use QuickGive more often for one-time gifts and these tend to be done via credit card.

Greater Frequency and Annual Gift Amounts

Parishes who provide parishioners the option to give contributions recurring weekly and bi-weekly see a larger annual donation from those parishioners in comparison to contributions recurring twice monthly,  monthly, quarterly and annually.   Weekly givers are contributing about $1810 annually and bi-weekly givers about $1943 annually.  Twice monthly schedules offer fewer opportunities to give in comparison to bi-weekly, so the annual amount is lower.  Monthly givers donate about $1270 on an annual basis.

Make sure you are providing your parishioners flexibility to give at any time, so that they can work with their particular income schedules. And importantly, so they can make a donation when they are moved to contribute.

Parish Experiences

We have asked a number of our parish customers to track contribution amounts before and after implementing Online Giving.   While the vitality of the parish and the programs and depth of commitment to Stewardship all impact the parish financial results,  they are also willing to say that Online Giving has had a positive impact on the financial health of the parish.  Those parishes who looked specifically a credit card and direct payment gifts documented increases of from 32% to 63% in the amount of the specific parishioner gifts.  Those parishes who looked at overall total contributions saw an increase of from 11% to 32%.  And parish staff is quick to point out that the cash flow during vacation months has smoothed out and in at least one case the Pastor states that “it has saved the parish”.  

Envelopes Continue to Play A Key Role

The significant majority of parishes have continued to use envelopes to reach parishioners on a regular basis.  They have used new designs for their envelopes to focus more on commitment to prayer and time at the parish for parishioners who contribute electronically.  The combination of envelopes and Online Giving has been powerful.  See the graphic below that shows actual parish results:

We continue to work with parishes to help them make the best use of all the tools available to them.  Online Giving has had a positive impact!

Tell us about your experience.

3 Points to Update Online Giving - Pope Francis Motivates Us

I have been impressed by the coverage of the Papal conclave.  We have seen and heard many wonderful stories about the events and the sincerity and focus of the Cardinals as they entered into the process of electing our new Pope. And then to see the humility and prayerful attitude exhibited by Pope Francis!  What a great time to reflect on our own behavior, and a convenient time to think about our financial commitment to our parish.

If you want to read more about coverage from Rome,  here is a link to the Daily Take blog from our Publisher, Greg Erlandson, who has been there to observe the conclave: a-pope-who-is-bishop.
In this edition Greg refers to Francis of Assisi:  "He is a Pope who was chosen, I believe, because the cardinals want a renewal of the Church. "Help rebuild my Church," the Lord told St. Francis in a dream."  Greg goes on to refer to our need to begin with prayer.

As we pray about rebuilding the church, we also should pray about what we each can to do rebuild the church through our parish communities.  The recent study published by the University of Notre Dame Institute for Church Life: Unleashing Catholic Generosity – Explaining the Catholic Giving Gap in the United States,  indicates that we need to focus our attention on the Mission and works of our parish communities.  

Here are some points to consider as we update gifts in Online Giving:

1. Update Fund Categories: Provide parishioners the opportunity to give to programs that result in improved lives for parishioners or the community.  

2. Review Your Personal Gifts: Use this time of change to pray about rebuilding the church and seek inspiration for where to spend your time and how best to allocate your financial gifts to the church.  Update your Online Giving commitments.

3. Make an Announcement: Make an announcement at Mass or through your communications about any changes to gift categories in Online Giving.  Ask parishioners to pray and to update their gifts as we celebrate the announcement of Pope Francis.  Invite those who are not giving online to make that first step.

Tell us your thoughts and ideas! 

3 Key Points to Increase Offertory - Online Giving Essential

We are seeing optimism among parishes and dioceses that we visit across the United States. Catholic parishes are providing meaningful services to the community and strong educational programs to their students.  Many of you are on the path to engaging parishioners in both the current activities of the parish and also the direction you want to head for the future.  The Pastors we have talked to have been doing some very creative and wonderful work ranging from working with the children in the parish to develop videos of guinea pigs riding in Lego automobiles to expansive programs to serve the needy in the community.

The results from the work we have done to Increase Offertory at parishes have been very positive.  A parish in the Diocese of San Diego experienced an increase in commitments of over 53% and $330,000.  One in the Diocese of Providence saw an increase of over $120,000 which amounted to 79% .  Another one in California had 140 new families start to participate in the parish.  One in upstate New York was able to define a new identity and bring people together for a new purpose in the midst of a 5 parish merger.

Needless to say, the Pastor and parish leadership are integral to the success of any program.  While every parish has different dynamics, there are some consistent points we are seeing the teams implement to increase their chances of a successful and sustained program.  Here are 3 of them:

1. Focus on the good works of the parish.  In addition to our formation and our personal Faith journeys, we care about organizations that are doing positive things. We want to donate our time and money to successful programs that deliver products or programs or services that we care about.  Our parishes do this all the time but sometimes we don't highlight this work.  Those parishes who experience a wealth of financial contributions are able to demonstrate how they are changing lives for the better and how they are improving lives for the people in the parish and the surrounding areas.

2. Use Online Giving to make it easy to give.  Remove any impediments to accepting a gift. Find ways to make it easy for anyone to give to the parish.  They don't have to be current members.  In fact as you are communicating about the wonderful things the parish does you should expect to attract new people to the parish. Online Giving is an integral part of regular contributions and of any increased offertory program. Allow people to give from the convenience of the web at a time that is convenient for them!

3. Keep Parishioners Informed.  The successful parishes use all their channels of communication to let parishioners know what is happening during and after the Increased Offertory program.  They incorporate points about the direction of the parish and the intent of the program across their website, offering envelopes, newsletters, announcements and bulletins.  It's very important to let all parishioners know about the results of the program and what the parish plans to do next.  Parishes can sustain their results by updating parishioners regarding how funds were used, what new positive programs were implemented, and the results of those new programs.

Do you have experience with increasing offertory?  Let us know!

Websites and Online Giving Tips for a Great Combination - Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate

This is an updated version of an earlier blog topic
 As we continue to learn from our work with the Archdiocese of Boston, and across the country, your website is your "virtual front door" to your parish. One of the key components of a great parish website is easy access to Online Giving. This past week we talked with several parishes who are very interested in pursuing Online Giving. The website is a significant impediment to their progress rather than a useful tool to enable access to web-based giving.  OSV "Faith In Action" websites are designed to make this easy for you.

Set a Communication Plan

As you prepare to offer web-based giving, you should create the initial communication plan and get the system set up so parishioners can immediately access the application. So one of the steps is to update your website to include information about Online Giving, plus a link that connects to Online Giving. Once you announce that the service is available, you want parishioners to be able to get to Online Giving easily so they can get started right away.
 Incorporate Website Best Practices

Your website must be organized well and easy to navigate. A great parish website can help you improve the acceptance of Online Giving by making it obvious how to get started, easy to access, and by providing useful information about the importance of Online Giving. If your website provides other compelling information about the Faith, then as parishioners access the site for Online Giving, they may also be able to spend time learning more about being a good Catholic!
 Here are a few tips:

• Display your parish name, city and address and contact information prominently
• Feature a map to your parish
• Add information about the Faith
• Add a section to welcome newcomers
• Add dynamic information
• Offer people the opportunity to give a gift! 

 Make Sure Your Website and Online Giving Are Easy to Manage
The parishes I referenced earlier were embarrassed and frustrated by their web sites. The web sites were not compelling and not up to date. The person who is setting up Online Giving did not have the ability to do updates. In a couple cases, the person who updated the website worked part time and was the only person who had access to update the site.

The parish website is the best place to access your online giving application. And we should all be implementing Online Giving at our parishes so that our parishioners have this additional convenient option to contribute to the parish. So we need both. Parish Website and Online Giving. When the website is good and you have your Online Giving link prominently displayed, they work together. That's why the web site and Online Giving are like peanut butter and chocolate, which is one of my personal favorite combinations!

How about your experience with your parish website and Online Giving?

By the way thousands of new parishioners per month are signing up to use OSV's Online Giving at parishes across the country. The average parishioner use for parish is now at 13 to 14% of parishioners, up to a high of more than 50%.

3 Things to Do at Christmas

Merry Christmas!  As we are contemplating the coming of our Savior and the celebration of His birth, we also want to be part of the communal celebration.  So many folks who may not be regular attendees choose this time of year to go to Mass and to reconnect with their parish.  What a wonderful time to welcome people to the parish community.

Here are 3 simple ideas for "last minute tactics" to help welcome everyone to church and provide them an opportunity to make a contribution:


1.   Update Electronic Communications : Welcome everyone with a message of Hope and Love
                 Make sure you have updated the parish website and calendars with Mass times. Use your headline feature in your Faith in Action website to add the notification to all pages on the site.  Send an e-newsletter encouraging parishioners to bring friends and family to Mass.   More importantly, make sure you also are updating content to welcome everyone whether or not they have been to Mass recently.  Also make Online Giving available from every page.

2.  Remind people about the option to give online: 
                  Update Online Giving with special collections and even consider a special cause for the community as a separate collection.   This is also a time to remind people in bulletins and also through announcements at Mass that they can give online.  It's a convenient option for everyone.

3.  Add special collection envelopes to pews or at church entrances:
                  Make it convenient for anyone to pick up an envelope and make a donation to the church.  You can also invite people to make prayer requests or special intentions by writing them on the envelope or placing a note in the envelope rather than money.  Be creative.  Give people a chance to participate.

Wishing everyone a blessed holiday.  Merry Christmas