5 Do’s and Don'ts For Year-End Giving

As you are preparing your year-end giving campaign, here are five do's and don'ts for you to keep in mind: 

1.  Don’t make it all about money. The year-end offering can provide much needed resources for the church, but more importantly it can create momentum through casing vision. Those with the most resources are more inspired by vision than your need. The greater the vision, with some specific ways they can participate, the greater the buy-in and the greater the investment by church attendees.  

2.  Do thank them for their faithfulness so far this year. It is important to thank your people for what they have already done. Appreciation and gratitude go a long way. This is also motiving for those who have fallen off in their giving to jump in as well. A letter at the beginning of December from the pastor with a reminder about year-end giving and ways to give can make a real difference. 

3.  Don’t try and solve persistent financial problems through year-end giving. Major financial issues are best addressed through great systems, professional coach, well designed offering moments, excellent digital platforms, and through discipleship oriented generosity initiatives. Small gaps in giving can be addressed through year-end appeals, but these also create a lot of questions in the minds of givers that you may want to avoid. 

4.    Do let them know different ways to give. If you are set up to receive gifts of stocks, let them know. These gifts of stock have great advantages for the donor and the church. Also remind them that they can give online for this tax year through Dec. 31st.  Due to tax law changes this affects a smaller group than in years past, yet some financial leaders are looking at their tax situation the week after Christmas and making donations accordingly. 

5.  Don’t forget to communicate through every channel. Any communication is difficult, but especially through a holiday season,   Communication over at least 5 weeks on the weekend in the various formats available, using social media, a letter from the pastor, the website, any weekly newsletter, and other forms of communication you have will all need to be leveraged for the greatest impact.