18 Oct Text to Donate: 7 Reasons You Need It Yesterday

Text to Donate: 7 Reasons You Need It Yesterday

Every organization — no matter which industry — should look to update their operations to incorporate the latest and greatest technology.

Deciding to do the opposite by remaining stagnant with older technology will hurt your organization in the long run.

For example, look no further than the automobile industry, as companies like Tesla have pushed other automobile manufacturers to heavily invest in eco-friendly, electric-powered vehicles.

For churches, one of the top technologies to integrate into your operations is text to give solutions.

Text to give allows members of your congregation to donate to your church from their smartphones, making it easy and convenient for them.

In this post, we’ll talk about seven reasons why you need text to give for your church.

Let’s get started. First up, millennials!

A Lot of Millennials Own Smartphones

Ninety-three percent of millennials own a smartphone — this according to Pew Research Center. Yeah, that’s a lot.

Millennials are by far the most technologically-savvy demographic out there today. So, if you want to give them an easier avenue to donate to your church, incorporating a text to give platform into your donation operations is a surefire way to do just that.

If you notice that your donations are slipping — particularly among your younger church members — then it’s time to upgrade your donation platform. You know what they say, if they won’t come to you, meet them where they are.

In this case, they happen to be on their smartphones.

Actually, a Lot of People in General Own Smartphones

While millennials still take the top prize in terms of smartphone ownership, it’s important to mention that other generations are still very much embracing new technology — particularly when it comes to their phones.

In fact, 90% of Gen Xers have a smartphone and nearly 70% of Boomers do as well.

So, while it may seem like adding text to give will mainly benefit your millennial members, in actuality, everyone will benefit from having that option available for tithing.

Also, you don’t have to get rid of traditional tithing methods — such as the collection plate or tithing boxes near the entrance and exits. You can still keep those around for your members who prefer to donate that way.

You’ll Increase Your Congregation’s Engagement

You should also consider incorporating a solution that allows you to interact and engage with your congregation through their smartphone.

Our ReachNow platform does just that.

With ReachNow you can send daily or weekly devotional messages, updates on weather delays and closures, mission trip updates, calls for volunteers, event reminders, giving appeals, and much more.

Increased engagement should be near the top of every church’s goals, as it will lead to a more active, responsive, and loyal congregation.

ReachNow will help you get there.

It’s a Lot Easier For Some People Than Traditional Tithing Methods

Traditional giving methods require you to actually be physically at your church to donate. But what about people who aren’t able to make it to church — perhaps due to a disability or because they are on an extended vacation?

With text-to-give, you can allow those who normally wouldn’t be able to donate to tithe.

Not a Lot of People Carry Around Cash Anymore

According to a study from Capital One, only 41% of Americans regularly carry cash on them.

Going further, 1 in 3 millennials say that they rarely have cash on them as well.

With the increase and advancement of digital currency options — like Venmo and the ability to pay for things with a touch of your phone — those numbers are certainly going to increase over the next 5 to 10 years. Imagine that in less than 5 years checkbooks may be a thing of the past according to US Bank.

So, not only could you be missing out on donations from members of your congregation who don’t carry cash on them, but if you don’t start incorporating text to give soon, you may risk losing out on even more donations in the future as fewer and fewer people will carry cash or a checkbook.

Members of Your Congregation Can Easily Set Up Recurring Donations

One of the most important statistics when it comes to your church’s tithing amount is how many donations you receive each week and month.

In other words, are you experiencing any drop-offs in donations from week to week or month to month?

This is extremely important because if you can keep your donations consistent, it allows you to accurately budget each time you go through your financials.

That way, you’ll know relatively how much money you have to spend on church-related expenses, charity work, etc.

If you notice that your donations frequently vary month-to-month, then it’s time to incorporate text to give.

With GiveNow — mobileAxept’s text to give a solution — your members can set up recurring donations which will help your donation amounts be more consistent.

To learn more about the importance of recurring donations, click here.

You Can Reach a New Audience

One of the most overlooked benefits of text to give solutions is the ability to reach an entirely new audience outside of your congregation.

Members of your church often move and by offering a text to give a platform to them, they can still donate to their favorite church from afar.

Or, let’s say that you’re putting on a huge fundraiser for your church, or are hosting a charity event, and are attempting to raise money. Instead of trying to spread the word about your event by telling people to donate by sending in money in envelopes or other older methods, you can have them join your text to give a platform. That way, all they have to do is sign up and donate!

It’s that simple!

If you’re interested in learning more about GiveNow or ReachNow — or our virtual visitor card solution, ConnectNow — contact us today.

And, make sure to check back on our blog often for more tips on how to effectively increase donations and engagement for your church!