Increased Giving in Difficult Financial Times: How to Get The Most Out of The Tools You Have

1. Increased Giving in Difficult Financial Times: How to Get The Most Out of The Tools You Have Deneen Morelli, Regional Stewardship Consultant Heidi Janis, Regional Stewardship Consultant Neil Orchard, Rivertree Stewardship Services

2. AmericanChurch Provider of Products and Services to: • Enhance Giving • Improve Communications with Members • Foster Vibrant Church Community

3. Who We Serve • Over 17, 000 Churches • National Reach • Dozens of Denominations • Church attendance from 50 to over 15,000 • Non-profit organizations

4. Agenda • Current economic giving trends • Steps to Optimizing Giving • Employing your Tools

5. Economic Giving Trends

6. Generational Differences • World War II generation • - Loyal • - If church says give, they give • Baby Boomers • - Not as trusting; will investigate • - Hold institutions accountable • Gen Xers • - No confidence in anything they can’t see, hear and touch • - Hold small, local groups in high regard rather than big institutions

7. Our Church Members 70 - 100

8. State of the Plate • 30% of churches surveyed said year-end giving missed their expectations. • 32% of churches surveyed have cut their 2010 budget by as much as 20%. • More churches plan to preach and teach on finances and generosity in a variety of ways. • More churches say they’re seeking outside resources to help with church finances, giving and generosity. • http://www.StateofthePlate.info

9. Steps to Optimize Giving

10. Competition for Dollars • Every year the number of nonprofit organizations in America grows anywhere from 5% to 7%. • Churches are competing with nonprofits for dollars of members Not My Parents Offering Plate, J. Clif Christopher

11. stewardship services

12. Why do you take an offering?

13. Your perception cf with the perception in the pew. • Giving is often understood as a “loss” • Change one word and change the focus. • Invest instead of Give.

14. Factoids • less than 6% of “born again Christians” tithe • 1921 giving was 2.9% of income • 1933 giving was 3.3% of income • <2.0 of income given in 2001

15. Why People Give (Invest) Revealing our CORE VALUES 4-C’s thanks to Kennon Callahan C ompassion C ommunity C hallenge C ommitment

16. Vision or? • We prefer the word “VOW” • Instead of asking “What is our vision” ask, “What vows will our church take to make and grow disciples for Christ?”

17. Vision and Mission • Try using the word vow • Vow: The Why • Why we do what we do • Mission:The How • How we perform our vows or fulfill our vision Our Vows and Mission must be clear if our stewardship message is to be accepted.

18. Your church budget • Is your Mission statement. • Is a better interpreter of the church than your mission statement.

19. Where it goes What it does What is Linear Giving? IT IS... • Connecting the dots - ownership and participation • Connecting the offering plate directly to the vows and mission of the church.

20. What is Linear Giving? IT IS... • Connecting the dots - ownership and participation • Connecting the offering plate directly to the vows and mission of the church. • Investing rather than giving. • Investing with eternity in view. • Ultimate fulfillment through motivated investing.

21. Why do Members Give? • They believe in the mission of the organization • They have a high regard for leadership of the organization • They believe the organization is fiscally responsible Not My Parents Offering Plate, J. Clif Christopher (pg 13)

22. Set Goals Annually • Understand what we are trying to accomplish at our Church and what funding is needed… • Maximize income for growth • Meet budgeting needs for operations • Achieve a giving participation level (%) from members • Provide options to share all gifts • Improve community vibrancy

23. Set a Strategy … A conscious plan for how we represent and deploy tools for giving, and how the tools relate to each other… • Understand church member demographics • Languages and preferences • Clarify purpose and impact of envelopes • Clarify purpose and impact of online giving • Plan the use of other communications • Bulletins • Newsletters

24. Employing your Tools

25. Use All of Your Tools • Online Giving • Offering Envelopes • Newsletters (Inform!) • Address Data Management • Targeted Mailings • Bulletins • Website

26. OfferingEnvelopes • Encourage consistent giving • Reinforce your Message • Educate your membership

27. Offering Envelope Planning • What is your plan for using envelopes to achieve operating income requirements? • How is this communicated to members and how often? • Does the church use envelopes to record attendance? • Has the church considered the value of the mailed envelope packet as a giving reminder? • As a vehicle for communication and education?

28. Why Use Newsletters? • 20% increase in giving • 22% increase in volunteerism • 17% increase in spiritual time • 19% increase in outreach • Financial transparency results in • 29% increase in Giving • Zech: Best Practices in Stewardship

29. Best Practices for ChurchesBased on multidenominational studies by Charles Zech, Villanova University • Report Church Financial Information to Members • Build Community through Engaging Church Members • Give Members a Role in the Decision Making and Planning • Create roles for “Ministers” more than “Volunteers” • Institute Pledging • Communicate to Members Through Multiple Channels • Special Cultural or Language Needs of Members

30. Summary • Set Annual Goals • Determine Your Strategy • Evaluate your current practices • Use All of Your Tools • AmericanChurch can help

31. Thank You! AmericanChurch Stewardship Solutions- Deneen Morelli 800.446.3035 ext. 6333 dmorelli@envelopecenter.com Heidi Janis 800.446.3035 ext. 6327 hjanis@envelopecenter.com Rivertree Stewardship Services (Linear Giving) Neil Orchard 866.862.3700 churchhelp@aol.com www.rivertreestewardship.com