Though November seems a little far away, before we know it, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving and diving into the holiday season. Pumpkin spice everything has already taken over, so you know the rest of the year will unfold in the blink of an eye.
With how quickly the seasons change and preparations beginning for the upcoming holidays, we wanted to give you a head start on your Giving Tuesday campaign at your church. Many churches lose out on an incredible opportunity to impact their communities with generosity when they let another Giving Tuesday pass without getting involved. But it’s an amazing occasion to inspire a generous heart—whether that’s through time, talent, or treasure.
That’s why we want to equip your church leaders with five tips to inspire generosity on Giving Tuesday.
About Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement to encourage finances, time, goods, donations, and voices to rise up for the sake of those in need. It is an opportunity for people around the world to come together to thank, help, give, show kindness, and share what they have.
Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past nine years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.
Why Churches Should Get Involved in Giving Tuesday
Scripture tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 to “encourage one another and build each other up.” There are also countless verses that talk about serving one another. Since the Bible focuses so much on giving, why not take advantage of another opportunity to pour into your community?
Be the hands and feet of the church and the light among the darkness. Giving Tuesday is a simple way to integrate the occasion to give without feeling like you’re pressuring people to donate to the church. It’s a chance to partner with community organizations and truly make a difference in your city.
Here are some practical ways for your church to get started and participate in this year’s Giving Tuesday.
Tips to Inspire Generosity on Giving Tuesday
Create a Timeline
Before you mention your church’s participation in Giving Tuesday, create a timeline to plan a successful campaign. Gather your team and grab your calendars to home in on what you want to accomplish three weeks out, two weeks away, week-of, and day-of.
You’ll want to identify which charity or project you want your congregation to donate, update your website, plan out a communication schedule, and be ready to follow up with the impact. All of this should be laid out in your calendar so your team knows the appropriate timeline to achieve the campaign goals.
Identify a Charity or Community Project
Giving Tuesday is the perfect opportunity to partner with a community organization or event. Sometimes, it’s easy for churches to focus heavily on their own projects, but now is an excellent time to link arms with others who are doing good and making an impact.
Consider teaming up with the local food bank or collaborating with a city-wide toy drive. Maybe allocate your Giving Tuesday donations to a school, homeless shelter, or community center. Or if your church is planning its own special outreach opportunity, allow Giving Tuesday to be a springboard to generate generosity for your ministry.
Design a Church Website Giving Tuesday Page
Another aspect of your timeline should be designing a giving page on your church website that’s dedicated to Giving Tuesday. This can be a landing page that your email and social media posts link to with information about Giving Tuesday and your church’s cause.
The giving page should also include a button with a clear call to action, like “Give Now,” that links to your online giving platform. Since Giving Tuesday occurs midweek and not on a Sunday, it’s imperative that your congregation has easy access to make the donations they are feeling led to make.
Promote Your Giving Tuesday Campaign
From preaching from the pulpit to creating Sunday school lessons, create promotions that teach people the value of generosity and partnering with the organization you have chosen for Giving Tuesday. People won’t know they have the opportunity to participate with your church if they don’t ever hear about it.
Be sure to include eye-catching graphics on your church website giving page, in your email promotions, and in your social media posts so you can strategically attract those in your congregation to your cause. Let them know when, where, and how to give.
Make Giving Easy (Online Giving/Text/App)
An online giving solution allows your church the capability to collect charitable gifts online. And since Giving Tuesday is a 24-hour, online giving event, you’ll need digital giving tools to make the most out of it. ShareFaith Giving has online, mobile, and text options!
An analysis from the Giving Tuesday team showed substantial growth in online giving in mid-2020. Online fundraising tools can encourage generosity not only for this annual event, but it can also spark generosity within your church in months to come.
Next Steps
Giving Tuesday doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be a simple and strategic way to weave generosity into the bigger conversation and inspire new givers. The ShareFaith team consists of ministry-minded people who want to see your church succeed. Contact us today to get set up with our online giving platform. For more Giving Tuesday tips, attend our Giving Tuesday webinar for churches.