Church Fundraising: How to Grow Generous Giving

Church fundraising isn't about gimmicks or guilt. It's about helping people grow in generosity, making it easy to give and showing them what their giving does. This guide covers the main pieces, with links to more detailed guides on each one.

Generosity begets generosity

At one church we attended, I offered to help the pastor with fundraising. He had a real concern: if the church asked too much at year-end, giving might drop in January. I convinced him to run a year-end campaign anyway. We created several interview videos with people talking about the impact the church had had on their lives.

We beat our goal. Then January came, and it was the church's highest-giving January ever.

Generosity begets generosity. When people give, they tend to be more generous in the future, not less. Asking well, with a clear purpose and real stories, doesn't drain your people. It helps them grow.

Teach generosity as discipleship

Giving is a spiritual practice, not just a line in the budget. Preach on it, not only when money is tight, and connect it to the whole of life: time, talents, relationships and money. Start with what the Bible says about stewardship, and see how to increase tithing in your church.

One piece of advice has helped me as much as any. I once asked my mentor Tim Smith whether he was ever afraid to ask a donor for money. "Of course," he said. Then he told me, "Jeremy, don't be the Holy Spirit in their life." Your job is to present the opportunity clearly and faithfully. It isn't your job to move someone's heart. Here's why asking matters in faith-based fundraising.

Make it easy to give

• Online giving on your website and app, in as few steps as possible.
• Recurring giving. People who give automatically each week or month give more consistently, including in summer and when they travel. Invite people to set it up from the stage, in email and on your giving page. See the guide to recurring giving for churches.
• Every other way people give: the plate, text giving, checks by mail and gifts of stock.

Welcome new givers

A first gift is the start of a relationship. Thank new givers within a few days, explain what their giving supports and invite them a little further in. An email welcome series makes this easy to do every time. Here's how to create a welcome series for new givers.

Thank people well

A receipt isn't a thank-you. Send personal notes, have the pastor call a few givers each week and tell the congregation what their giving accomplished: the families served, the students reached, the missionaries sent. See how to write a thank-you letter.

Tell stories

Numbers explain the size of the need. Stories show what it means. Share a short testimony or a video from someone whose life changed through your church's ministry, then connect it to giving. People give to what they can picture.

Get to know your major givers

Every church has people who can give more than most. Get to know them, learn what they care about and invite them into specific projects that match their interests. Here's how to identify the major donors in your church.

Plan for year-end

December is often the biggest giving month of the year. Plan a year-end campaign with a clear goal, a few stories and a simple ask, and don't let the fear of a slow January stop you. See the seven-step plan for church year-end giving.

Involve small groups

Small groups are where people already share life together. They can pray for a campaign, serve together and talk honestly about generosity. Here's how to involve small groups in fundraising.

Capital campaigns

When it's time to build, renovate or launch something new, a capital campaign gives the congregation a focused way to give over and above regular tithes. See the guide to church capital campaigns.

Plan for the long term

Fewer Americans attend church than a generation ago, and that affects giving for churches and Christian ministries alike. The answer isn't panic. It's building real relationships with the people you have and making it easy for them to give. See how declining church attendance affects giving.

If you want a complete system for growing recurring giving, the Monthly Giving Masterclass walks you through it step by step.