Encouraging giving

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Encouraging giving

• Mission Community Resource Day workshop
• James Hutchings

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Counting our blessings impact of our church
mission
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Why give for the future?

• Look at Mission Action Plan what are the key
  things you wish to happen in the next year? Be
  specific
• Look at plans for teaching and preaching how
  will our understanding of giving be deepened
  through this?
• Look at our communications does it present our
  mission clearly and attractively?

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Planned giving analysis (1)

• The tool below helps to illustrate how the base
  of planned giving in the parish is constructed.
  Some parishes are very dependent on one or two
  donors, and are unaware of the fact. This tool
  helps demonstrate this. It can also be useful to
  allow planned givers to see where they fit in
  relation to others. Many people giving a small
  amount have no idea of the generosity of others.
• Note To use the tool, you need a minimum of 12
  planned givers in the parish

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Planned giving analysis (2)
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Planned giving analysis (3)

• NOTES
• It is not intended that this should reveal the
  giving of any one person, and so the table should
  be constructed so that there are ideally at least
  three planned givers in any of the groups, and
  certainly at least two. Therefore the Weekly
  Equivalent bands may need to be adjusted to
  ensure that there is no one individual in a band.
  If there is no-one in a band, the band should be
  left in, but blank.
• The average gift per week is calculated by
  dividing the total annual giving by the number of
  planned givers, and dividing that result by 52.
• All figures are the amounts given, and exclude
  any tax reclaimed under Gift Aid. If there is
  generous giving, or the church is in a wealthy
  area, the bands may need adjusting upwards.
• A worked example is shown overleaf.

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Planned giving analysis (4)
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Planned giving analysis (5)

• You will note that the top two bands 10.00 to
  14.99 and 15 have been merged as there was
  only one planned giver giving more than 15 per
  week.
• The table shows
• 1. The top three givers are giving a third of the
  parishs planned giving. This is not unusual
  indeed many churches are very dependent upon the
  planned giving of just
• a couple of households.
• 2. The average weekly gift per giver is 4.03.
• 3. The number of planned givers should be
  compared with the Electoral Roll and the
• Average Weekly Attendance. If the number of
  planned givers is greater than the AWA then it is
  likely that there is a base of support from
  fringe supporters. Their
• giving is always likely to be lower in amount per
  week than the committed.

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Planned giving analysis (6)

• GIFT AID POINTERS
• The analysis can also be used to indicate some
  potential additional giving. If the planned
  givers in bands A or B are not giving by Gift
  Aid, there is a reasonable chance that they will
  be tax payers, and it may be worth a sensitive
  conversation to see if they would be willing to
  pay by Gift Aid.
• If planned givers in the lowest band are
  gift-aiding, then if the individual is a regular
  worshipping member of the church, and they are a
  taxpayer, there may be potential for increased
  giving.

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Some indicators to look at

• how have levels of giving changed over the past 5
  years?
• What proportion of your participants are planned
  givers?
• What proportion of your giving is gift aided?
• Look at your fundraising how much effort is
  involved in raising how much?
• do you have a policy about how to use your
  reserves (if you have some)?
• Look at the different groups you have contact
  with regular attenders of worship baptisms,
  weddings, funerals other parish groups visitors
  to church building

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Developing giving relationships
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The journey of generosity
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Volunteer development

• you together are Christs body but each of you
  is a different part of it! (1Cor 1227)
• A whole area in itself this is a toe in the
  water!
• How many are volunteers in the church?
• How many are volunteers in the community?

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Volunteer development continued

• How volunteer-friendly is your church?
• how do you become a volunteer?
• Do people stay in same role for years?
• What support is offered to volunteers?
• Role descriptions
• How are volunteers recognised?

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Running a giving programme (1)

• STEP ONE
• Form a small team
• Agree timing (12 wks before Giving Sunday)
• Agree key reasons for giving
• Gather data
• STEP TWO
• Gain PCC support

• STEP THREE
• Send out letter leaflet (4-6 wks in advance)
• invite to Giving Sunday/presentation
• Different letters to planned and unplanned givers

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Running a giving programmme (2)

• STEP FOUR
• Giving Sunday focus on responding to Gods
  generosity
• Presentation (if you have one) food, current
  impact, future vision
• Plan Thanksgiving Sunday 2-4 wks later

• STEP FIVE
• Thanksgiving Sunday pledges offered as part of
  worship
• Result of programme announced
• STEP SIX
• Write to thank those who have pledged

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A giving calendar
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A giving calendar continued