Church Giving SurveyP R E S E N T E D B Y :

THE GOOD. 14% of churches surveyed are exceeding budget.

THE BAD. 49% of churches surveyed are behind budget.

49% 37% 14%BEHIND BUDGET MEETING BUDGET EXCEEDING BUDGET

THE FOCUS:THIS REPORT FOCUSES ON THE 14% OF CHURCHES THAT ARE EXCEEDING BUDGET AND THE KEY STRATEGIES AND TOOLS THEY ARE USING.

GIVING ROCKET RECEIVED AND ANALYZED

1,078 RESPONSES TO THE 2012 CHURCH GIVING SURVEY.

KIM DENLEY, STATISTICS PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI ANALYZED THE DATA.

DEMOGRAPHICS:1, 078 CHURCHES PARTICIPATED IN THE SURVEY – SMALL CHURCHES AND LARGE CHURCHES, RURAL CHURCHES AND URBAN CHURCHES, YOUNG CHURCHES AND OLD CHURCHES. HERE IS A BREAKDOWN ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS.

LESS THAN 2 YEARS

100 OR LESS 101-250 251-500 501-1000 1001-3000 3001-5000 MORE THAN 5000

3-5 YEARS 5-10 YEARS 11-20 YEARS 21-50 YEARS 51+ YEARS

8%

21% 26% 19% 17% 13%2% 2%

11% 11% 13%24% 31%

AGE OF THE CHURCH

ATTENDANCE OF THE CHURCH

<$100K 101K-$250K $251K-$500K $501K-$1M $1.1M-$2M >$2M

<$100K $100K-$500K $501K-$1M $1.1M-$3M $3.1-$5M >$5M

48%

16% 16% 13% 13%19% 23%

15% 15% 7% 6%9%

BUDG

ET SI

ZEDE

BT O

WED

48%

27%

19%

5%

2%RESERVESHAVE MORE THAN $1 MILLION

HAVE $500K - $1 MILLION

HAVE $100K - $500K

HAVE $25K - $100K

HAVE LESS THAN $25K

CA$H RESERVES

Churches were asked questions in order to determine the top factors influencing giving. Of the 12 factors we studied, we are confident that five of the twelve influencers have a direct correlation and significant impact on church giving.

12 FACTORS STUDIED AND THE PROBABILITY OF A DIRECT CORRELATION THEY HAVE ON CHURCH GIVING

95% | STANDARD OF PROBABILITY

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TOP FIVE INFLUENCERSOF A CHURCH EXCEEDING BUDGET

1ACCEPTS

AUTOMATIC, RECURRING DONATIONS

2OFFERSONLINEGIVING

3OFFERS A PERSONALFINANCE

MINISTRY

4USES AGIVINGKIOSK

5COMMUNICATES

WITH DONORSQUARTERLY

The IRS requires non-profit organizations to provide annual contribution statements, but churches who com-municate with their donors on a more frequent basis are more likely to see giving surpass budgetary needs.

This is why we recommend sending quarterly contribution statements to all donors. Let people know where they are with their donations, but more importantly connect those donations to the mission and vision of the church being fulfilled. Include a call to action with your update, as well.

Communicating with donors quarterly increases giving5

1% MONTHLY STATEMENTS36% QUARTERLY STATEMENTS

6% DON’T SEND STATEMENTS57% ANNUAL STATEMENTS

How often do you send contribution statements to your donors?

Even though only 11% of churches surveyed have a giving kiosk, there is a direct correlation between giving kiosks and exceeding budget. Giving Kiosks are similar to ATMs, but they allow church attenders to make one time or recurring contributions using a credit or debit card. Here are five reasons to consider a giving kiosk in your church facility.

1. We are living in a cashless society.2.It’s a simple, first step to people who might not otherwise give.3.People can use a kiosk to set up recurring donations.4.Kiosks can help people become disciplined givers.5.There is a direct correlation between the use of giving kiosks and exceeding your budget.

GIVING KIOSKSINCREASE CHURCH GIVING4

11% HAVE GIVING KIOSKS89% DO NOT HAVE GIVING KIOSKS

"Want something for your people, not just from your people."

This statement by Andy Stanley inspired Pastor Carey Nieuwhof of Connexus Community Church in Barrie, Ontario, Canada to do something different in 2011. Although the church was growing rapidly, income wasn't on pace with growth. Margin was non-existent and they were a few months from a deficit.

They launched the Thrive initiative to help people "live with margin so they can live on mission". Carey told his congregation he wanted every family to be able to take a debt free vacation over the next year.

Twelve months later, the people of their church are Thriving financially more than they have in years and Connexus Community Church exceeded budget by 23%.

A PERSONAL FINANCE MINISTRYINCREASES CHURCH GIVING3

63% OFFER FINANCIAL MINISTRY37% DO NOT OFFER FINANCIALMINISTRY

Churches that offer online giving are more likely to exceed budget.

CHURCH OF THE KING provides a simple video tutorial to show people exactly what to do. Their site is very clean, and they do a great job of showing, not just telling.

SADDLEBACK CHURCH has a great online giving portal. Notice how they give people the option of making recurring contributions or making a one-time gift. Their site is deep – you can learn a lot about the church and what they support.

LIFECHURCH.TV has a simple and clear online giving page. They give users the opportunity to create an account or give quickly via PayPal. Their page also does a super job of answering questions and showing where the money goes.

Making your website donor-friendly is one component of creating a digital giving strategy for your church.

ONLINE GIVING INCREASESOVERALL CHURCH GIVING2

63% OFFER ONLINE GIVING37% DO NOT OFFER ONLINE GIVING

Many churches OFFER online giving, few churches emphasize it. Like a gym membership, having it isn’t enough. Your church needs a simple way to engage donors online and a communication plan to cast vision and encourage use.

We recommend churches do an Automate The Important campaign - that's a full-blown communicationcampaign designed to help encourage people to set up regular, recurring contributions. Churches need anintentional, on-going strategy to move people in this direction for their donations.

ACCEPTING AUTOMATIC, RECURRINGDONATIONS INCREASES GIVING1

69% ACCEPT RECURRING DONATIONS31% DO NOT ACCEPT RECURRING DONATIONS

WHAT’S NEXT?The great news is that you can implement the top five influencers

of church giving in your church. Giving Rocket has created a simple, next step to help you.

Automate The Important is a done-for-you resource focused on helping yourpeople automate their giving to your church.

Remember, that is the #1 influencer of increasing church giving!

learn how to get Automate The Important for $1!

The data from this survey is extensive. We will release additional reports on the findings and their significant impact on church giving.

DATA