Giving is an external expression of internal commitment.
As such, if a person gives to your church, it shows that they are committed to your ministry. It is also a sign of spiritual and personal growth.
When people make digital donations to your church or engage in text giving, it is not because they want anything. They are not expecting a reward from you. Notwithstanding it is morally and spiritually right to express some gratitude for their action.
This brings us to the question, “how do you appreciate givers to your church or ministry?” In this post, we will look at 10 unique ways churches can appreciate givers.
Why should your church appreciate givers?
You are probably wondering why there is a need to tell givers to your ministry “thank you.” They are not even expecting it so what is the fuss all about?
Here’s what you should know, as simple as “thank you” may seem, it serves several purposes. More than anything else, it makes the giver see how much you appreciate them for supporting your church.
Remember that they gave without expecting anything. However, several donors claim that they are encouraged to give more by a simple appreciation letter. When you show gratitude, it makes the giver know that what they gave is used for the right cause. It shows them that you allocated their gift properly.
Finally, on why you should appreciate your givers, it tells them that you care. People want to know that you are more interested in them than the gift that they bring. They can see this by the effort that you put into sending them an appreciation note or package.
Unique ways to appreciate givers to your church or ministry
Here are some creative ways to show appreciation to givers to your church or ministry:
Send a thank-you note
When you want to show someone that you are grateful, send them a “thank you note.”
When sending this note, be as personal as possible. Refer to them on a first-name basis so you can break the ice. Go straight to the point. No one wants to read several pages, a few paragraphs will do. Finally, focus your appreciation more on the giver than the gift.
Creative receipts
The IRS requires that you issue donor receipts. However, you can get creative while trying to abide by the tax laws. Think about it, the donor receipt is the only thing that your givers are expecting. You can get creative and use this as an opportunity to surprise your givers.
Come up with receipt designs that are consistent with your other church communication channels. Add a little thank you note on the side to express your gratitude in clear terms.
Welcome packages
You can send welcome packages to your givers to show them appreciation. When you do this, you’d be killing two birds with a stone. How?
It is a great means of church communication as it will provide them with more information about your church. Secondly, it will let them know that you are grateful for their gift or digital donation. You can add several gifts into the package along with a bulletin carrying church or ministry information.
Put their profiles on your church communication platforms
You can add the profiles of your givers to your church communication platforms. This allows you to recognize them for a specific period. You can do this quarterly or at the end of the year.
An example is celebrating your givers on your social media platform for a week every quarter. Each day, you can upload a few of their pictures and invite your followers to celebrate them. This goes a long way to show that you are grateful to them for their gifts.
Dedicate a special service to givers
Many of the people that give to church and ministry causes like to be behind the scene. However, you can put the spotlight on them once or twice every year. Dedicate a special service to your givers and tag it with a special name like “Partners’ Service.”
This service will focus on the givers to appreciate them for their contribution to your church. Share souvenirs that they can always look at to remember how you celebrated them.
Organize a special dinner
A good way to appreciate someone is by doing it over a meal. You can organize a special “givers dinner.” Ask them to come with their family members and friends. Don’t forget that because of the pandemic, you must adhere to social distancing protocols.
To make it more memorable, create awards and hand them out to each giver. Be careful not to make it look like you are appreciating one person over another. As such, we suggest the same kind of award for each giver.
Send customized text messages
You should create a database of all the givers to your church or ministry. Upload such a list to your ChMS like ChurchPad. Now, compose text messages appreciating each giver and send them out periodically. You can send the text message out once every month along with prayers and words of encouragement.
Create videos
Videos help to stir emotions and capture imaginations because of their vivid images, powerful music, and well-crafted dialogue. You can create a video to show appreciation to your givers. Play such videos during special events or a dedicated givers’ service. It doesn’t have to be a long video. Make it straight to the point and loaded with your “thank you” message.
Reach out over the phone
You can put calls through to each giver as the pastor or leader of your ministry. We don’t advise you to designate this responsibility to anyone else. When they receive a call from the leader, they know that their gift is truly appreciated. While on the call, ask questions on how they think you can improve your services. The idea is to make them feel like stakeholders in your church.
Send them gifts during festivities
During festivities like Christmas and Easter, you should send gifts to your givers. Add a handwritten note to tell them how much they mean to your church. Don’t even mention their gifts, rather, tell them you are glad to have them as stakeholders in your ministry.
Wrapping up
Appreciating givers is great because it makes the givers happy. It also helps to inspire other members of your congregation to give. Check out the digital donation and text giving features on ChurchPad to make giving to your church easier.