One of the most joyous and endearing qualities of church members is their desire to be generous. Leaders don’t have to “sell” to their communities; they already feel led to be generous through their faith.
That said, you should strive to encourage that spirit of giving, and provide ample opportunities and tools that facilitate generosity—especially around Easter. Your members and guests will be more engaged during the holidays, and will likely feel especially called to contribute to your ministry. How can you simplify processes and amplify that heightened drive to express generosity?
Technology is a powerful tool for increasing giving, and can be an especially potent asset for Easter fundraising. There are several ways you can leverage online giving for churches, digital communication, analytics, and other features to create an Easter holiday your community will never forget!
How to Elevate Old Easter Fundraising Ideas
Collecting monetary contributions to support ministry has always been a part of church. Finding ways to inspire giving is a necessary task for every ministry—but leaders in the digital era have access to powerful tech that can support those fundraising efforts. We have five Easter ideas for church growth and giving to help you plan for the upcoming spring fundraising.
No one’s saying tech necessarily needs to replace the tried-and-true practices your ministry’s always relied on, but technology can complement and elevate those traditional efforts, especially around Easter holiday.
Online Communication
You’ve probably got a great program of Easter festivities lined up for your community. Some events are likely grounded in the traditions of your ministry, while others might be new ideas to inject excitement into the holiday. Common fundraiser events include an Easter raffle for thoughtful baskets made by your ministry, or a bake sale led by the youth group. But all your efforts won’t matter much if no one knows what you have in store for them!
As opposed to word-of-mouth and physical invites, create awareness of your Easter program with digital tools. Church management software can streamline this process, helping you connect with your congregation through email, text, mobile notifications and more—and when you do reach out, don’t be bashful about directing them toward your online giving solutions.
Check-In Features
One of the most exciting parts of Easter is seeing all those new faces come through your front door. Guests and visitors who may not consistently engage in church life often feel inspired to participate during the holidays, so don’t miss this opportunity to collect their information.
Ensuring your church welcome team is ready to sign in guests online, encourage app downloads, and direct visitors towards digital engagement touchpoints not only elevates guests’ experience on Easter Sunday, but it creates a means of engagement for the future. Say a family would love to financially contribute on Easter, but can’t afford a donation at the moment; if you have their contact information, you can follow up later in the year, and they’ll appreciate the reminder to give once they’re able.
How to Use Digital Solutions for Your Easter Fundraiser
Alright, so you’ve got the community excited about your Easter celebrations—now what? No matter how inspired a guest or member is to donate toward your ministry, they can’t do so unless they’re directed to the appropriate channel. Church technology can improve your Easter Sunday engagement and spearhead growth throughout the year.
QR Codes
Ten years ago, being asked to use your phone to scan a barcode would feel odd—but not anymore! QR codes are so mainstream that they’ve become second-nature for the public. Anyone who sees a QR code instinctively knows to give it a quick scan, and they expect their phone to connect them with the content they’re looking for.
Through Pushpay’s tech suite, you can generate QR codes that throw to several different options. You can prompt users to give, download your custom church app, or direct them toward other options that will fuel engagement for your ministry. Make sure those QR codes are prominently posted throughout your church!
Streamlined Digital Giving
Easter always sparks a wave of generosity in communities. But these days, very few people have cash in their wallets; everyone’s become accustomed to the convenience of paying with cards or through their phones.
TAKE A TOUR OF PUSHPAY’S GIVING PLATFORM
Not to worry: church tech is keeping up with the latest trends. An online giving platform will not only be desired, but expected by visitors to your Easter service. Make sure you’ve trained greeters and staff how to direct guests to your online giving platform (again, QR codes are a lifesaver!) so that no one who feels called to give loses that inspiration while struggling to understand your system.
Promote Recurring Giving
It’s well-documented that recurring giving generates significantly more generosity for churches through the year. Many of your congregants’ regular bills are already set to autopay—why not add church donations to that list?
Recurring giving is a win-win for churches and members alike. Not only will your ministry enjoy more giving, but the regularity of those scheduled contributions—which you can track through church donation software—allows your accounting team to more accurately forecast your budget for the future. What’s more, church members overwhelmingly appreciate this feature, as it takes one more responsibility off their plate.
Easter is a critical moment for promoting recurring giving. Guests and members who feel led to show generosity should be reminded about this powerful, easy method of giving. Don’t be shy about explaining why recurring giving is great for both your ministry and givers!
Create Interactive Digital Experiences
We’re living through a moment of evolution for churches. Technology has never been more embraced and appreciated by ministries—yet there remains a contingent of leaders that haven’t fully embraced the concept of digital solutions complementing in-person experiences.
Often, that sentiment is based on the lacking sense of direct connection. Because church members aren’t engaging from the pew, they must not be truly connecting. But interacting through tech isn’t just powerful—it’s how many people choose to engage with the world as a whole.
Embrace Social Media
Who isn’t checking their social media feeds multiple times a day? It’s easy to tease and deride younger generations for being glued to their screens—but instead of making jokes, why not engage that audience where their attention already lives?
Develop a plan for reaching your community this Easter through social media. Make sure you’re highlighting the events and services your ministry is hosting, and encourage your members to share posts on their own social media channels to spread the word to people who might not have their Easter plans locked yet. You can share photo and video content that showcases the tone and energy guests can expect when they decide to get involved, or announce a fundraising goal for the holiday that gives the community a tangible figure to work toward!
Connect With Those Who Can’t Attend Service
No matter how effective and engaging your Easter outreach is, some community members will inevitably be unable to participate in-person. Health issues, vacations, and a dozen other unavoidable scenarios will keep some people away.
Tech solutions are especially valuable in keeping those people involved in the life of your church. Livestreaming your Easter services is a great way to connect with those who wish they could attend in-person—and remember to remind viewers to give through your mobile app.
Planning for Easter is always a monumental undertaking. It’s easy for leaders, staff, and volunteers to feel the effects of burnout in the lead up to this major holiday. Whenever you recognize the signs in a team member—or in yourself—make sure to remind everyone of the tremendous amount of engagement and generosity their hard work is sure to create.
DOWNLOAD THE BEST HYBRID EASTER EBOOK
And remember, our passionate team of Pushpay experts is always available if you feel a change to your church’s tech suite might elevate your ministry. Schedule a one-on-one demo, or take a self-guided product tour to see how our latest and greatest features can support your Easter program.
Interested in resources like this one? Check out these blogs!
How to Fill Up Your Digital Church This Easter
4 Ways Church Tech Can Improve Easter
5 Ways to Retain Easter Guests