Engaging the Next Generation: Giving Strategies For Younger Donors

Engaging the Next Generation: Giving Strategies For Younger Donors

It’s been an accepted reality that charitable giving increases with age, with reasons ranging from increased income and a stronger sense of responsibility and legacy, to recognizing the positive experience of giving to causes that are personally meaningful. Even though giving tends to increase in frequency and value with age, congregations can significantly improve donations from younger donors by adopting innovative online strategies and building awareness for giving opportunities and the impact of a donor’s contributions. Here are three tips to help. 

1. Go Digital

Younger donors are digital natives. They prioritize mobile communication and on-demand information. Embracing digital giving strategies not only makes it easier for donors to give in the way that they find most convenient and trusted, it also provides opportunities to engage with members via a digital platform that captures the information needed to encourage on-going engagement and recurring donations. In fact, the shift toward digital giving has become a significant driver for all donors, with 60% of individuals willing to give to their church online. Digital giving also supports the flexibility and convenience to give via credit card, debit card, ACH, or digital wallets (Venmo, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal), and churches that offer online giving see a significant boost in donations—on average, a 32% increase in overall giving.

With a digital giving platform, you can take advantage of: 

• Mobile giving: A dedicated mobile app can empower users to manage donations, track their giving history, and make automated recurring gifts, as well as create a real-time digital communication channel. 
• Text-to-give: Even without an app, text-to-give capabilities allow members to donate quickly and easily via their mobile phones. 
• Online giving: An online giving platform integrated with your church website, and prominently positioned for optimal exposure, creates giving opportunities every time someone visits your site. 

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76% of Gen Z say they give online.

80% of Gen Z are willing to receive monthly texts for donations.

~50% of Gen Z and millennials are likely to use a QR code to donate.

Aside from Boomers, all other generations say they prefer to respond online in response to a direct mail appeal.

Source: Giving USA

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2. Build Awareness for Giving Opportunities in Real Time

While creating awareness for giving opportunities may seem like common sense, when appealing to younger donors, congregations need to both get the message out and make it easy to donate in real time. That means not just communicating that members can donate, but that they can donate right now. Here’s how: 

• When members are interacting with you (website, newsletter, services, volunteer groups, support groups, etc.), consistently and intentionally communicate the opportunity to donate at that time. Provide dedicated spaces on your website and in your newsletter for giving and include a link or QR code that directly takes them to your giving platform. If you have a social media presence, make sure your profile includes a link to donate and regularly promote how easy it is to give. In-service announcements are wonderful opportunities to both share news with your congregation and remind members of the ease of donating via your website, app, texting [Code] to [Number], or by scanning the QR code displayed on the bulletin board or in the newsletter. Special events and regular group meetings are a great way to highlight how giving supports the areas that are most meaningful to donors. 

• With so many areas of the church to support, members can feel fatigued by all of the options—how can they choose? By appealing to the specific interests of younger donors, you can help make giving simpler and easier. Parents with young children who rely on childcare during services may feel more inclined to donate toward areas focused on children—post a QR code beside the door with information letting them know that their donation will go toward children’s activities. Bible study groups, teen ministry trips, service teams...the opportunities to appeal to the areas most significant to members is endless. 

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3. Connect the Dots Between Giving and Impact

Millennials and Gen Z take a values-driven approach to giving. They also expect transparency, which means they want to know exactly how their donations are being used and the impact they are having. Create opportunities to connect the dots between giving and how it helps your church fulfil its mission.  Studies show that when donors understand how their donations impact a cause, they are more likely to give larger amounts—and this is especially true of younger donors, with 75% seeking concrete information about the impact of their donations.  

When it comes to engaging with younger donors, you need strategies that align with their behavior and preferences, which is why you need an online giving platform that meets this younger generation where they are—on their devices—to promote effortless and ongoing generosity.

Servant Keeper Online Giving allows you to make giving simple and easy for all your members, and give greater visibility to administrators and accounting with automated data tracking so you can better understand and appeal to members’ specific interests. It also frees you from time consuming admin tasks so you can focus on what matters most: your mission.

Discover how to engage younger donors and improve giving with Servant Keeper Online Giving. Learn more here.

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