Digital Stewardship: A roadmap to increased parish giving

How much can online giving increase your parish's bottom line?

This is the digital age. Today, parishes have access to tools that can supplement the traditional stewardship method of offertory envelopes and paper checks. In our latest webinar, we identify ways you can embrace a donor-focused approach to giving that inspires generosity!

Check out the full webinar recording below:

The Great Digital Transformation

We're in the midst of a great digital transformation that is changing the way people live, work, and communicate...and it's also changing the way people relate to institutions in their lives, including the Catholic Church.

Specifically, Gen Xers (those between the ages of 35-54) are coming into philanthropy. In fact, total giving by Gen Xers has nearly doubled since 2009. The way in which the younger generations (i.e., Millennials and Gen Xers) engage in parish life is vastly different from that of Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation.

Catholic Digital Giving Trends

We recently conducted a first-of-its-kind national research project on Catholic digital giving. Here are some of the key takeaways:

1. Parishes should invest in communication - The survey results show a correlation between email communication and higher giving levels. In fact, parishes that send a regular e-newsletter saw a 4% increase in offertory giving from 2017-2018. On the other hand, parishes that don't send a regular e-newsletter saw a 1% decline.
2. Parishes should invest in social media -  According to our research, average household giving is 6.4% higher at parishes with an active Facebook page (i.e., the parish posts at least once a day). Several other measurements show that Facebook is an important social media channel that can have a positive impact on a parish's offertory.
3. Parishes should invest in online giving - It's not just a matter of moving donors from one system to another. Our results showed that parishes that transitioned towared online giving saw a 9% increase in overall offertory last year, on average. Online giving has a measurable, positive impact on overall giving.

How digital stewardship can sustain your parish

By embracing digital tools and methods at all levels, your parish can achieve incredible stewardship results. The principles of digital stewardship will help your parish:

• Build a solid base of support - Begin each year with a strong base of monthly, sustaining support from donors who are much more likely to give in the future. (Monthly donors bring a 85-95% retention rate according to a recent study by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.)
• Avoid the slumps - Overcome the traditional "summer slump" and bypass the financial impact when inclement weather depresses Mass attendance.
• Communicate more effectively - In addition to donations, the digital stewardship tools you'll use will boost your entire communication and evangelization strategy.
• Save time and work more efficiently - Stop manually processing checks and counting cash. Free your staff to engage in impactful work in line with your great mission of evangelization.

Growing the offertory at your parish

In collaboration with our friends at Prenger Solutions Group,  the conducted Catholic Giving Trends research project (detailed in the  webinar above) offers a fresh prespective into understanding the paths toward enaging and growing parish offertories. And this is just the beginning!

Sometimes all it takes is a little extra to make a big change. Through a simple three-step process, the online giving experts at eCatholic are helping parishes increase their online giving member participation, and transform their offertories. The Giving Success program, with assistance by our Giving Success Manager, is offered to eCatholic Online Giving customers at no cost. A program so simple and effective, it may cost you more to pass it up.

The Digital Stewardship package mentioned in the webinar is no longer available; however, church organizations seeking in-depth help with fundraising and communication goals are welcome to explore services by Prenger Solutions Group.