How to create a successful online giving launch strategy

Apr 15, 2019 by

Diane Kern

Get the resources you need to create a strategy that will bring you more signups and better online giving adoption rates. Here are five steps to get started!
 

1

Create an online giving landing page

Your new online giving service needs a homebase to provide answers to common questions and promote the general idea of giving. Get started with a website page that introduces the ease and efficiency of online giving, and make sure it contains your general donation form directly on the page. Include links to other giving opportunities as well as complete donor FAQs.

For a finishing touch, assign the landing page a simple alias like parishsite.org/give to easily promote the page in all your communication materials.

How to build a beautiful landing page - Tell your eCatholic Evangelist you’d like our team to create an online giving landing page on your site. We've also posted examples of an effective online giving landing page in our Help Center if you'd like to do it yourself!

2

Select your launch date

Don’t just flip the switch to make online giving available and then hope people find it. Instead, celebrate this opportunity by creating messaging around a specific date or event where you will have captive audiences to hear your message (as well as volunteers standing by to answer questions and help people get started). Consider choosing:

• Weekend Masses
• Parish Gala or fundraising event
• Parish Mission event

To maximize the impact, select an occasion where you have the opportunity to make announcements, hand out written information, hang posters, and offer a booth where staff/volunteers can answer additional questions.

Get online donations and payments directly on your website

Looking for user-friendly, affordable online giving software? eCatholic Payments provides one-time and recurring donations as well as online payments for event registrations, sign-ups, school tuition, and more!

3

Plan your launch event

Create some exciting buzz around your new donations and payments service prior to the “main event.” Start first with courtesy communication to those who might be mostly impacted or interested in the service. Then, begin placing materials and updating current parish resources.

2-3 weeks prior to launch event

• Inform current users with other giving accounts
• Inform councils and other advocates
• Adjust the parish registration process to include info about online giving
• Update all existing parish forms and letters to include your online giving landing page URL

7 days leading up to launch event

• Email all parishioners to introduce the new service
• Promote online giving on your website's homepage (news, images, and links)
• Place flyers and other marketing materials in heavily-trafficked areas (e.g., brochure racks, front desk, church entrances)
• Update staff email signatures to include a link to your online giving landing page

How to write an email to promote online giving - We've posted some suggestions (as well as a complete draft of an online giving email) in the eCatholic Help Center!

4

Launch your new online giving service

When the big date/event comes, be sure to create excitement and opportunities for people to engage and get information.

1. Place online giving offertory cards at church entrances
2. Make general announcement at Mass
3. Distribute bulletin flyers/handouts after Mass
4. Create volunteer information table (decorate with online giving literature, include tablets with examples of online donation forms, and provide stacks of online giving offertory cards)
5. Follow up on social media after the event

Download customizable online giving offertory cards - Check out our  online giving offertory card template. Before you print and distribute the cards, you can even customize them with your parish name!

5

Execute a post-launch strategy

Keep the excitement brewing after your main celebration by creating a strategy for ongoing communication to parishioners. Create a schedule of different ways you can continue to spread the word about online giving over time.

• Regular Mass announcements
• Additional bulletin announcements
• Follow-up email giving invitation
• Social media posts
• Mailed letter from the pastor
• Stewardship stories (use the News module on your website)
• Personally call users of your previous online giving/automatic debit withdraw service

How to create helpful online giving FAQs - We've posted several of the most common online giving questions in the eCatholic Help Center. These FAQs are perfect for a direct mail piece, brochure, or a FAQ page on your website.

Achieve long-term success with online giving

Once approximately six weeks have passed since your launch event, you can reduce the frequency of direct communication about your new service. However, soft promotions of your online giving service should be ongoing.

For example, keep a giving/donate link visible on your homepage and include a mention of your online giving service wherever parish resources are regularly promoted. Then, be sure to identify potential opportunities to subtly advertise online giving throughout the year. Occasions could include:

• Seasons of almsgiving (Lent/Advent)
• Major parish fundraising campaigns
• New member materials (e.g., welcome packets, registration forms, welcome events)
• Annual updates of parish finances