Why You Need to Automate Giving

We ask donors to make it easy for them (and us) and automate giving. This can range from monthly giving programs with smaller dollar amounts to allowing donors to stretch and reach leadership level giving through payments spread over time. My giving to organizations where I serve on the board is automated monthly or I would never reach the leadership giving that they (and I) expect.

Over the past two years, I failed with two separate organizations to realize that in one instance my credit card had expired, and that in the other I had the payments programmed for one year and needed to renew them. Shame on me for this lapse, but shame evermore on the organizations for not having automation that would send a report in these situations, so they could catch the lapse right away.

Church attendance is declining in the U.S. Traditions and times are changing. While I grew up being in a church pew probably all but one or two weeks a year, now travel has me on the road half the time on Sunday mornings. I’m not there when they pass the basket. If your place of worship does not make automated giving a priority and easy, they are securing far less in donations than they otherwise could. There are similar examples in every nonprofit sector.

Making giving easy for your donors—and for your team—will lead to great rewards. What do you do administratively that technology will allow you to automate? How are you using or underutilizing your software, hardware and other resources and services? Have a brainstorming session with your staff team—even with key volunteers—to discern what you can automate and make easy. Ask this question in your next donor survey or focus group, and in conversations with donors.

When you have automated systems in place to support your fundraising program, you free up valuable time to engage with your best donors on a more personal level, and to build the all-important pipeline of future supporters and major donors.