Summer is one of the most dreaded times of the year for church leaders (especially the business administrator). People scatter. And so do their donations. There was a time that people would mail a check or even drop it by the church office on their way out of town. Those days are long gone.

Churches deal with this reality in various ways. Some keep a separate “summer reserve” account in addition to their “rainy day” fund to maintain cash flow when the contribution line graph usually takes a steep decline for at least six weeks. Others plan their expenses to occur in the Spring and Fall in anticipation of the summer decline.

Whatever “dance” you have devised to manage the summer slump, here are three suggestions you might want to consider before summer arrives:

1. Leverage e-mail communication. Make sure you have everyone’s current e-mail address. (Good rule of thumb: update every 30-90 days.) It easy to keep people connected through e-mail. And research shows that even millennial donors prefer e-mail to every other communication platform when receiving information from organizations like churches. Don’t forget about video-mail which allows you to add a personal touch to your message.

2. Promote online giving. It may be a little late for a full-blown campaign to increase participation in your church’s online giving options, but it never hurts to remind people it’s available. Chances are they didn’t hear you the last time you mentioned it. (Good rule of thumb: About the time you’re tired of hearing yourself say it, that’s when the person in the pew begins to listen.) Using auto-giving options such as auto-debits or bank drafts keeps cash coming even if the members aren’t present.

3. Upgrade your Facebook presence. Since several hundred million people around the globe use this platform, your church might want to consider investing some time and people into building a social media presence through Facebook. Share crazy videos from church camp, link to your Worship services, and keep the stories of life change coming. Facebook has an amazing way of keeping people connected even though there is no direct or immediate personal interaction or dialogue. Don’t miss out on the benefits of building community even when your members aren’t there on Sunday.

Summer is coming. You can’t change that. What steps will you take today to ensure your church is fully funded throughout the entire year?

Have you tried something to overcome the summer slump and it worked (or failed miserably and you can laugh about it now)? I’d love to hear about it.