18 Jun
20 reasons why you should use offering envelopes
Note: I wrote this while I was working at LifeWay Christian Resources. I still strongly encourage churches to think carefully about how they use offering envelopes. Direct Mail Fund-raising may not have the “cool factor” of more tech-savvy means of giving to churches, but it still produces the highest return on investment.
Just so you know, this was reprinted with permission.
20 reasons why you should use offering envelopes
1. Offering Envelopes are the MOST EFFECTIVE “call to action” tool ever designed by direct mail fund-raisers outside of individual “asks.”
2. Excellent way to communicate the identity of your church by using church specific information.
3. Easily customizable piece that highlights the funding priorities of your church.
4. Great record-keeping tool for church office to ensure contributions are recorded correctly.
5. Encourages systematic, faithful giving by inviting every member to participate simply by placing an offering envelope in their hands.
6. Consolidates church office mailing when contribution statements, pastoral letters, communication cards, and special offerings are included in the set. This is especially true for those who mail their offering envelopes to members.
7. Message series offering envelopes are designed to reinforce the Christian educational principles being taught through small groups, Sunday School, and other related Bible Study material.
8. Subtly reminds the church member of the financial responsibility of church membership.
9. Offering Envelopes are available with stock designs but are also completely customizable. Each church is only limited by its own creativity.
10. Churches who use offering envelopes, on a whole, have a broader and more consistent giving base.
11. Including mail-back offering envelopes allows the member to give even when they are not physically present.
12. Offering Envelopes serve as a symbol of how faithful giving is critical to establishing a long-term, sustainable ministry.
13. People don’t give unless they are asked to give. Offering Envelopes ensure an appeal is being made regularly.
14. Offering Envelopes are not sexy, but they are tried-and-true vehicle for church funding.
15. Multi-purpose offering envelopes such as the Welcome Offering Envelope can be used in the pew as a way to record a visitor’s information as well as a collection piece. This cuts down on pew clutter and maximizes the church’s investment.
16. Offering Envelopes are a tangible tool churches can use to teach the habit of giving in children, the next generation who will be called upon the fund the ministry of the local church. Laying a foundation of faithful giving begins today.
17. Offering Envelopes are an essential accountability tool that churches can use to measure general level of member commitment. If someone isn’t giving to your church, they haven’t fully committed to the ministry of your church. Chances are they also aren’t giving their time or investing their talents either.
18. Offering Envelopes are most effective with those who don’t fill church leadership positions but are often decided upon by those few faithful givers who would roll their weekly tithes into Worship in pennies if it was asked of them. The greatest temptation of the church leader (lay or paid) is the assumption that “everyone” in the church feels the same way about giving to the church as they do.
19. Offering Envelopes provide the basis for collecting not only dollars but also the giving habits of your congregation. Armed with enough giving data by giving unit, church leaders can use different methods of analyzing that information to uncover trends and make critical and informed operational and funding decisions with objective data instead of pure intuition.
20. Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, and an endless number of good organizations doing good things are sending the members of your church envelopes asking for a portion of what God has blessed them with too. They just don’t call them “offering” envelopes.
Okay, I am totally cracking up over #14. Possibly the ONLY time “offering envelopes” and “sexy” have been used in the same sentence in the history of the world.
The church I go to doesn’t even use bulletins, so I can’t imagine us using envelopes. I’m curious on your thoughts on how much the culture of a church plays into this, and what the equivalent of a “non print” envelope would be?
The culture of a church is extremely important. Another factor to consider is the method of payment that is “native” to the giver. If you’re 40 or over, statistically, you’re more likely to give via cash or check. Under 40, the shift is moving quickly in the electronic route. While that is a clear generalization, it’s mostly accurate. The key is to offer as many giving channels as possible. Our job as leaders is to facilitate spiritually formative experiences that result in life change and generous living, not to tell people “how” they can be generous.
What’s interesting is that traditional direct mail fund-raising envelopes still produce the greatest results in terms of dollars raised. The same is true for the church, on a whole. I think a non-print envelope might be an e-mail.
If you really want to get creative, consider the face of the envelope as a way to tell a story through tweet-size copy and simple images. The new version of the envelope might actually provide a great way to remind people what they are giving to. Just a thought.
Hope I was able to put a smile on your face by using “offering envelopes” and “sexy” in the same sentence.
[...] specifically, should be careful to consider the cost (no pun intended) before canceling your offering envelope subscription program and eliminating passing the plate as part of your worship [...]