Why Registered Givers are More Valuable than Non-Registered Givers

I get it. Sometimes people just want to remain anonymous. You don’t want anyone to know but you still want to give. It makes sense. So we worry and fret about asking people to provide a little information about themselves at the time of the online gift. We run away from any attempt to collect information from givers and supporters because we are afraid if we ask too much then they will go away.
But often too many leaders make the mistake of thinking staunch non-registered user types are more prevalent than they actually are. There are multiple ways people can contribute to your organization and most of them don’t involve going to your web site or dropping an offering envelope in the plate on Sunday.

In some ways, churches often make a bigger deal out of protecting the identity of its donors than it needs to. I’m not talking about revealing what people give, but the courage to ask people during the transaction to give a little information about themselves.

A registered user gets a lot of benefits that you may or may not have considered:

• Username and password for easy log in.
• The ability to access giving history.
• Instant capability to print detailed information without having to call the church office.

Overall, a registered giver has more control over the situation as opposed to using a simple transaction tool like PayPal or a complex giving structure like a donor advised fund. A registered giver affords the church:

• The ability to acknowledge the gift immediately.
• The chance to connect giving habits to event participation and other areas of ministry.
• The opportunity to build a relationship with the giver.

When someone gives to you in a way that they want you to know they gave, it’s a sign that they are ready to take the next step of engagement with your church. Promoting the registration process to givers affords them many conveniences while offering the potential for greater ministry inisght on behalf of the church. It’s not about tracking dollars as much as it is using giving to recognize life change and an indivdiual’s movement toward deeper commitment and alignment with your church’s mission and ministry.

Stop minimizing the relationship building aspects of something like online giving but not promoting giver registration. The benefits far outweigh any inhibitions you might have about doing so.

What ministry opportunities are you missing out on because you’re not promoting registration during the online giving process?