There is little doubt that smartphones and tablets have changed the way people go about their everyday lives, and it’s time faith-based organizations treat this as an opportunity. Online tithe gives churches and ministries a way to stay in contact with members and their donor base. Many ministries are trying to find a way to engage participants, and mobile fundraising may be the key.

Mobile use has skyrocketed in the past decade. ASC Technologies gave the example of the differences between the announcements of Pope Benedict in 2005 and Pope Francis in 2013. While thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square to hear Benedict speak, photos from the day provide a stark contrast. In 2013, nearly every person in the crowd was video recording or photographing the event. This example provides a clear demonstration of the explosive growth of cell phones and their significant potential.

Citing several studies, ASC Technologies offered the following cell phone statistics:

• 22 percent of adults have made a mobile donation to charity (Pew Research).
• It takes the average person 90 minutes to respond to an email, but only 90 seconds to reply to a text message (Ping Mobile).
• 91 percent of all U.S. citizens have their smartphone or tablet within reach at all times (SMS Marketing).

How to use mobile for a faith-based cause

In recent years, much has been said about Generation Y’s relationship to religion. Many religious leaders worry young people are not staying involved in faith-based organizations, but it could be more directly based on a changing relationship with church, meaning that religious foundations need to employ new ways of reaching this age group, according to Barna Group. Mobile fundraising activities can help your organization connect with this key demographic.

With GiveSmart, it’s easy for ministries and other groups to supercharge their fundraising efforts including online tithe. Groups and individuals can send and respond to prayer requests, and missionaries can utilize social media for peer-to-peer fundraising. Mobile donations make it easier for congregation members to conveniently give to the organization. In addition, you can make deeper connections with your donor base through the channels they are using most frequently. Communicating through mobile decreases the chances that someone will miss the message. GiveSmart even makes it easier for participants to register for events or volunteer opportunities.

Ministry fundraising and communication

Our goal is to strengthen ministry fundraising and communication for faith based organizations including churches, temples, ministries and missions.

Our experience with GiveSmart has been one to rave about! For starters, their staff are some of the kindest & most attentive people that I have ever worked with. Anytime we have had issues or technical difficulties, they are always on top of trying to help us and do whatever necessary to make sure that our campaigns turn out perfectly. Not to mention the overall support that they provide in an effort to help your organization succeed in the mobile world. Their platform has allowed us to do lots of really fun & innovative projects through texting, and we would recommend their services to any organization who is looking to improve their mobile communication capabilities.Jessica Arrendell

Dynamic event fundraising

Event thermometer increases donations 25%.

• Donors are recognized in real time
• Attendees work together to reach goal
• Donor count inspires more people to give
• $167 average event donation

Comprehensive online giving

Donors give 38% larger gifts on branded donation pages.

• Increase donation size & decrease abandons
• Recurring gift options
• Suggested gift amounts
• Custom fields for data collection
• Measure direct mail, email & social media ROI

Crowdfunding for ministry

The average individual raises $568 of which 4 out of 7 donors are new.

• Mobile-friendly design
• Easy volunteer setup
• Average person raises $568
• 4 out of 7 donors are new

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Text to donate keywords

Text donations for ministry fundraising allows people to give with a credit/debit card in 60 seconds.

• Instant keyword setup
• Donations remitted twice per month
• Full donor information collected
• $107 average donation

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Mobile communication for real-time engagement

People subscribe to receive ongoing messages by texting a keyword. You can also send messages to any person who has completed a donation.

• Connect with supporters conveniently
• Engage donors with videos and photos
• 99% text message open rate
• 90% of texts read within 3 minutes
• Upload donor lists for mobile validation

Crowdfunding helps supporters pay their way 

Many nonprofits provide supporters with invaluable opportunities and experiences to help their cause with destination trips or camps. However, it’s up to them to pay for their experience on their own. Crowdfunding allows your supporters to collect donations from their friends and family to help them afford the trip without money ever having to change hands.

Mobile-friendly forms make collecting trip payments and donations easy and saves nonprofits huge amounts of time

Quick and Simple Page Setup

Trip attendees can set up their own individual page with a fundraising goal and personalized photo and message to donors with a clear call-to-action as to how and why supporters should give.

Attribute donations to your fundraising goal

The donations each individual receives go directly to your cause acting as payment for their camp or trip, so money never has to change hands between fundraisers and your organization.

Send a receipt and say thanks

After a donation is made, each individual donor receives a tax receipt sent by email. In addition, your organization receives a record of their contribution and associated information to help build your donor base for future fundraising.