Top Tips for Sharing your Online Giving Page

You’ve successfully managed to set up your new online giving page – but what you should do next? Here are six top tips for sharing your donation page effectively, featuring examples from across the Diocese.

Use virtual services

If your service is online, you could share your online giving page via link in the description of your livestream (on Facebook or YouTube), or in the comments section (this works well for those gathering on Zoom). This works best if you have an offertory during your virtual service, giving people the time to donate and commit their gifts to the Lord.

Southwark Cathedral invite people who are watching their Morning Prayer online to donate via their website.

Post on social media

Use your church Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share your giving page with a short appeal to give. If your church uses WhatsApp to share news and updates, you could also post in that group. Don’t write a lengthy appeal but be share some of your mission and vision as a church.

St Stephen’s Norbury and Thornton Heath have this post pinned on their Facebook page, pointing people to their JustGiving page.

Here is some wording you can use if you don’t know where to start:

‘During this difficult time when our church buildings are closed, we are still a church; meeting virtually for prayer services and fellowship, loving our neighbours by offering practical support to the vulnerable, and caring for our communities. With the closure of all our buildings, and some people not being able to give due to the financial impact of the pandemic on them, we cannot receive all the gifts that we usually would, so we really need your help now. If you are able to give more at this time, please donate via our online giving page [LINK] or contact [email protected] to give in another way. Thank you.’

Update your website

As we increasingly search for information online, having a page on your church website about how people can give to support your work is essential. This provides an opportunity not only to share more of how people can give, but why.

St Nicholas’ in Godstone have shared their online giving page on their website, encouraging people to give one-off gifts in this way.

Use ‘A Church Near You’ (ACNY)

Every church in the Church of England has an ‘A Church Near You’ site. This is a great place to share your giving page, especially if you don’t have a church website or social media.

You can set up a giving button on ACNY which directs people to your giving page. For help with setting up your giving button read this article.

St Richard’s Ham have made the most of their ACNY page, sharing an invitation to donate alongside their latest news.

Create a video

Through the ACNY Resource Hub you can create an animated video, encouraging people to give to your church. This can be customised to share different ways that your church accepts donations and can be used to point people to your online giving page.

This video can be shared during an online service, sent in your e-newsletter, or shared on social media.

Holy Spirit Clapham used the script from the ACNY video to produce their own, which sits at the top of their webpage on giving.

Use QR codes

A QR code is a great way to point people to your online giving page through their smartphone. Simply create a QR code, and then you can display it service sheets, newsletters, posters, and more. We have produced a pew card where you can display a QR code that you might like to use.

St John the Evangelist, East Dulwich, include a QR code to their CAF giving page in the notices section of their service sheet.

Explore resources and read more in our blog post, “Using QR codes to enable generous giving“.

 

For more help with your online giving page, please contact a member of our Giving Team.