This is HIS Story Podcast

Episode 7: 5 Craziest Myths of Christian Non-Profits

December 15, 2021 Todd Turner, Creative Digital Guide Season 1 Episode 7
This is HIS Story Podcast
Episode 7: 5 Craziest Myths of Christian Non-Profits
Show Notes Transcript

I have the greatest job in the world. I get to walk along side amazing people and organizations doing great things around the globe. Every mission is different, every solution to a problem unique, every personality of their leaders is special. Yet, as much variation Christian Non-Profits and churches have, they are all oddly similar. I see so many of the same mindsets and so many same problems with each and every Executive Director and Pastor.

I have collected some of the top Myths and Mindsets I see and address why a SHIFT is needed in the thinking.

Welcome to the, this is HIS story podcast the executive directorand pastor guide to sowing and reaping online givers. I must have one of the greatest jobs in the world.Let's be honest, how many people really get to walk beside amazing peopleand organizations doing things around the globe,Kingdom things. And every mission is different every solution to their problems.It's Unique every personality of their leaders.It's just special yet as much variation.I get with Christian nonprofits.They're all oddly similar.I see so many of the Mindsetand problems with each and every one of you and this goes for churches as well.So, over the years after meeting with so many different people,you know, lunches dinners conference rooms,Zoom calls conversations.I've sort of collected, the top mythsand mindsets that I hear over and over from founders of Christian organizations,executive directors pastors,and I want to address some of the shifts that that would be beneficial in their thinking.Okay. Number one, best practices.Don't work for us. We're a very unique Christian organization.Like I said, I normally have the pleasure of hearing directly from the founderor executive director of organizations.And once I hear their story of why and how their mission started,I normally here or its insinuated.So, here's our unique issue and you can see why we called you,but little do they know, I've almost never had a unique issue.Patient feel like their problems their challenges are unique or their donor database is unique.And the reality is they're really not there. So,oddly similar. I also believe there's a universal quote-unquote distrustto Outsiders that are trying to understand their issuesand they feel like they're going to be spoon-fed best practices or weird,out-of-the-box solutions, that just don't work for them.So what normally happens is, I generally find a creative idea to help them.With our online fundraising strategies,but I'm really just doing best practice of putting the right strategies in the right orderfor them to roll out and to improve.There are so many simple fixes that somebody with outside eyes can see that they can't.And sometimes these organizations are blinded by the challenges.They see as unique and they really should be open to ideas that are provenand true had one organization.In time, they would just get any feedback from a,their donors. Like one person would say something.And they would say, well, our donors feel this way. I'm like,no, you have one donor, who sent you an email?That doesn't mean your whole database thinks that way,that what we don't want to lose our donors.I'm like, well, what if we get you, ten new donors,if by doing something better,and if you do lose the one donor over this,it's not going to kill you. Matter of fact,the new ten donors you're going to be doing better.Better. I sometimes the flea Wags,the dogs, because organizations are too worried about the one flea and they really don't need to be,I used to sign my e-mails back in the nineties.Back one up in your footer, you sort of said something created over cleverly.Some of us did. But I put the phrase,you are unique, just like everybody else.And that is so true. Every organization is unique,just like all the other ones in, you're so unique and so much like everybody else.So many things that you shouldand could be doing are being thrown to the side because you just think all this won't work for us.I guess what it does. Number two,the accounting team needs to drive the online giving platform its money and accounting,right? Well, although I would never Force an organization to roll out an online solution,that the accounting department didn't sign off on many organizations,let the accounting department research. Search approve and roll out the online donation platform.And this is a huge mistake. Yes,following the money and putting information into the right systemsand buckets and accounting is extremely importantbut making the wrong decisions at significantly limits the amount of donationsand giving is very problematic.Most organizations. Don't even track Their donation page.Abandonment rates for desktop or mobile.And these reach can make you scratch your head.Here's the My accountants don't make good marketers donation pages are not build it,or turn them on. And then people will come,there's a huge amount of testingand science behind the layout of different giving pagesand just putting a page up in a donate button in your navigation,is not going to convert account.It's like the money to show up in the right spots,but they just don't think through the giving process as well.Well, as you know, experts like me who've done it for decades or,you know, marketers do building the case for support and the layout are significantly changes.The amount of donations that organization gets.And I've seen organizations, literally pick the were softer where they could pickbecause the accountant didn't want to put five more minutes into their monthly processor weekly process because it was too much trouble.So it's like, Really go with the software that ties into our software and makes our lives easier.Well, they need to sign off on the software, but they do not need to drive the decision.It normally creates problems that really aren't measurable as easy as you think.It's just your donations. Don't grow at the level.They could all because you're being hamstrung by giving platform pick by your CFO in your organization.Number three, put a donation button on the top right of our website.All good, right, the internet's a few decades old now.Everybody knows that you just look in the top right of an app and you're going to find the give button.And yeah, they'll just go ahead and give but the problem is there's cellphones and the way the tablets layout versus desktop layout and it's not as simplea people looking and finding the give button and then therefore they're going to be led to give not only is the placement color and wording of your Nation, but critical for mobile and desktop, but assuming your visitors came to give and they know where to look is very short-sighted.There should be giving moments littered across your website in various ways to get people interested in joiningyou and your mission.And I'm talking to churches and nonprofits.If your website only way to you're giving page is in the top right of your nav.You need help.Number four Christians, give two churches.Has and to Christian organizations for the same reason.Well, that's just, it is so not true,many faith-based organizations. Leave the psychology of giving to theworld and assume that mature Christians will give to them when they hear of their need.So if it was just that simple, Christian givers are people toUnique people with various levels of passion time,attention spans, various levels of technical skills.And Treat them like they all have a hundred dollar bill burning a hole in their pocketand they're just waiting to give it to you.If you just will not even askbut just put the donation button in your top right corner of your website and you wonder why?Wonder when we're not getting more online. Givers.We sometimes believe that Christians Gibbs with a local church based on a few factors,like obedience habits.Sometimes mission may be out of guiltand then if they get mature then they're going to expand that giving.A over to nonprofits and parachurch Ministries based on propensity passion Mission or empathy,but really churches. And a lot of nonprofits have a lot to learnwhen creating a case for support and their donation page wording,breaking the Assumption to they haven't gone back to the drawing board to speak the same languageas your potential donors Christians,give to churches for way different reasons.Then they give the parachurch Ministriesand parachurch or nonprofit organizations are not overflow of Christian giving.Basically, there's a lot of Christians who give to only organizations and not their own church,which is why I created a recent webinar in a master class about that very problembecause I've found that there's a lot of non givers in the church that are actually givers,there's not givers to the church. So I hope the church understand why that is Number 5,we don't need help. We know what we're doing.We just don't have the time right now. Maybe we'll work on a campaign or maybe we'll work on bringing in a consultant next year,in our next budget season. Well, if you ever known a person wanting to lose weight, who is always going to start right after the next holiday seasonor big event in their life, you know, swimsuit season is right around the cornerand then they need to do something very very quick.Well successful. And people take actions required for True change.Now. Do you know the old saying the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago?The next best time is today.Well, don't assume your team will get two things next budget season.Don't fall into the circular trap of we know what to do when we get past.This next thing we'll get the help. We need now is the time tomake changes to your digital strategy.I always find it funny, when things are good,people that want to hire you when things Are bad.They say, well, we don't have the money to hire.It's like with these are good. Thatis when you invest further you double down into your digital strategiesso they can keep staying High.I think, right now, with covid and the Ripple effects of covid,a lot of organizations and churches are actually doing quote-unquote.Well, financially. But what's happening is the top of their donor,pyramid is giving extra there.Get there. Give us are giving more but they're not gaining new donors.Now, and then what's going to happen is when the economy goes down,their gifts are going to become less and less, and they haven't grown their donor database,and then they're going to be struggling and say, well,what should we do? And it's like, well, you got to work out before swimsuit season.You don't wait till swimsuit season, then try to eat a salad,right? You do things way out ahead of time like now is the time to get healthy digital strategyand places for your churches.And for the nonprofit's. Swimsuit.Season is always around the corner.You will always need to fund your God sides Mission.You will always need new people to comein and discover your organization and want to be a part of the God's eyes mission.That you're trying to accomplish every single day that never goes away.And so just because things are going good right now.Does not mean it's time to sit back and then wait for there to be a problem later,you know, most of my clients run. Normal,lean, and mean budgets and staffs.Each member of your organization.And staff is wearing many, many,many hats. There's no shame in getting your digital team help.Whether it's me, whether it's someone else.Just remember, you are unique,just like everybody else, but you can use help.I've never really laid eyes on to an organization that didn't need help one way or the other,and sometimes they, Fight so hard against it.So if I can help it all, go to my website,create a digital guide.com, go grab.One of my free resources, one of the webinars built exclusively for Christian nonprofits,or for churches and see that I can help steer you in the right direction.God bless. Thank you for listening to today's episode of.This is his story podcast overwhelmed at all.The technical terms Trend options cost.Invoice signings for your organization's digital.Strategies. Join other leaders of Christian organizations.As We join hands in our closed.Facebook group, go to creative digital guide.com Facebook to register and apply for Access.I'm only Allowing Executives of Christian organizations in no vendors,no high-pressure sales, no gimmicks into this closed Facebook group sign up todayand be encouraged and informed.As you lead, your Christian organization,looking for a free resource to help your organization move the needle on new names and donors,watch the five simple ships to gain.Dedicated donors with your digital strategies a webinar,go to creative digital guide.com.How to register for this on-demand resource.Built exclusively for executive directors.Creative digital guide.comfor more information of gaining donors and telling stories that convert to new names and donations,find your God's eyes mission.