Finance: Funding the Budget

Most Finance Committee’s focus nearly all their attention on controlling or shrinking expenses. If they do give any attention to income, it is usually just lamenting that there isn’t more of it. Finance Committees can and should play a big role in growing generous givers. That’s actually one of their duties. This is how the budget gets funded.

If you want to grow generous giving, you have to understand why people do and don’t give. We’ve asked dozens of church finance people, “Why do people give?” Almost every time, the top answers are 1)People give out of guilt; and 2)People give for tax purposes. That explains a lot. People do give out of guilt…but rarely generously. Pretty much no one gives for tax purposes because why would anyone spend $100 on charity so they can save $20 in taxes.

People give generously if:

1. They believe in the mission of the church and trust that the leaders are capable to fulfill the mission.
2. They understand that their giving benefits themselves most of all.
3. They have money to give. It’s pretty difficult to give generously when you’re broke.
4. We make it easy for them to give generously.

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Useful Links

• Year Round Stewardship Plan Webinar: https://jctaccounting.com/2020/01/14/year-round-stewardship-plan/
• Dakotas UM Foundation: https://www.dakotasumf.org/
• Minnesota UM Foundation: https://www.mnumf.org/
• Webinar on Electronic Giving: https://jctaccounting.com/2020/03/17/the-whys-and-hows-of-electronic-giving/
• Vanco: https://www.vancopayments.com/egiving/methodist
• Subsplash: https://www.subsplash.com/
• Pushpay: https://pushpay.com/
• New Consecration Sunday: https://www.abingdonpress.com/product/9780687644377/
• Extravagant Generosity: https://www.abingdonpress.com/product/9781426728556/
• Enough: https://www.abingdonpress.com/product/9781501857928/
• Earn. Save. Give.: https://www.abingdonpress.com/product/9781630883928/
• First: https://www.amazon.com/first-Program-putting-living-giving/dp/1426775733
• Financial Peace University: https://www.financialpeace.com/
• Love & Respect: https://www.loveandrespect.com/
• 5 Love Languages: https://www.5lovelanguages.com/
• 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work: https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Principles-Making-Marriage-Work/dp/0609805797