Giving organizations should provide more than just the required government paperwork each year. Through these events, you can thank and appreciate those who have given money to your church and encourage them to keep giving (or give more) in the coming year.

This doesn't have to be a boring accounting of someone's donations. You can use your donors' annual statements to both thank them for their support and draw their attention to the future of your church.

Learn how to make a splash with your charitable contributions.

The events of the past year need discussion.

Since the Internal Revenue Service mandates that you send a giving statement to everyone who donated to your church this year, it can be tempting to merely fulfill the legal requirement and treat the mailing as a transaction, or at best, to include a formal note informing donors that their giving statement is enclosed. However, since preparing and giving speeches was a time-consuming task in the past, keeping the information concise helped free up more time for ministry. Every giving statement should be accompanied by a letter produced by your team and signed by your senior pastor if you want to make the most of this chance to connect with your donors. Don't merely inform readers of the contents of this financial report. Instead, give them an example of what you mean. Members of your congregation have shown their dedication to your ministry and your purpose by financially supporting it. What it meant to you this year can be commemorated in this letter. It need not detract from your church but rather supplement it. Perhaps this year was a significant change for your church, as you expanded to a new location, initiated a new program, finished a substantial service to the community, or acquired a new structure. Alternatively, perhaps you didn't. Significant shifts and major accomplishments in your church won't happen annually. How have you boosted morale amongst your employees? While there's no need to exaggerate or brag, it is appropriate to reflect on the year's highlights and provide those who contributed with an update on those events.

Spill the beans!

Your church is full of tales, and people connect with stories. So if you want to show how vital your ministry is, tell a story about someone in your church or someone your church has helped.

It shouldn't be too difficult to locate people whose lives were altered due to God's work through your church this year. These individuals could be among your staff, volunteers, small group leaders, or participants in any other organizations or programs. Pay close attention to what they have to say. It would be great if you could share a story illustrating how your church has helped people and furthered its purpose.

Put yourself out there.

Your letter will most likely be thrown away if it is not addressed to a specific individual from individual. Most individuals have learned to tune out impersonal forms of contact, especially regarding email and snail mail. These kinds of messages immediately conjure up images of spam or trivial matters.

However, you are not limited to just utilizing first names. The Dashboard in Cristo+ allows you to categorize your donors as one-time, repeat, one-off, monthly, or recurring donors. Knowing a person's giving stage will enable you to better communicate with them about the church's mission and their own personal journey. While regular donors may be content with hearing that lives are being impacted and the gospel is being shared, first-time givers may be more interested in seeing their investment results. Make your giving statement more specific to each member's experience with donating by tailoring what you say, and highlighting based on who you're talking to.

Following a sermon on stewardship, send out the donation statements.

If you want your congregation to take your giving statements seriously and reflect on what it means to be generous, loyal givers, send them when they are mindful of their responsibility as stewards of God's resources.

You might not have intended to preach on stewardship or giving just yet, but the Bible has much to teach us about the relationship between our love and our possessions. By mentioning it outright, you can remind your congregation that their yearly giving statements are on the way. What percentage of their money they gave away, if any, depends on whether or not they actually provided as much as they expected they would. If they have future philanthropic plans You can also inform your donors that their donation history is always available in the Cristo+ app.

Motivate individuals to make resolutions for the coming year.

Sometimes people believe they have contributed more than they actually have. Statements of contributions provide a comprehensive, factual accounting of a donor's giving activities, allowing them to assess whether or not their actions have been as generous as they had hoped. This is why January 1st of next year is an excellent time to discuss resolutions.

Using Cristo+, your congregation can make recurring financial contributions to the church. Each time a donor makes a contribution, they will be reminded of their pledge and annual giving target, and they will be able to monitor their progress all year long. As a result, there will be less of a gap between your congregation and where they want to be financial.

Maximize the impact of your tax-deductible donation statements.

Reports of donations must be sent to donors as required by law. But, once you shift your perspective and view this duty as a chance to build up your church and rejoice in what God has done, you'll find that it becomes a powerful instrument for doing just that.