Contribution statements (AKA Giving Statements) are a valuable way for us to connect with our people as they give faithfully to the church. Before you generate your statements to give to your donors, here are 5 things to check before sending them to your donors.

The Contribution Statement Checklist

Before you send your contribution statements, go through this checklist:

1. Verify Donor Addresses

Make sure you have current addresses for all the people that gave. The last thing you want to do is send out a Contribution Statement and have it returned because that person has moved.

With ChurchTrac, your members can log into their account in Church Connect and update their information for you. How easy is that?!

2. Verify Donor Email Addresses

ChurchTrac makes it easy to get contribution statements to your members. You can email everyone a copy of their statement with just a few clicks of the mouse!

Give your donors a chance to review and update their email addresses to make sure they receive the document in a timely manner.

Note: You should still send contribution statements in the mail, even if you send them in an email. That way, your church covers its bases and everyone has what they need. Watch our video below to learn more about sending contribution statements!

3. Verify Your Church Address

You need to have your ministry or church address entered so that it appears on the statement.

This is even more important than verifying donor addresses! Incorrect or outdated information will cause confusion and headaches in the event a donor gets audited.

4. Upload Your Logo

Having your church logo appear on a giving statement helps your people know who it came from at a glance. You would be surprised how many contribution statements get thrown away simply because donors thought it was junk mail!

If you are using a church management software like ChurchTrac, updating your logo will be easy. Make sure it's a high-quality file so that it appears crisp and clear on the document.

5. Thank Your Donors

You can turn your contribution statements from boring tax documents into expressions of gratitude that help your members feel valued.

Use these giving statements to advance your church's mission and vision, encourage more giving, and build trust with your donors by adding a genuine note of thanks for your donors on the statement.

Go even further and email the statements from your church giving software and add more gratitude in the email body!

6. Check Your Donation Categories

Recording how much and when a donor gave is important. But labeling each donation according to the donor's wishes is just as important!

If your members can designate a purpose for their donation, you need to mark that donation in your church giving software so that it is allocated for that purpose. This will build confidence and trust in your donors because they'll have written proof that your church used their money as they hoped.

The Authority On Contribution Statements

Whether you are a church planter or seasoned church leader, here are some more articles that answer your questions about contribution statements:

• Do Churches Have to Provide Contribution Statements? - The importance of contribution statements and why churches should provide them to their donors
• What Needs To Be On A Contribution Statement? -  Everything you need to include in your statements
• Contribution Statement Checklist (5 Things) - A quick checklist to review before creating giving statements
• How to Generate Contribution Statements - Three easy ways to create and distribute these documents to your donors

Need help using our church giving software?

Don't hesitate to reach out to our team by creating a support ticket. We also have an awesome Facebook Group you can join as well. I know I'm biased, but it's my favorite FB group 😎

Wes Church Engagement