It’s important that your staff, volunteers, and leaders are knowledgeable, excited, and invested in your launch. You’ll see more giver engagement if you invite your leadership into the process of testing the system sooner rather than later.

Related: Identify your teammates that will have a pivotal role in launching your giving platform. Recruit your Launch Team!

Pull your leadership together and walk them through the giving process (this is excellent practice for your live launch). Cast vision for how this new giving tool will equip your organization to be generous in your local and global community. 

Remember Leadership buy-in results in giver buy-in!

Leadership Testing Best Practices:

A. Leadership Testing Email

Email leaders explaining your new giving platform, instructions, and why it’s important for them to test it out. **See the email template below.

B. Gather Leadership for a "Soft Launch"

Take a few minutes when your leadership is together to conduct a soft launch (this is essentially a practice for your live rollout).

1. Hands-on Training: Show them how to give! Have them pull out their phones, save your Giving Number in their phone as a contact, and walk them through the giving experience. *Hands-on training tips below.

2. Ask for feedback for official rollout: Ask your leadership if they have recommendations for how to have a clear, engaging launch.

3. Engage your teammates: If anyone else is involved in launching your giving platform, this would be a great time to determine your launch date and start preparing.

Hands-on Training Tips

Introduce the system using visual aids.
Resources: Engagement materials

Ensure leadership tests primary giving functions.
Resource: Giving Basics

• Text Giving

• Online Giving

Consider asking leadership to test other features.
Resource: Giver FAQ

• Fund Designations

• Text REFUND (Cancel a gift within 15 minutes)

• Text EDIT (Update info, edit recurring gifts, view giving history)

Leadership Testing Email Template:

Subject: What do you think of our new giving tool?

Hello [organization] leaders,

Thanks for all you do for our community here at [organization name]. We’re eager to introduce the new giving system that allows us to give instantly online and via text. Watch this quick video to see how it works.

We’d really love for you to test it out and let us know what you think. Here’s how!

1. Text GIVE to [your organization’s giving number] or tap this link to give online [your organization’s giving link]

2. Complete your one-time registration

3. Next time you want to give, all you need to do is either:
   • Text GIVE to [organization’s giving number]*
   • Give online with a single tap! [your organization’s giving link] This link will be added to our website soon.

*Pro tip: Save this number in your phone as a contact! 

We’ll launch this on a Sunday in the next month or so. Do you have any questions or feedback? Please let us know! [insert contact info]

In Christ,

[Title]