Most churches have the same problem: New families show up, get involved, serve on teams... but giving? That's a 6-12 month lag. If it happens at all.
Giving is one of the last commitments people make. It's a big ask.
This case study shows how Redeemer Church closed that gap by creating a smaller, easier first step through their kids—and got 35+ families engaged in giving within just 4 months.

The Giving Gap
The Pattern Every Church Sees:
Month 1: New family shows up, loves the church
 Month 3: They're serving, kids in programs, attending regularly
 Month 6: Still engaged, maybe in a small group
 Month 12: Still not giving (or giving very little)
Why? Because giving is intimidating. It's a big financial commitment. It requires trust.
Hillary Bassham, Kids Pastor at Redeemer, recognized they had families who were fully engaged in every other way—except financially.
The question was: How do you close that gap without making it awkward or pushy?

The Breakthrough: Lower the First Step
Instead of waiting for parents to make the leap into tithing, Redeemer created a much smaller first step:
Let their kids give $2-5/week.
Why This Works:
Psychology of Commitment:

• Asking parents to tithe: Intimidating, requires significant trust

• Asking parents to let their kid give $3/week: Easy yes, low risk

Once a family is in the giving conversation—even at $3/week through their kid—the barrier for the adults to increase their giving drops significantly.

How It Works
Parent Setup (one-time, 2 minutes):

• Parents receive a simple link

• Set up their child's account

• Choose weekly amount (minimum $1/week, average $2-5/week)

• Runs automatically—set it and forget it

Sunday Morning:

• Kids participate using the kiosk

• Choose a cause (Church, Community, World)

• Take a physical coin

• Drop it during offering

The Key: This gets families into the giving habit WITHOUT the big ask of tithing. It's a gateway.

The Results: 35+ Families Engaged in 4 Months
Before Givt:

• Sporadic kid participation (5-10 on a good Sunday)

• Most families not giving at all

• Long lag time between attendance and financial engagement

After Givt (4 months):

• 35+ kids participating weekly

• That's 35+ families now in the giving conversation

• Many were brand new to giving—this was their first step

Translation: They compressed a 6-12 month giving timeline into 4 months by starting small through kids.

Why New Families Said Yes
1. It's Not About Them
"We're not asking YOU to tithe. We're just asking if your kid can participate."
Removes the pressure. Makes it about the kid, not the parent's finances.
2. The Amount is Manageable
$2-3/week doesn't trigger financial anxiety. Most parents spend more on a coffee.
3. It's For Their Kid's Formation
Parents want their kids to learn generosity. When you frame it as "helping your kid practice generosity," they're way more likely to say yes than "please start tithing."
4. Low Commitment, Easy Exit
Parents can adjust or cancel anytime. No long-term pledge. No awkward conversations.

The Gateway Effect
Here's what Hillary noticed: Once families were giving through their kids, many increased their own giving.
Why?

• They're already in the giving conversation

• They see the impact (kids excited, causes being supported)

• The trust barrier has been lowered

• It's no longer a cold start—they've already said yes once

Givt became the on-ramp to family giving.

Real Numbers
Financial Impact:

Many of these 35 families were:

• New to the church (within the last 6-12 months)

• Hadn't started giving yet

• Were engaged in other ways but not financially

Givt gave them an easy first yes.

What Made It Work
1. Timing Matters
They didn't wait until families were "ready" to tithe. They offered an easy step early in their journey.
2. Kids Lead
Kids asked parents to set them up. Parents weren't being asked by the church—they were being asked by their kid. Way less awkward.
3. Choice Creates Buy-In
Kids chose where the money went (Church, Community, World). When kids are excited about their choice, parents feel good about supporting it.
4. Data Helped
"I like data. I really like being able to print things off and take them to our leadership team and say, 'Hey, these numbers show it's working.'" - Hillary Bassham
Being able to show leadership "35 families are now engaged in giving" is powerful.

Key Takeaways for Churches with a Giving Gap
1. Stop Waiting for Families to Be "Ready"
The longer you wait, the harder it gets. Offer an easy first step early.
2. Small Commitments Lead to Bigger Ones
$3/week through their kid today can become tithing in 6-12 months. You need an on-ramp.
3. Let Kids Be the Ask
When kids ask parents to set them up, it's not awkward. It's cute. And parents say yes.
4. Track the Conversions
Know how many families went from "not giving" to "giving through kids" to "increasing their giving." This is your donor pipeline.

What This Could Mean for Your Church
If you have 50 new families per year:

• Maybe 10-15 start giving eventually (long lag time)

• With Givt: 30-40 could start giving within months through their kids

• That's 3-4x faster donor conversion

If you're frustrated with the giving timeline:

• Typical: Show up → 6-12 months → maybe start giving

• With Givt: Show up → 1-2 months → giving through kids → 6 months → increased giving

Ready to Close Your Giving Gap?
Let's talk about what this could look like for your church.

We'll show you:

• How to position this to new families

• What the parent signup experience looks like

• How to track new giver conversions

• Real examples from churches like yours

Or if you have questions first, just reply to the email that sent you here.

About Redeemer Church: Redeemer Church is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hillary Bassham serves as their Kids Pastor, overseeing K-5th grade ministry.