With an increased adoption of online giving software in the last year, it’s important to take a step back and consider if you’re being offered the best tools and resources so that you can get the most out of the platform. It can be easy to get in over our heads with new technology, so having someone to guide you through the implementation and how you can tackle upcoming challenges makes a big difference. What you really need is a platform that partners with your church to handle online tithing and help you, the rest of your team, and your mission grow. After all, you want to focus on the Ministry - not exporting spreadsheets!
Kindrid is an online giving platform dedicated to serving your church long after you sign up. We actually have TWO teams dedicated to directly serving your church. Not only do you have access to Support when you need it most with technical questions about the software, our Success team is available to you from the time you set up your account to help you launch, maintain consistent communication, and provide additional training when you need it. This team isn’t an outsourced call center, it’s a group of incredibly dedicated team members who are invested in you and your mission.
To better understand the difference between Support and Success, and how important the relationships are between Success Coaches and the ministries we serve, we sat down with two of our Success Coaches so they can tell you what to expect in one-on-one training and why they are personally committed to helping you, well, succeed!
We had plenty to talk about, so we’ll be bringing you part 2 of this interview next month. Until then, let’s meet two of our Success Coaches - Jessica Moore and John Lovell.
Introductions
Zoe: Let’s start with some quick introductions! Tell me a little bit about yourselves and even your involvement with the church, if you’d like.
Jessica Moore: I’m married with two kids living in Tulsa, OK. Although we’re not actively volunteering right now, we’re still very involved with the church. My son was born with a handicap, and so we have been very blessed to be on the receiving end of incredible generosity through Shriners Hospital, which is a big nonprofit. So not only do we give to our church, but we receive from our church and Shriners’ where the care is covered by donation, so we don’t actually have medical bills. I’m not one to shy away from talking about donations, because I understand first-hand what that does for people when a nonprofit or a church has a mission. When that mission is fulfilled through donations, it changes lives, as it certainly has changed my son’s life with the incredible care he’s received. That’s just one reason I’m so passionate about donations and generosity and providing a way for people to give.
John Lovell: I’m still newer to this role, I actually lost my previous job working for a nonprofit that was designed to help churches evangelize just a few months into COVID. Not only was it just a scary time to be looking for work, but I didn’t have a direct idea of where to go next to be looking for work. This job was a godsend, through the Lord’s provision I found it within the month of losing my previous work and it has been an unforeseen blessing. I actually look back on the year somewhat favorably, which was not the experience of most people. I have a lot to be thankful for because I’ve worked in youth Ministry and always been a people person, and the Lord led me to a great role at a perfect time. I’m very blessed to get to work with amazing people and still connect with churches--sometimes more than I did before COVID, honestly.
What is a Success Coach?
Zoe: For anyone who isn’t familiar with Kindrid or maybe anything giving related at all - how might you describe what a success coach is or what they do?
Jessica Moore: I would say that a success coach allows people to be successful in every aspect of the giving product by providing opportunities for coaching and education and making sure that they understand the software on the back end of the administrative side.
John Lovell: Absolutely and when an admin logs into their giving software, we have a wealth of resources that provide a map for users. They’ll have ideas around how they can use their software, but it's still helpful to have a guide through it all. Giving software has a ton of features and it connects with so many different solutions you might be using. Having someone who can help show you how to look at all these different features and get the most out of them is helpful in preventing you from feeling overwhelmed when you're in there on your own. Our role is specifically designed to help guide you through the software, so eventually you can read the map yourself and know where you're going to create something new.
Why should churches take advantage of meeting with a Success Coach?
Zoe: There's probably a lot of people out there who feel like they only should reach out when they're in dire need of support, but that's not really what the Success team at Kindrid is in place for. Like John said, you’re all there to guide people, and so, what do you think the biggest advantages of taking a meeting with a success coach would be?
Jessica Moore: For one thing, all of our coaching is complimentary. I think that's the biggest thing that's overlooked compared to other giving solutions. Most of the time you'll pay for coaching, assistance and training, even onboarding. There's an opportunity to be proactive in how we help our customers. Our success team has outside experience working with churches and nonprofits, which is helpful because we can draw from that first-hand knowledge around what's needed.
For example, recurring giving (and sometimes giving in general) can be taboo for churches to talk about. So as an actual giver, I can emphasize that I'm not offended when my pastor talks about this. That allows us to help pastors confidently communicate the software to their people and also explain with some transparency things like processing fees.
Overall it's complimentary and it's so much more than just technical training or support. It really is empowering them to understand the benefits of generosity at their ministry, which I think is really important.
John Lovell: Another example that comes to mind is how we recently focused on reaching out to existing clients on specific opportunities we noticed with their account. We enjoyed engaging and helping these ministries get the most out of the platform, not only making their job easier, but also helping them be more effective in less time. Like Jess said, a lot of us have experience with ministry, but, for one reason or another, we all wound up at a digital solutions company. And I think the reason that we all wound up here is because we want to empower ministry and people to have good connections with their community. At the end of the day, churches need funds to make things happen and software that streamlines the processes. We can help you understand how to get the most out of that software for your unique needs.
It’s troubling to imagine someone having an amazing idea for how they want to reach people and feeling too overwhelmed by how to start. Whether it is processing the money or creating forms that collect the data, how to access a mobile App, or even how to access any digital solutions. It can be really overwhelming. A lot of people who have those big picture ideas don’t necessarily know how to put it all together, so we will teach those people our process and how to use it. We want our system to be as easy for you to use as possible. We will help you be the middleman between the technology that you need and the vision you have.
Zoe: Something we always emphasize is that these are solutions to take away the day to day problems, so that people can actually focus on Ministry. Can you explain more about what that means?
Jessica Moore: Yes, definitely! We want to communicate with more than just the financial folks at your church. In doing that, we can empower your whole team to talk about giving. There's so much more in the software than just reports. Like John said, we get usually one or the other--someone who wears all the hats and is more passionate and creative minded but not necessarily technically or financially savvy or we get the finance folks who maybe don't even have the platform at their ministry to cast a vision.
John Lovell: I think what's interesting is when we’re on a call with someone in a finance/reporting type role at the organization and suddenly we're nearing the end of the call and I’ll mention that a mobile app comes included with their account and they usually don’t think of it as something they need. Then I get to explain how it not only helps them receive gifts, but also just connect with their people. Then, suddenly, they decide to make their pastor or the leader of this organization an admin on this account, and they are going to be able to actually start thinking about it as a tool to connect with their people. It’s gratifying to see the light turn on in their head that this service is actually going to be a way more useful tool than they were originally thinking.
What are some of the resources Kindrid and the Success Coaches provide to help promote giving?
Zoe: We kind of touched on it a little bit, but what are some of the specific resources that Kindrid and the Success Coaches provide to help promote giving?
John Lovell: I’ll brag about Jess and Kacie Frazier, because our Help Center has so many articles and video recordings that showcase all the great features of this product. Not that I don't love a coaching call, but it’s great to be able to point them to that Help Center and encourage them to poke around in there. You may find one article that gives you all of the info you're looking for, but then even within the article it suggests another topic that could also be helpful.
You might have no idea where to get started with this new technology, but don’t freak out! We also have weekly webinars free of charge and we would love for you to join and ask questions or, if nothing else, you can just tune in to hear what other people are asking.
Zoe: What would you tell somebody is the difference between attending one of the weekly training sessions and scheduling a call with a Success Coach besides just the one on one aspect? Is there a benefit to one over the other in different things that you want to learn, or what are those differences there?
Jessica Moore: The coaching calls are limited to 30 minutes on average. For the sake of the administrator, it is best to attend those webinars to establish a foundation of knowledge. It’s not so much a training session, but an orientation to go into the product and find out where everything lives. We don't expect people to fully understand the software after that onboarding, but at least they have their bearings on what's in there and where to find it generally.
From there, they can take a couple of different directions. We have a webinar for onboarding which is really the one that if nothing else, we would absolutely love for you to attend. Then there's a MinistryOne overview and starting on May 5 we will also have a weekly Forms webinar. Those are the three biggest features within the platform and all three of those webinars are intended to be foundational. We understand that every ministry is not created the same and has different needs, so the basics are the same for everyone. After that, the coaching calls are really intended to be more focused on your mission.
We also want to know you better and the webinars are not the ideal place for us to get to know you and your Ministry. It’s ideal for you to have that training going into the coaching calls so that when you come in, we can skip to the heart of your Ministry, the purpose of what you're trying to do, your mission, and how we can empower you to do that.
Zoe: I think that's probably something that's one of the greater benefits of this team, in particular. I know from just working with you guys on and off that you really do know your people, and connect with them. You remember who they are, their missions, and what is important to them. You also know what will and won't work for them, and that's such a unique element to this team--how much you all deeply care about the admins that you work with.
Jessica Moore: And the team is small enough that it's not like a call center where you’ll get connected with someone different every single time. You might not speak to John or myself, but John and I have talked about you and know what your ministry is about, what your mission is, and we take detailed notes. We’re a team that connects on a daily basis and understands each of our customers.
Another resource that should not go unmentioned is the Training Tab! If you are reading this blog and you just need somewhere to start (maybe it’s a weekend and this is the only day you've got), at least start with that Training Tab in the platform! It's going to provide you the opportunity to register for those webinars and find some resources. Like John mentioned, it’s a basic map of where to go for training.
Why did you become a success coach and what is your favorite part about being in this type of role?
Zoe: It’s obvious you’re both very passionate about what you do, so can you tell me a little bit about how you ended up in this role and what do you enjoy most about it?
John Lovell: This role has been such a blessing to me personally. Like I said earlier, I found myself at a crossroad. I do have a big heart for people and, for a long time, I thought it was going to be in the frontline of ministry work. But I think over time I realized that I also love having a system that helps people, and so this opportunity really married those two things together. I feel like I'm able to Minister by providing a good service to people.
When I first started, I greatly admired Jess’s efforts to push for making things easier and more efficient for the people and serve them in that way. I get to be a little bit of a nerd about features like Forms and MinistryOne and serve people in a different way. That’s the dream come true.
Jessica Moore: I'll be totally honest, I didn't know what I was getting into when I took this position. I didn't know how powerful online giving was for ministry so taking the knowledge that I learned about this solution, I went back to my church and started asking all the important questions like who is paying for processing fees, and can I help cover them, etc.
I think that in general people just don't know that there are convenience fees on every single transaction that you make, even at the grocery store. If you use a credit card, there are fees. Understanding that can change your perspective of giving at a church. Similar to how paying a little more for comfy chairs is a convenience that enhances the experience of people that attend your service. Giving isn’t really any different. So yes, there is an investment for the Church, but it enhances the experience and overall increases generosity. That is a benefit and, like John said, it provides a way to further the Kingdom in a practical way.
I do enjoy tapping into that love for efficiency. Now that I more specifically work on Customer Experience under Kacie, I get to have more of a 360 degree view of everything that is involved in making this product. Kacie and I have both operated in the role of success, speaking to the customer and being on the ground floor. Not only do we hear their potential support issues, but we hear their hearts and their bigger needs. It’s amazing that I get to help people make their missions come true.
Zoe: That’s true, and with that eagle-eye view, you really are advocating for the admins and that ultimately influences how the platform continues to develop and grow over time. I’m sure there are many companies where those voices get minimized because support is a very scripted and impersonal arm of the business, and they don’t really take the opportunity to get to know individual needs. Kindrid is pretty much doing the exact opposite and amplifying those voices as much as possible through the success and experience teams.
Jessica Moore: It’s true and there are so many voices and I'm sure everybody has an idea on how the platform can be improved because everybody's needs are different. It’s important for our customers to know that we actually do value their feedback and so much of the change that's happened within the software is driven by that feedback. Managing all of those voices and those needs is challenging as well, and so we’re working to improve and streamline the way that we receive those requests and move them forward. Customers do have a voice here and a lot of what we do is based on what they need.
John Lovell: It’s especially cool when Jess and Kacie take us through anything that’s new to the software. This week, for example, there were several items that came along, and now we get to go share that with the customers. Even though I've only been at this company less than a year, I've already seen the product adapt and change to fit people's needs. It is really encouraging to know that customers are listened to. It’s rare but increasingly necessary to react to what your customers are saying and meet their needs.
Zoe: I know I’ve personally witnessed the genuine excitement from Jess and Kacie when a new feature is released, because they can’t wait to go tell a specific customer. It really humanizes it for those of us who don’t necessarily get to interact with those customers, because we see how much these updates and changes really matter.
To be continued...
Does your current platform truly exist to serve the Church? Is the support team always available to answer your questions and concerns? Do you have a success coach ready to help you get the very most out of your platform and inspire giving participation?
There’s no doubt that John and Jess have a lot to offer as Success Coaches with Kindrid, and it’s true that if you schedule a Coaching Session—you may very well speak to one of them! Kindrid’s Success Team is a tight-knit group of individuals who are dedicated to helping each and every one of their admins not only feel confident using the platform, but empowering them to go above and beyond, to get creative, and to help strategize for individual missions. We’ll be catching up with John and Jess again in our next blog post, where we’ll hear their perspectives on launching giving the impact churches can have when they implement a digital solution like Kindrid.
