> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getparable.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Giving Automation Recipes
> Ready-to-use PCO List + Automation recipes powered by Parable's giving engagement fields.
# Giving Automation Recipes for Planning Center
These recipes use Parable's giving engagement fields (Giving Pattern, Giving Trend, Payment Alert) synced to the **Parable: Giving** tab in Planning Center People. Each recipe pairs a PCO List with a PCO Automation for hands-free follow-up.
## Prerequisites
Before setting up automations, confirm that:
* Engagement scoring is enabled under **Settings → Engagement**
* **Giving Engagement** sync is turned on under **Settings → Engagement → Planning Center Sync**
* The **Parable: Giving** tab in PCO People contains **Giving Pattern**, **Giving Trend**, and **Payment Alert** fields
Parable creates the tab and its fields automatically on the first sync after you enable the toggle.
The **Parable: Giving** tab fields used by these recipes:
| Field | Type | Values |
| ------------------ | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Giving Pattern** | Select | New Donor, Second Gift, New Recurring, Recurring, Occasional, At-Risk, Lapsed, Recovered, Inactive |
| **Giving Trend** | Select | Growing, Stable, Declining |
| **Payment Alert** | Checkboxes | Failed Gift, Expiring Payment Method, Card Fee Savings |
***
## 1. New Donor Welcome
**Goal:** Welcome first-time givers within 48 hours.
### PCO List
* **Rule:** Parable: Giving > Giving Pattern *is* "New Donor"
* **Automations tab > Run automation:** New Donor Welcome
### PCO Automation
| Step | Type | Details |
| ---- | --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1 | **Wait** | 1 day |
| 2 | **Email** | Subject: "Thank you for your generous gift!" — personalized welcome, introduce giving impact, link to recurring giving page |
| 3 | **Wait** | 5 days |
| 4 | **Email** | Subject: "Here's how your gift made a difference" — share a story or impact metric |
***
## 2. Second Gift Follow-Up
**Goal:** Encourage the critical second-to-third gift transition.
### PCO List
* **Rule:** Parable: Giving > Giving Pattern *is* "Second Gift"
### PCO Automation
| Step | Type | Details |
| ---- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 1 | **Wait** | 1 day |
| 2 | **Email** | Subject: "You're making a real difference" — thank them for continued generosity, introduce recurring giving |
| 3 | **Wait** | 14 days |
| 4 | **Email** | Subject: "Join our community of regular givers" — benefits of recurring giving, simple setup link |
***
## 3. New Recurring Celebration
**Goal:** Celebrate and reinforce the decision to set up recurring giving.
### PCO List
* **Rule:** Parable: Giving > Giving Pattern *is* "New Recurring"
### PCO Automation
| Step | Type | Details |
| ---- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1 | **Wait** | 1 day |
| 2 | **Email** | Subject: "You just made generosity effortless" — celebrate their commitment, show the annualized impact of their recurring gift |
| 3 | **Wait** | 30 days |
| 4 | **Email** | Subject: "Your first month of recurring giving" — recap what their giving enabled, keep vision in front of them |
***
## 4. Build Recurring
**Goal:** Convert occasional givers into recurring donors.
### PCO List
* **Rule:** Parable: Giving > Giving Pattern *is* "Occasional"
* **AND** Parable: Giving > Giving Trend *is* "Growing" OR "Stable"
### PCO Automation
| Step | Type | Details |
| ---- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1 | **Email** | Subject: "Make your impact automatic" — show their giving history, explain how recurring simplifies giving |
| 2 | **Wait** | 7 days |
| 3 | **Email** | Subject: "Set it and forget it — recurring giving in 60 seconds" — direct link to set up recurring, testimonial from a recurring giver |
***
## 5. At-Risk Outreach
**Goal:** Re-engage donors who are approaching their lapse threshold before they fully disengage.
### PCO List
* **Rule:** Parable: Giving > Giving Pattern *is* "At-Risk"
### PCO Automation
| Step | Type | Details |
| ---- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 1 | **Email** | Subject: "We're grateful for you" — warm check-in, share a recent win or story, soft reminder of giving link |
| 2 | **Wait** | 7 days |
| 3 | **Create a task** | Assign to pastoral care: "Personal outreach to at-risk donor — check in before they lapse" |
***
## 6. Re-engage Lapsed
**Goal:** Bring back donors who have missed their expected giving cycle.
### PCO List
* **Rule:** Parable: Giving > Giving Pattern *is* "Lapsed"
### PCO Automation
| Step | Type | Details |
| ---- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 1 | **Email** | Subject: "We miss you" — gentle, non-guilt-based reminder of community impact |
| 2 | **Wait** | 10 days |
| 3 | **Email** | Subject: "Your gift matters more than you know" — share a current need or project, include giving link |
| 4 | **Wait** | 14 days |
| 5 | **Create a task** | Assign to pastoral care: "Personal outreach to lapsed donor — check in on wellbeing" |
***
## 7. Welcome Back Recovered
**Goal:** Celebrate and retain donors who returned after a lapse.
### PCO List
* **Rule:** Parable: Giving > Giving Pattern *is* "Recovered"
### PCO Automation
| Step | Type | Details |
| ---- | --------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1 | **Wait** | 1 day |
| 2 | **Email** | Subject: "Welcome back — your generosity is a blessing" — warm, celebratory tone, no mention of the gap |
| 3 | **Wait** | 21 days |
| 4 | **Email** | Subject: "Keep the momentum going" — invite to set up recurring giving |
***
## 8. Failed Gift Recovery
**Goal:** Quickly resolve failed payments before donors churn.
### PCO List
* **Rule:** Parable: Giving > Payment Alert *contains* "Failed Gift"
### PCO Automation
| Step | Type | Details |
| ---- | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| 1 | **Email** | Subject: "Quick update on your recent gift" — explain payment didn't process, provide link to update payment method, empathetic tone |
| 2 | **Wait** | 3 days |
| 3 | **Email** | Subject: "We're here to help" — offer phone/email support to resolve, include direct contact for finance team |
| 4 | **Wait** | 7 days |
| 5 | **Create a task** | Assign to admin: "Follow up on unresolved failed gift — personal outreach" |
***
## 9. Expiring Payment Method
**Goal:** Proactively update payment methods before they expire and cause failed gifts.
### PCO List
* **Rule:** Parable: Giving > Payment Alert *contains* "Expiring Payment Method"
### PCO Automation
| Step | Type | Details |
| ---- | ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1 | **Email** | Subject: "Your payment method is expiring soon" — friendly heads-up, direct link to update payment info |
| 2 | **Wait** | 7 days |
| 3 | **Email** | Subject: "Friendly reminder: update your payment method" — emphasize uninterrupted giving, step-by-step instructions |
| 4 | **Wait** | 14 days |
| 5 | **Create a task** | Assign to admin: "Expiring payment method not yet updated — personal outreach" |
***
## 10. Reduce Processing Fees (Card to ACH)
**Goal:** Encourage card-based recurring donors to switch to ACH to reduce processing fees.
### PCO List
* **Rule:** Parable: Giving > Payment Alert *contains* "Card Fee Savings"
### PCO Automation
| Step | Type | Details |
| ---- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1 | **Email** | Subject: "A simple way to maximize your giving" — explain that switching from card to bank transfer (ACH) means lower fees and more of their gift goes to mission |
| 2 | **Wait** | 14 days |
| 3 | **Email** | Subject: "Did you know? Bank transfers save on fees" — include specific savings estimate (e.g., "switching saves \~2.5% per gift"), provide direct link to update payment method |
***
## Tips for Success
**Start small.** Test each automation with a small group before rolling out to your full congregation.
* **Timing:** Run automations during business hours for best open rates
* **Tone:** Always people-first — never guilt-based or transactional
* **Personalization:** Use PCO merge fields (first name, last gift amount) where available
* **Exit conditions:** People are automatically removed from automations when their Giving Pattern changes and they no longer match the list rule
* **Coordination:** Check that automations don't overlap — a person should only be in one giving automation at a time