Return on Investment (ROI) Analysis for CareNote

Imagine a long-time church family quietly slipping away because a care need went unnoticed. It happens more often than we realize—and it’s costly. But what if one simple tool could prevent these losses while strengthening your church community?

Churches thrive when members feel valued and cared for. However, when pastoral care is unstructured, important opportunities to provide support can be missed, leading to disengagement and even families leaving the church. This not only affects the spiritual health of the congregation but also has significant financial implications.

CareNote provides a structured system for documentation, assignment tracking, and care management—ensuring that no one falls through the cracks. This analysis demonstrates how CareNote prevents costly member attrition while offering an outstanding return on investment (ROI).

The Financial Impact of Missed Pastoral Care

Case Study: The Cost of Losing a Single Family

Churches rely on strong relationships to foster a sense of belonging, but when pastoral care is inconsistent or overlooked, members may disengage. This case study examines the financial impact of losing just one family due to a missed care opportunity, highlighting how structured pastoral care not only strengthens community but also preserves essential financial support for the church. By understanding these dynamics, church leaders can see how CareNote helps prevent costly attrition while enhancing member retention.

Based on two separate studies:

• ChurchSalary reports that the average per-person giving in churches is $2,816 per year. (Source: ChurchSalary, 2024)
• Vanco reports that the average per-person giving in churches is $884 per year. (Source: Vanco, 2024)

For the purpose of this analysis, we take the average of both figures, resulting in an estimated:

• Annual Per-Person Giving: $1,850
• Weekly Per-Person Giving: $35.58

For a family of four, their combined weekly contribution would be:

• Weekly Contribution: $35.58 × 4 = $142.32
• Annual Contribution: $142.32 × 52 = $7,406.64

If a missed pastoral care opportunity results in this family leaving the church, the direct financial loss is $7,407 per year.

The Network Effect: One Lost Family Leads to More Losses

When families leave a church due to a negative experience, they often share their story with others. If they tell just five other families, and one of those families already attending also decides to leave, the financial impact doubles:

• Total Loss (2 families): $7,407 × 2 = $14,814 per year

In cases where additional families disengage, the financial loss could grow exponentially.

CareNote: More Than Just a Paid-User Model

CareNote is unique in that it provides three free volunteer seats per paid user, significantly expanding the number of care providers a church can activate without additional costs.

Unlike other systems that require full logins for every user, CareNote’s email-based volunteer system streamlines care coordination, allowing volunteers to engage in meaningful care activities without navigating a complex platform.

Volunteers receive secure, time-limited email links to accept care assignments, complete tasks, and submit reports, ensuring seamless participation while administrators retain full oversight. This structure is ideal for periodic volunteers who write cards, prepare meals, or provide transportation—allowing churches to mobilize more care providers without increasing software costs or administrative burden

A church that pays for 20 users at $9 per user per month is not just enabling 20 people to provide care—CareNote includes an additional 60 volunteers at no extra cost.

Total Activation Power: 80 Care Providers

For the cost of 20 paid users, the church is actually activating 80 individuals in pastoral care.

• Monthly Cost: 20 users × $9/month =$180
• Annual Cost: $180 × 12 months =$2,160
• Cost Per Active Care Provider: $1.88 per month

This means that not only is CareNote affordable, but when factoring in retention savings, its return on investment becomes even more compelling.

ROI Analysis: CareNote vs. Lost Families

If CareNote prevents just one family from leaving, the church retains over three times its investment. If two families stay because of improved care, the ROI jumps to nearly 7x the investment.

CareNote: A Small Investment with a Big Return

The numbers don’t lie—missing care opportunities is costly. A single missed connection can lead to a $7,000+ loss per year, and when word spreads, that loss can quickly double or triple. For just $2 per care provider per month, CareNote ensures no one falls through the cracks, empowering 80 people in your congregation to provide consistent, meaningful care.

Take action today. Equip your church with the tools to provide organized, impactful, and scalable pastoral care.Schedule a demo or start your CareNote journey now—because when care is structured, sustainable, and shared, your church thrives.