This guide is designed to walk your church through the process of setting up electronic giving, ensuring that it is accessible, user-friendly, and secure.
Offering electronic giving options is not just a convenience—it's a necessity for churches seeking to meet their congregations where they are. With an increasing number of transactions being handled electronically, many churchgoers prefer the simplicity and security of digital giving.
This guide is designed to walk your church through the process of setting up electronic giving, ensuring that it is accessible, user-friendly, and secure. From selecting the right platform to promoting electronic giving among your congregation, we'll cover everything you need to know to modernize your church's giving methods and foster a culture of generosity.
The Benefits Of Electronic Giving For Churches
There are several ways that churches can benefit from electronic giving.
- Increased Convenience and Accessibility
- One of the biggest benefits of electronic giving is increased convenience and accessibility for church members. With traditional methods of giving, such as cash or checks, churchgoers may forget to bring their tithes and offerings or find themselves unable to give due to circumstances like being out of town.
- Electronic giving eliminates these barriers by allowing members to give any time, anywhere through online platforms.
- More Consistent Giving
- Electronic giving can also lead to more consistent giving. If you only accept cash or check donations, churchgoers may only give when they remember or have cash on hand. This can lead to fluctuations in donation amounts and make it difficult for churches to budget and plan accordingly.
- Electronic giving allows members to set up recurring donations, ensuring that their offering is given consistently every week.
- Improved Record-Keeping
- Electronic giving also simplifies tithe and offering record-keeping for churches. With traditional methods, it can be time-consuming and error-prone to manually record every donation. Electronic giving platforms automatically track and store donations, making it easier for church staff to accurately track contributions and issue tax receipts.
- Enhanced Donor Engagement
- Additionally, electronic giving allows churches to engage with donors in new and meaningful ways. Online giving forms can capture donor information for better communication, allowing churches to send personalized thank-you notes, keep donors informed about how their contributions are being used, and provide updates on church ministries and events. This can help strengthen relationships with donors and foster a more engaged community.
The Benefits Of Online Giving For Donors
- Electronic giving also offers many benefits to donors, including:
- Convenience and Simplicity
- With electronic giving, donors can give from the comfort of their own home or on-the-go through their mobile devices. This eliminates the need for writing checks or carrying cash to church. Donors can also easily set up recurring donations and manage their giving preferences online.
- Increased Security
- Most giving platforms offer secure payment processing, protecting donors' sensitive financial information. This can provide peace of mind for donors and encourage more consistent giving.
- Transparent Giving
- Electronic giving provides donors with the ability to track their donations and see how they are being used by the church. This transparency can help build trust and confidence in the church's financial management.
- Easier Budgeting
- For donors who prefer to budget their giving, electronic giving can be a helpful tool. By setting up recurring donations, donors can plan and budget for their contributions throughout the year.
- Tax Benefits
- Donations made through electronic giving are automatically recorded and stored by the church's donation management system. This makes it easier for donors to access records for tax purposes and ensures accuracy in reporting.
Choosing An Electronic Giving Platform
When considering implementing electronic giving in your church, it's important to choose the right platform. Here are a few things to consider:
User-Friendly Interface
The platform should be easy for both donors and church staff to use, with clear instructions on how to set up and manage donations.
A user-friendly interface is crucial to encourage the adoption of electronic giving among congregation members. The ideal platform should feature a layout that allows users to easily navigate through the process of setting up an account, entering payment information, and specifying donation amounts and schedules.
It’s important that both tech-savvy individuals and those less comfortable with digital tools can manage their donations without confusion or frustration.
Multiple Payment Options
The platform should allow for a variety of payment options, including credit/debit cards, bank transfers, and mobile payments. This accommodates the preferences of different donors.
Offering multiple payment options is key to increasing the participation rate in electronic giving programs. When donors have the freedom to choose their preferred method of payment, they're more likely to make a commitment to regular giving. Credit and debit cards are widely used for convenience, but some donors might prefer direct bank transfers as a way to avoid credit card fees or to keep better track of their finances.
Mobile payments, such as Apple Pay or Google Wallet, cater to a growing segment of the population that relies on their smartphones for financial transactions. Including these options ensures that the donation process is as inclusive and accommodating as possible, making it easier for every member of the congregation to contribute.
Integration with Church Management Software
If your church uses Church Management Software software like Breeze to track member information, it's important to choose an electronic giving platform that can seamlessly integrate with it. This integration allows for easier tracking and management of donations, as well as the ability to automatically update member profiles with their giving history.
Additionally, an integrated system can provide valuable data insights such as trends in giving and donor demographics. This information can help inform future fundraising strategies and improve communication with donors.
High Security Standards
Security is a top priority for any online transaction. When choosing an electronic giving platform, it's crucial to ensure that the system meets high-security standards to protect both the church and its donors.
Look for platforms that are PCI compliant, meaning they adhere to strict security measures set by the Payment Card Industry. This includes encryption of sensitive data and regular security audits.
Furthermore, it's important to choose a platform that has a secure and reliable payment processor. This will ensure that donor information is kept safe and protected from potential hacking or data breaches.
Customization Options
Every church has its own unique needs and preferences when it comes to donation forms. Choose an electronic giving platform that offers customization options such as branding, fields for specific donation purposes, and recurring donation options.
These customization options not only make the giving process more personal for donors, but also help with organization and tracking of donations for the church.
Reasonable Cost
While electronic giving platforms offer convenience and benefits, it's important to consider the cost of using such a service. Look for platforms that have transparent pricing and do not charge excessive transaction fees.
When assessing the cost of electronic giving platforms, churches should not only focus on the immediate transaction fees but also consider the long-term financial implications. Some platforms may offer lower transaction fees but charge monthly or annual subscription fees that could add up. It's important to calculate the overall cost for the expected volume of donations to determine which platform offers the best value.
Free online giving tools for your church
Tithely provides the best online tools to help you increase generosity, manage your church, and engage your church members.
Setting Up Electronic Giving In Your Church
Thankfully, setting up electronic giving in your church is not difficult. In fact, most electronic giving platforms are simple enough for you to get up and running in an hour or so. Follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Select Your Online Giving Platform
This is self-explanatory. Select the electronic giving platform that is best for your church. Consider the customization options and costs mentioned above when making your decision.
Step 2: Set Up Your Account
Once you have chosen a platform, you will need to create an account. This typically involves providing basic information about your church, such as name, address, tax ID number, and bank account information (for transferring funds).
Step 3: Customize Your Donation Form
As discussed earlier, most electronic giving platforms allow you to customize your donation form to match the branding and messaging of your church. Take advantage of this feature and make sure your form reflects the values and mission of your church.
Step 4: Promote Your Electronic Giving Option
Once everything is set up, it's time to promote your electronic giving option to your congregation. This can include announcements during services, information on your church's website, and regular reminders in bulletins or newsletters.
Step 5: Monitor and Analyze
As with any new addition to your church, it's important to monitor and analyze the success of electronic giving. Keep track of donation trends and adjust your promotion strategy if needed.
Choose Tithely For Your Electronic Giving Platform
Tithely is a robust, all-in-one online giving platform that offers simple and secure electronic donations for your church. With customizable forms, easy set-up, and real-time analytics, Tithely makes it easier than ever for your congregation to give their tithes and offerings.
Tithely offers potential donors six different ways to give to your church:
- Online giving through your website
- Text giving
- Free church giving app
- Admin gift entry
- Kiosk giving
- Check scanning
By having a variety of giving options, churches can cater to the preferences and needs of different donors, making it easier for them to donate.
Plus, with NO monthly contract and a low transaction fee of only 2.9% + $0.30 per donation, you can maximize the impact of every gift. Tithely also offers seamless integration with popular church management software, making it even easier to track and manage donations.
Final Thoughts
Setting up electronic giving may seem daunting at first, but with the right platform and promotion strategy, it can greatly benefit your church. By offering a secure and convenient way for your congregation to give, you can increase donations and better steward the resources entrusted to your church.
With Tithely as your online giving partner, you can rest assured that donations are safe, easy to manage, and make a difference in furthering God's kingdom.
Guest post from Tithe.ly, our recommended online giving partner. United Methodist Church Giving is about people working together to accomplish something bigger than themselves. In so doing, we affect change around the world, all in the name of Jesus Christ. To read stories about the generosity of United Methodists click here.
