The Top Benefits of Online Giving for Churches
“Quick Summary” Online giving has become a technically essential tool for churches worldwide. Not only does it help them with tracking tithes and offerings, but it also benefits the church through increased giving and better stewardship practices. Churches that stick to the conventional methods and don’t switch to online platforms may face a major challenge in increasing their donor base and regular donations. Hence, online giving must be used as an opportunity to reach new audiences.
These untouched donors might not have otherwise heard about the important work and projects mobilized by their church for the well-being of communities. Such ignorance can land the churches in hot waters. Let’s look at some of the top benefits of online giving for Churches in this blog.
1. Automate your online giving
Online giving can be a very convenient way to donate, especially when you’re busy with work or your family. POS terminals exclusively designed to facilitate automatic giving let you donate whenever you wish. Such a facility ensures that you never forget your contributions.
A platform like this is also beneficial if you prefer that your contributions are automatically deducted each month or quarter, saving you the pain of writing checks. Set up recurring donations in your system and never worry about a missed donation again. It will automatically deduct from your bank account until you cancel, isn't it easy!
2. Cash or checks are history
With online giving, churches get the freedom from accepting cash or checks. Your church can now offer a secured platform to accept online donations through digital modes. Whereas the church gets the privilege of floating a fundraising event with ease, your donors are at an advantage to use their debit and credit cards or any digital mode of payment.
In these COVID times, offering a contactless payment considering that very few people carry cash greatly pushes your donation campaigns. Ministries can integrate the Online Giving platform with their church's existing point-of-sale system. The benefits of online giving for churches work out as a pleasant opportunity for the patrons, helping them donate from any corner of the globe.
3. Best way of contactless and covid safe donation
Online Giving, a Digital form of Payment, is the safest way to eliminate the chances of virus transmission, which is a grave possibility with physical cash and checks. Before COVID hit the globe, very few sponsors considered donating through online modes. With COVID becoming the new normal in our lives, online giving for small churches is the only option available, making the whole process of donation Covid safe for receiving contactless donations.
A major concern for churches is their existing donor software which has been in play for quite some time. The great news is that they don’t need to get rid of their software anymore; instead, they can integrate it seamlessly with a professionally managed online giving portal to offer a COVID safe charity alternative to their sponsors.
4. Add wings to your donation
The present generation is armed with the reigns of aspirations, growth, and technology. They are ready to build a future on the pillars of speed, competence, strength, and vision. Today’s youth is in the habit of performing quick online transactions and making instant decisions.
If the churches wish to have their financials secured, they can’t afford to turn a blind eye to this young generation. Churches, small or big, should upgrade themselves to a platform that offers today’s youth a quick and simpler way to contribute. Today's teenagers make a hefty share of the youth population and are predetermined to contribute as much as possible. Because they value time and effort, a platform providing speed, security, and convenience, attracts them the most. This, factually, is an opportunity in disguise for churches to capitalize on. Switch to DonateMo (powered by OVVI) and harness the power of online giving tools for churches.
5. Your donations, your funds - choose today
Donors have specific purposes at heart for which they donate. Churches can design customized solutions keeping the donor’s purpose in view. Evaluating and implementing a varied set of options can motivate community members to donate to their favorite cause hassle-free. Churches need to align with any online giving platform to achieve their stated purpose.
Doing so gives the donors a chance to alter their preferences at will. Plus, e-Donations are convenient when members don’t have cash on hand but still want to contribute digitally. These electronic transactions are almost instantaneous and don’t hold back the funds, which generally happens in the case of checks. There is no reason to panic over online fund transfers. The donated money is directed through a secured channel into the church’s account and requires no manual intervention similar to checks. With a minimized risk of theft or fraud, churches can build their credibility over time. Once the donors get the required confidence, the Church’s online giving platform can stimulate recurring donations placing the Church at an advantage.
6. Never worry about record-keeping, again
Digitally receiving donations is an appreciable step for any church, but maintaining their records can pose a major challenge. Instead of spending hours doing manual book-keeping, the staff at your church can switch over to technology and take care of all their collections with ease.
Manual book-keeping will not tell you which fundraising campaign fetched you the highest donation. You won’t have any reports handy to plan your next event. Out of such huge data, how will you know if a specific donation has been processed accurately? Has the donor been thanked enough and issued a tax-benefit receipt? Has all the donated amount been deposited in your bank? There can be many such questions that might not find answers and pose nightmares for you.
Read More: 6 Reasons to Use a Church Giving Kiosk and Fundraising Platforms in Your Community
Here is where an Online Giving platform for Churches comes to your rescue. It electronically processes your data, maintains records, and offers you various reports that help plan your next philanthropic event. See your administrators can breathe free and become more productive.
7. Reminders make our patrons SMILE
Smartphones enjoy a privileged position in our lives. These smart devices are meant to make our lives easy, organized, and disciplined. Contrary to their actual purpose, we have found more ways to distractions than productivity.
The scenario we see today displays different priorities per person. For a person whose purpose of the donation is paramount, there is no need to shoot him a reminder while the rest of the crowd needs to be reminded of the campaigns periodically. Their donations should not be limited to Sunday tithes. Instead, offer them the opportunities to contribute at will to the causes of their choice. Sending reminders will help them donate regularly and also develop the habit of recurring donations. To achieve this humble objective, churches can switch to the best online giving options for the church and motivate their donors to give before they forget.
8. Online or offline - churches’ choice
When selecting the right donation option for your church, you need to practice caution. Every church generally has an online donating option to meet its needs.
As a pastor, you may start by considering your church members’ demographics and preferences. Who counts towards the major share? The youths or the older folks. Online shopping, internet banking, and smartphones will be a common sight if you have the younger generation with you. While with the older generation, the internet and its options might not be of comfort to them. They would be happy going with the conventional methods of donations.
You can consider these 4 options:
A. Online Giving
Online Giving is a website or web portal available globally. It is a classic tool to spread awareness about your fundraising campaigns and advocate one-time or recurring donations from your members. A sophisticated way to provide all the necessary information is by integrating your existing website with a reliable Online Giving platform.
B. Mobile App Giving
Develop a dedicated mobile app for your sponsors, and they will thank you for sure. This app will come in handy when you wish to float any campaign. It is power-packed with necessary information like Custom Branding and Layouts, an easy Donation Screen for fast & easy payments, interactive social content, and newsfeeds. Your members can take advantage of the Push Notifications, Event Calendars, Prayer Wall, and Audio Content. All these sound so amazing.
C. Kiosk Giving
You should seriously consider Kiosk Giving as your on-premises associate if you plan to receive donations during meetings or events. There is no better way than Kiosk Giving where your patrons can use their credit or debit cards and make their offerings in a secured environment. These Kiosks carry the church’s branding and layout to look more natural and professional. Members have the privilege to collect their donation receipts at the end of their transactions. Kiosk Giving is simple as it sounds.
D. Text Giving
Last and the most simple option for all the generations is Text Giving. The only device you will ever need is your mobile phone. Members can simply text a number along with their donation amount and see the donated funds getting transferred to their desired category. A few seconds is all that it takes to complete the process.
Organizations using text donation can choose between 5 OR 10-digit unique numbers assigned specifically for the purpose and a unique code (GIVE) to accept easy donations from members. Members have the liberty to use custom keywords to achieve specific donation objectives.
9. We are PCI DSS compliant - we are secure
When it comes to donations, every penny counts. Offering cash or checks also have their drawbacks. As a donor, you would never know if your cash is used appropriately, or your check might get dishonored for some reason, ultimately missing out on the sole purpose of donation.
That is not the case with Giving in an electronic or digital format. The charity funds are directed to their destination through a secured channel. Churches must ensure that their Online Giving platform is secured and PCI DSS level 1 processor compliant. There can be no excuse for negligence. That being said, members never have to worry about their personal information. They can rest assured that their contribution will be processed promptly and efficiently.
10. Broaden your giving spectrum - add value
With Online Giving; the sky is the limit for your donors. Geographical boundaries or the boundaries of time can’t limit your congregation. Technology has widened the reach of a normal donor. He might be at any location, yet his donation can come through within a few clicks.
If a church wishes to launch a fundraising event outside its physical boundaries that touches people globally, sending out a newsletter can work wonders. Additionally, it would cost nothing to the church, yet the people outside the community can extend their generosity. Members of that church can share such campaigns on their social media handles, fetching amazing results. Make your birthday the best fundraising event by asking your family and friends to financially support the cause of your choice rather than bringing you gifts. Add that flicker of a smile to your society with online giving tools for churches.
11. Express your gratitude - drop-in a note
The relationship between the Church and the donors is built on trust, belief, and selfless service to society. It isn’t easy to part with one’s hard-earned money, yet people make charity a habit. Making recurring donations develops an attitude of gratitude among the donors.
On the other hand, the church can reciprocate by sending a Thank-You Note to its donors for showing generosity and support. This act will strengthen their bond even further. Best online giving platforms for Churches can appreciate this act to build a community of loyal patrons.
12. Send your annual letters of offering easy
The ‘End of the Year’ contribution letters generally starts pouring around Christmas. It is a festive time, and a note acknowledging the donor’s contribution would be like icing on the cake. People feel so honored and privileged to receive such a note of thanks in their names.
With Online Giving portals, it is easy for churches to appreciate their donors. The portal preserves all the necessary information making it easy to retrieve. Churches around the globe should practice this etiquette and make their donors feel special. They may publish a report on their website stating the fund performances, the amount accumulated therein, and the causes for which they used the money. This would bring a feeling of joy and satisfaction to the donor’s heart.
13. Plan perfect - go easy on your budgets
Monthly budgeting is essential yet unpredictable because the ministries are unaware of the committed monthly inflow of donations. In this fast-paced life remembering the dates for donations is practically impossible. But with Online Giving platforms and Mobile App Giving, patrons can conveniently switch from one-time donations to automatic recurring offerings.
Churches have to meet their planned periodic administrative expenses and unplanned ones. Churches have no alternative but to accept and manage them. In either case, clear indications about their monthly and special festive inflow of money can come as a great relief. With the right online giving software for church, year-round budgeting can be a breeze.
Conclusion
We have tried to explain the 13 most important benefits of online giving for churches through this blog. DonateMo, a professionally managed Online Giving platform, is built on the vision to
boost your nonprofit organizations and religious entities to raise their donations/funds beyond expectations. If you know any organization, do drop in a mail to us at sales@donatemo.com or right away call us at 346-767-6884 . We’re eager to talk to you.