Because God calls us to be generous, it’s important that we share about why we give, which can help more people desire to participate. And when you make giving easy, they will have every opportunity to do so.
One way Ekklesia 360 has partnered with local churches to make giving easy is by providing a convenient, online giving solution that is simple for staff, admins, and attendees to use.
What is Online Giving?
Online giving platforms help streamline the way churches collect, process, and manage money. It is a type of church software that allows members to give their monetary gifts online. Digital giving presents a paperless transaction option, allowing donors to bypass dropping cash or check into the offering plate during service. They simply fill out an electronic form from their phone, computer, or tablet, and funds are directly transferred to the church from their debit card, credit card, or bank account.
Below, we are going to talk about 4 reasons why you should encourage donors to utilize online giving.
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It’s Easy
Honestly, what could be better than making giving easier to do? Donors will no longer have to remember to bring cash to church or spend time filling out an envelope and a check—which by the way, very few people carry checks anymore.
Online giving makes it easy for people to give because it’s fast and simple. They can contribute directly from their phone if they want! All they have to do is go online, text, or open your church app and giving is done instantly. -
Give Any Time and Anywhere
Because online giving is, well, online, it can be accomplished from anywhere there is an internet connection. And now donors don’t even have to attend services to contribute financially to your church. If they are home because of an illness or out of state on vacation, they can still participate in generosity by giving online. -
It’s Quicker to Do
Imagine giving your tithes and offerings in a few seconds. Online giving makes this possible, especially with text giving (more about this below). People are busier than ever, so providing a quick way for people to give is beneficial. Plus, by the time it takes somebody to write a check, an online donation has already been transferred and automatically updated in the system with no manual input needed from your admins. -
Text Giving Benefits
Text giving, or text-to-give, is a mobile donation solution that allows your donors to contribute financially to your church’s vision. It’s simple and convenient. All a person has to do is send a text message to give!
Many people are using their phones every day—6.4 billion smartphone users worldwide, with the average US adult spending an average of nearly four hours a day on their mobile device. With this striking number of people engaging with their screens every day, it only makes sense to take advantage of the opportunity to meet people where they’re at.
And now, texting your church’s designated number can do more than online donations!
Form Keywords
Have an upcoming event or a special giving campaign? Create a specific form keyword for people to text. When they send that particular word, it will reply to their phone with a link to an electronic form. There they can register for that event or give directly to the campaign.
Sign-Up Slots
Need to schedule volunteers for service times? Plan a potluck? Sign-up Slots are the way to go. Use the Sign-Up Slots feature in our forms management system, so people have an easy way to register to serve.
Essentially, there will be a number of available “spots” to sign up for. Whether it’s to be a greeter at an event or to bring potatoes to the next potluck. As people sign up for a particular slot, the number of available spots will decrease on the form.
Goal Progress
Create a fund goal for your next giving campaign. This will encourage people about how it’s going along the way. There is a visual representation with a progress bar that will display when they open the giving form online. It will show what amount has been raised of the total goal and the progress bar will move as donations are made. When people can physically see their contribution adding to the impact, they may even consider donating more!
Recurring Gifts
When people text to give, they can choose a recurring gift option directly from the giving form. If people submit their one-time gift, they can decide from there to simply check a box if recurring gifts are right for them.
They also have the option to give monthly, weekly, bi-weekly, etc. and can always go into their account and change the amount, the designation (which fund), and frequency. They can also skip a payment if they need to.
