4 Misconceptions About Church e-Giving that Could be Costing You
What would your church be able to do with an extra three months’ worth of contributions in a year? Research by Vanco Payment Solutions has proven that church e-Giving can increase contributions by up to 26 percent. That’s 26 percent (about three months’ worth) more money to reach the lost, take care of the needy, and be the light in your community.
If e-Giving can increase contributions, why aren’t you using it yet? It’s likely some misconceptions about church e-Giving have led you away from this valuable tool. Read on to discover the truth about church e-Giving, and start receiving more funds in your church today.
Misconception # 1 – Church e-Giving is only for the “big” churches.
The misconception is that e-Giving is for the mega-church in a stadium. The one that doesn’t have enough deacons or ushers to get up to the attendees in the church’s nosebleed section. Or even that it’s only for churches who have triple digit attendance. In reality, church e-Ggiving has less to do with church size, and more to do with the individual church members desire to give, and church goals. Instead of thinking about how many members you have, think instead about some of the following questions:
Do any of your members ever go out of town for vacations, seasons, or school years? e-Giving will let members continue to support you while they’re away.
Have your members started carrying less cash? You might not be able to answer this one outright. But recent studies (like this one by Bankrate, or this one by Gallup) have suggested this is the growing trend among various age groups. Your members are already using electronic forms of payment at a growing rate for transactions with other organizations. Give them the ability to use their preferred payment method with your church as well.
Does your church raise money for special funds, or collect payment for events? e-Giving can provide members an easy way to give to your church beyond just tithes and offerings. Accept payment at the door via credit card, raise funds in Sunday school for a special cause through text to give, just to name a couple of options.
Does your church want to increase contributions? This one speaks for itself. Remember the 26 percent increase mentioned above?
Misconception #2: People won’t like e-Giving or be willing to use it.
Research has shown that your church members want to be able to give electronically. In fact, Vanco’s report shows that 60 percent of surveyed churchgoers want the e-Giving option. Members of your congregation will find e-Giving to be just another tool to use to support your ministry. They’ll use it the same way they use online bill pay, online banking, app stores, and other tools that have become part of everyday life. When the morning comes that they want to give but ran out of cash, they still can. When they show up to the retreat without a check, they’ll be happy to pay with a credit card swipe or just the push of a few buttons.
Misconception #3 – We can only use e-Giving on our website.
The good news about online giving is that you can place a portal to give online right on your website. People can give while they’re accessing your calendar, looking through pictures of your latest ministry outreach event, or reading about the upcoming mission trip.
The even better news is that a Give page on your website is by far not the only way you can leverage e-Giving at your church. Members can give by text during times of crisis, or for special funds and pledge drives. They can give to your church through an online app so that it’s even simpler than getting online. They can pay for events at a kiosk, or with a card reader. And it can all automatically integrate back to your church management software.
Misconception #4 – We can’t easily manage e-Giving reporting information in our current contribution management processes.
Depending on the church management software that you choose, this misconception may be reality. But, with Servant Keeper and giving options like Vanco, there’s an easy, seamless integration. Your online contributions go straight to your church management software. This means no manual entry of e-Giving, and time saved in your contribution management.
Bottom Line
e-Giving is a tool your church needs to grow. You’ll make giving easier for your contributors, more private even, and easier to manage for your ministry team. With apps, text-to-give, and seamless church management integration, you can really start to think “outside the collection plate” with all the ways to allow members to give through one simple tool.
Download Vanco’s Groundbreaking Report on Church Giving
One of the most comprehensive studies of its kind. Learn more about attitudes, preferences and behaviors of churchgoers towards giving. This report will help you better understand (or make the case) for e-Giving. Download it today.
