Servant Keeper Blog

Without Checks & Cash, What’s in Your Collection Plate?

Download the Presentation Here

By Richard Bauer

Over the past decade, how we pay for things has changed dramatically. Check writing has declined by half, and when people reach into their wallets they’ll often find less than $20. Debit and credit cards are the new normal.

What does this shift from paper to electronic payments mean to churches? If they don’t already accept some type of e-Giving, they’re probably missing out on donations from members and guests who don’t have any other way to give.

Download Your Copy of Vanco’s Slideshare Presentation

The Disappearing Check: What it Means to Your Collection Plate

In an online world, e-Giving offers churchgoers the choices they want. While millennials may be the group most inclined to use electronic options, Vanco Payment Solutions’ most recent Churchgoer Giving Study showed a clear preference for e-Giving among regular churchgoers of all ages:

62 percent of those who took the survey said they would like to give electronically
74 percent of those age 44 and under—your up-and-coming church members and leaders—want it as an option
57 percent of those over 45 also prefer e-Giving

When more people carry smartphones than cash or checkbooks, pay their bills online and use debit or credit cards to pay for in-person purchases, e-Giving fits into today’s world. Options like online, mobile, text and kiosk make it easy for churchgoers to contribute, both regularly and as the spirit moves them, using the methods they choose.

For churches, e-Giving provides access to new donors, easier and faster processing and a steady flow of automatically recurring payments. It’s also a great way to support special fundraising needs like missions and capital projects, and accept payments for regular programs and activities.

e-Giving isn’t about replacing the collection plate or taking away the spiritual element of giving. Its purpose is to provide options that are right for today’s world, to the benefit of everyone involved.

Download Vanco’s SlideShare, The Disappearing Check: What it Means to Your Collection Plate, to learn more about:

The decline in checks and cash and the rise of electronic payments
Extensive research that shows preferences for electronic giving among regular churchgoers of all ages
The benefits of e-Giving for both church and congregation

Download the presentation.

Need help right away? Call 888-531-8694 or email GivingCoach@VancoPayments.com.

Richard Bauer is an e-Giving Ambassador for Vanco Payment Solutions, the preferred e-Giving provider for Servant Keeper. He provides personal support and guidance to faith-based leaders as they work to expand e-Giving solutions in their churches.