The truths about online giving for your church and school

Jul 14, 2022 by

Diane Kern

There are some myths about online giving; it’s time to set the record straight.

As more places accept electronic pay with the tap of a phone, and mobile app shopping is a preferred method for more consumers, writing checks or stopping to withdraw cash are habits that have quickly faded into the past.

Church organizations that only accept cash and checks for donations aren't making giving truly accessible. 

Common concerns from the past can spark questions regarding online giving. These thoughts have really just become myths creating barriers that keep organizations from what is actually a fruitful journey.

Myth #1: Giving is too expensive with fees

“You’re going to charge me to accept people’s gifts?”

Just about every method of handling business comes with a cost including banking and depositing offertory checks. So let’s put that thought on the right track. Those online giving fees are for the technologies to be available to you and maintained for you. There is often a cost for the means, but that cost is what allows giving to occur, such as paying for offertory envelopes (and their postage), or fundraising events.

Most online giving softwares will require a monthly service fee plus a small cost per transaction. The truth of the matter is, once you have just a few people sign up for recurring gifts through your online donation platform, your regular offertory becomes stronger, and the service ends up paying for itself! The trade-off is worth it! Imagine if you never had to pay for all those envelopes that sat empty in households.

And a percentage of eCatholic Online Giving fees are put back into supporting seminarian education. What is important to you, is also meaningful to us.
 

Myth #2: Online Giving is mostly for young people

“The elderly are not going to use it.”

Online giving makes donating and payment transactions more accessible. Churches won’t cancel envelopes for everyone or stop accepting mail, but instead, provide another opportunity for generosity - the one some parishioners have been waiting for!

There will be some people just not interested in signing up to give online, and that’s okay. However, the vast number that do use online giving end up giving more consistently and frequently…making a big difference.

Surprisingly, most parishes and organizations actually see more elderly members sign up than anticipated. Even people well into their 60s are using mobile and electronic methods regularly for things like shopping, banking, and giving.

And without online giving, the under 50 demographic that uses technology for transactions on a daily basis are neglected. Most of this crowd is not on fixed incomes and will be here a little longer. So you’ll want to attract those members with methods similar to what they use at home.


 

Myth #3: It’s going to be a lot of work for my staff

“This will just be another thing for my staff to manage.”

Once an organization completes a quick setup with eCatholic Online Giving, they realize how many minutes and hours are given back to them for other administrative tasks.

Consider all the donations and payments that will now be automatic, posted, and recorded within 48 hours max. No one will miss fewer envelopes to open, checks to enter manually, or bills to count. And don’t forget:

• Beautiful reports (by fund or donor) can be generated in a single click.
• Reconciling modes enable clear and accurate reporting.
• Automatic alerts sent to staff and donors keep the entire team informed.
• Annual giving sums that are automatically calculated save time at the end of the year.

eCatholic Online Giving also integrates seamlessly with our Church Management Software, GabrielSoft, to make reporting and end-of-year statements a breeze.

This is a lot of weight off your shoulders! And our award-winning team will be with you the entire way with phenomenal customer service to answer questions, assist during setup, point you to free resources, introduce best practices, and host webinars to keep your skills and knowledge sharp. We got your back ;)
 

Myth #4: It's too complicated to set up and get started

“I don't have the time or technology knowledge to get started.”

eCatholic Online Giving setup is a guided process that can get an organization up and running in just a number of days - not weeks or months! Our experts have walked hundreds of administrators through each step, and directed them to the right financial and tax information to get their account activated. Our team becomes yours through the setup process!

Plus, enrolled organizations will be given free resources to promote and communicate to their members about signing up and using the new service. We even have step-by-step processes and sample messages to get the word out and get you on your way.
 

Myth #5: It’s too risky with hackers and scams

“What about security, really?”

Online giving means much less cash physically on hand and fewer checks to manage for staff and volunteers. That alone is a big risk reduction.

eCatholic Online Giving is run using the same digital security standards required by all banking and financial institutions. Regular donors have access to their own accounts to update and change personal settings whenever they wish. And any unusual traffic can draw the attention of other system managers who can investigate and help. The most important thing your organization needs is a secure internet connection and private individual logins that are never shared.
 

Myth #6: It’s not very personalizable 

“Where is the engagement when it’s mostly digital?”

The main thing people are going to love is the freedom to give from anywhere, at any time, and to funds they didn't before without cash on hand or checks to mail. That is a huge win itself!

As administrative staff immediately see donors contributing to specific funds and making unique contributions, they'll be able to offer a phone call or send a note of gratitude to celebrate those members.

Online giving requires donors to have an active email account for giving notifications. So you will have an active audience that can be emailed special newsletters about second collections or online forms going live for certain registrations. They will be happy to receive communication and not search bulletin announcements. You can even stop their envelope service so members don’t have to feel bad about wasting.


 

Myth #7: People need to see others drop envelopes

“If fewer people are seen dropping envelopes, fewer will give.”

This is good thinking especially knowing how much giving occurs through inspiration. eCatholic Online Giving organizations receive a plethora of free resources to use on-site including customized offertory cards that can be dropped in baskets for the Sunday offertory. So you will still have that important visual piece while your members are even thankful to have something to physically place in the basket.

Additionally, if you're not willing to wave goodbye to your envelopes quite yet, consider adding a checkbox on the envelope that reads, "I gave online," so donors can check it off and still "drop an envelope" during Mass to acknowledge their donation.
 

Those are some of the most common myths we get about online giving, but you might have some of your own questions and concerns too, which is totally understandable. Our team is here to answer questions and get the right information about online giving out to the masses.