There are many methods of giving to the Church today, from cash to text giving. However, there has been a sustained increase in the proportion of donors giving via debit card and via a website or app (CAF Online).

How to give to Church

#1: Cash or Cheque

We all know the common practice of collecting donations via an offering basket being passed around the church. This has been the dominant method for centuries. Whilst cash donations still exist today, the demographics of your church determine whether it’s the most common or least preferred method for people to tithe or give one-time gifts.

Today, almost four in ten (37%) of those who donated money in the past 12 months have done so via direct debit (2021). The UK will inevitably transition to an economy where cash is less important.

Despite this, it’s important to be clear in ways members or non-members can donate their cash:

1. In an offering plate
2. In an envelope
3. By post to your church office
4. Leave it in a container

#2: Mobile & Online Giving

The main difference between online giving and mobile giving is that mobile giving involves using a mobile phone where all user interactions are optimised for the mobile experience instead of a laptop or desktop computer.

Like most digital tools or processes, your church must educate its members about your mobile giving app or online giving methods. A well-planned launch strategy, a well-documented onboarding process, and clear instructions will ensure stickiness among new and existing members.

After setting up a church bank account, the next step is to decide on a payment or giving provider. We walk through steps and considerations when deciding your preferred provider HERE.

When a donor gifts through mobile or online, the information is transmitted through 256 Bit SSL over the Internet to ensure the data being transmitted is secure. The gift will then go through the various entities involved in payment processing and end up in your church bank account. 

It’s important to let people know during the offering that they can give online. This typically includes:

• Give via credit card transactions
• Give via debit card withdrawals
• Give via an automatic bank withdrawal

Sharing methods depend on provider capabilities but here are the common ones:

• Share a payment QR code on church screens
• Add payment links on website pages
• Add details to your bulletin and/or giving envelopes

It’s important to note that many online giving providers charge transaction/processing fees per donation. Whilst the option for this to be covered by the donor appears present with some giving providers, churches typically lose hundreds and thousands each year to such fees.

ChurchDonate is a provider that eliminates this, ensuring churches get 100% of every donation.

#3: Text-to-give

Text giving enables individuals to contribute to their church by donating via a text message.

Anyone familiar with sending text messages can effortlessly and securely donate to the church within seconds.

Typically, donors key in a short number, enter a campaign keyword and then have an opportunity to text the amount they wish to donate. Text-to-give can be a great fundraising strategy for reaching all ages. It can also help churches increase donor conversion, and quickly collect new donor names.

Costs can also range from 1.5% to 5% per transaction, so it’s important to factor that in when expecting a large volume of transactions in a fundraising cam

Using a comprehensive, compliant platform for your text-to-give services is important to avoid fake campaigns, insecure messages and other security issues.

#4: Kiosk giving

A giving kiosk can streamline the giving process for churches by having a central and convenience place for members to donate to in-person.

Gone are the days when a kiosk is only a fixed point-of-sale with a card reader. Now, they are typically an app that empowers churches to collect contactless donations wherever, whenever. Such apps, turn any tablet into a card reader or giving kiosk.

The biggest challenge is that the number of people who can use a kiosk at a time directly correlates with the number of available kiosks. Waiting in line may be a deterrent.

In Conclusion

Giving to Church today has come a long way from just cash donations. There are now other ways that are being adopted, from online to text-to-give, and the preference varies depending on your church’s demographic. Rather than doubling down on just one method, it’s best to offer a blended approach. Having a clear and consistent communication strategy before implementing a new method is key to ensuring existing or new members adopt it and growing generosity overall.

Most importantly, donors in every demographic category want to know that their gift will make a difference, so it helps to be transparent too.

For more advice and recommendations why not speak to us at [email protected]