Don’t Let These 6 “Hidden” Costs of eGiving Sneak Up On You
It can’t be said enough: eGiving is more than just letting your members give electronically. For your program to help strengthen your offertory – and for it to be a secure way for people to give their offerings – it must be constantly maintained, updated and improved… and that could require a good deal of time and effort from your church staff.
A full-service, cost-effective eGiving provider like Faith Direct will address the details for you, so your church can focus on your missions and ministries. But if you have a basic system that you’re managing in-house, there are six “hidden” costs you will have to think about:
Transaction Costs: Most eGiving programs charge a percentage of the gross receipts plus a user fee – so the more people sign up, the more it will cost. Consider that in three years, 80% of your donations will be processed electronically, and it might surprise you how much you will be paying a provider to process gifts!
Enrollment: You will need easy-to-use online enrollment forms, and paper forms for those who prefer that option. A staff member will need to devote time to keying the information from paper forms into your system.
Multiple Appeals: You’ll need to be able to customize your system for a variety of collections and one time gifts throughout the year – and this will require time and technical know-how.
Declines: Whether it’s non-sufficient funds for a checking account or an expired credit card, some of your transactions won’t go through – so you will need to be able to coordinate with individual members to determine an alternate form of payment.
Account Changes: Throughout the year, members will want to switch to a new card or checking account, or adjust the amount they give each month. Somebody from your church will need to be ready to help manage that.
Technology: When members switch to the newest phone or tablet, or update their operating systems, you’ll want to make sure your eGiving system is keeping up – and it’s especially important to promptly install any security updates issued for the software you use.
eGiving is a great way to strengthen your offertory, but it’s a complex system that needs constant attention. If your eGiving provider doesn’t handle details like customer service or security, make sure you are devoting the time and resources needed to keep your system up to speed.
40 Million Reasons for Pope Francis to Love Faith Direct
As people discuss and debate Pope Francis’s encyclical on environmental stewardship, there’s one thing we can all agree on: Using less paper and conserving natural resources helps protect our planet – especially since pulp and paper production is the third largest producer of air, water, and land pollution.
As America’s leading eGiving program, Faith Direct is helping churches cut down on envelope waste and reliance on paper checks.
Within three years of implementing our comprehensive eGiving program, 50% of donating households embrace eGiving as their preferred method of generosity – leading to reductions in paper and envelope use.
Overall, since our founding in 2004 Faith Direct has helped eliminate nearly 40 million envelopes.
Think about what that has done for the environment, let alone the financial stability of the nearly 600 churches we serve around the country!
I hope you’ll remember Faith Direct as you research your stories on church giving and environmental stewardship, and how churches are putting Pope Francis’s teachings on the environment into practice. I would be happy to speak with you about how we’re helping churches become greener.
Brian Walsh,
President, Faith Direct
“Church members are asking for this every day.”
Think of all the events your church hosts throughout the year – from dinners and fundraisers to mission trips and service programs, classes and workshops to special youth activities.
If you want to make it as easy as possible for members of your church to sign up for these events and get involved, you need to make sure your eGiving program provides a dedicated event registration tool that you can use for your church.
This is the next frontier in eGiving – especially since online event registration is now part of your members’ daily lives.
Whether they’re signing their kids up for soccer camp, volunteering for the PTA or planning for a work-related conference, people in your church are using online registration to manage their schedules and get involved in the community.
This growing trend is here to stay, and according to one of our targeted survey respondents:
“Church members are asking for this every day.”
What you should ask eGiving providers about event registration:
1. Does my eGiving program have a dedicated event registration platform for the church?
2. Can it make the sign-up process easier by “autofilling” personal and payment information for registered eGiving users?
3. Can the online registration tool be customized for specific events?
4. Can church members easily use the registration system on their computers, phones and tablets?
The answer to all these questions should be “yes” – if you want a program that is convenient and efficient, and meets the needs of your church.
Here is a video explaining how Faith Direct is incorporating online event registration into our eGiving program – if you have any questions or want more information, feel free to email or call us toll-free at (866) 507-8757.
Exciting new eGiving features! Take a look…
As a pioneer in Church eGiving, Faith Direct has always recognized that successful electronic giving is more than just processing gifts. Faith Direct continues to enhance our program offering with new features that make it easier for your parishioners to enroll and manage their giving.
To see these exciting new features in action, watch the video below.
Want to learn more? Our flat fee model, which includes our innovative eGiving communication plan, will save you money and increase participation.
Contact us today for a free consultation at 866-507-8757 or email us here.
This Church Is Using Social Media to Promote eGiving – You Can Too!
It’s not enough for a church to just have an eGiving program – people need to know about it.
St. Mary of the Falls Catholic Parish in Olmsted Falls, Ohio is using social media to get the word out. While their initial Facebook page was set up to promote the youth ministry, the parish began adding special posts highlighting their eGiving program. The results are impressive:
45% of the parish’s enrollments in the last six months have been from Facebook;
Facebook enrollments account for almost 10% of their overall eGiving donors.
Inspire spoke with Deacon Rich Mueller, who serves as the Business Manger at St. Mary of the Falls. Here are some social media strategies your church can use to raise awareness of your eGiving program and encourage your church family to sign up:
1. Build your social media presence: If your church hasn’t created a Facebook page, signing up is the first step. It’s easy, and once you’re on board, people can “like” your page and see the updates you post. Once your page is in place, make sure to let people know that social media is a great place to get the latest news and updates.
2. Don’t be afraid that social media will require a huge time commitment: “Promoting eGiving and other events takes very little time once your page is set up,” Deacon Rich shares. “No one staff member has to do it all!”
3. For eGiving, use posts that are relevant and relatable to church members: St. Mary of the Falls posts each month, using content provided by Faith Direct. The messages can be based on the liturgical part of the year, while also relating to people’s everyday lives. Here’s a great example from March:
4. Keep your page interesting: In addition to posts about stewardship and eGiving, you can share special events, family activities, unique ministries, volunteer opportunities… all the ways that people can be more involved in the life of the church. Different staff members can easily add content that is relative to their particular ministry.
You can see more of St. Mary of the Falls’ Facebook page here – and feel free to visit Faith Direct on Facebook and Twitter to see how we use social media to promote eGiving!
By the Numbers – Who Uses eGiving?
Which age group do you think is most likely to use an innovation like eGiving?
Younger people are fully immersed in a digital world and are definitely open to using eGiving for their donations – but numbers suggest that older members are just as excited about simplifying their stewardship.
So what insights can we take away from this data?
Many younger members might not feel ready to commit to offertory giving.
Young members may not yet have achieved a steady, stable income – but as they develop their understanding of giving stewardship, they will want to have an eGiving option.
Never assume members are “set in their ways” and committed to writing checks.
We’re all living in a digital world now, with multiple monthly payments made online or automated – and even your most senior members will appreciate the convenience and consistent stewardship that eGiving provides. (Keep in mind, Social Security and Medicare payments are made through direct deposit!)
It is important to market your eGiving program to your entire church.
You want to reach people through email and social media, of course, with quick online signup options – but notifications in your church bulletin and letters to your members are also great ways to promote eGiving as the best way to support the church.
Catholics Nationwide Give Up Envelopes for Lent!
Parish Families Simplify Stewardship, Replace Checks with eGiving
Fast… Pray… Give Up Envelopes. That’s the new Lenten tradition for parishioners across the country who are embracing eGiving for their generous offertory and Church support.
“As parishioners practice their Lenten sacrifices during Lent, this year we are inviting church families across the country to make a permanent switch away from offertory envelopes and towards eGiving,” says W. Brian Walsh, founder and president of Faith Direct, the leading eGiving provider for churches nationwide.
A new Lenten campaign led by Faith Direct encouraging parishioners to give up envelopes is having an impact across the country, with eGiving user numbers on the rise. Key points being emphasized by Faith Direct parishes through this campaign include:
- eGiving helps provide churches with consistent support month after month so they can better budget for and sustain their ministries.
- eGiving helps parishes save money and protect the environment by eliminating the cost of providing envelopes and other paper resources.
- By giving up envelopes, parishioners are making a lasting contribution to a more cost-effective and efficient way of collecting donations.
This Lenten campaign is part of the complete communications plan Faith Direct provides to participating parishes, including direct mail, email, promotional messaging and social media strategies. This marketing expertise is a hallmark of the Faith Direct program, and helps lead parishes to the highest levels of participation among eGiving providers – adding more value to what is already the most cost-effective eGiving program on the market. In 2014, 35% of Faith Direct’s new parishes switched from another provider to save on costs and maximize Faith Direct’s pioneering strategy.
As families nationwide celebrate the Lenten season, Faith Direct’s success in helping parishioners give up envelopes can add a unique perspective to stories on overall trends in church giving, faith-based marketing, parish finances, conservation in church communities, and stewardship and engagement among religious families.
Faith Direct President W. Brian Walsh is available to discuss any of these topics as well as this new campaign to inspire church families to give up envelopes. To schedule an interview, please contact Faith Direct at (703) 519-5710 or via email here.
How Weather Impacts Offertory
When a winter storm hits, it can put a freeze on a church’s financial stability.
Just ask Father Donald Fest, S.S.J, Pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria, VA, whose parish has had its share of winter storms and lost weekends over the years.
But thanks to a strong communications and outreach plan that has inspired 50% of donating households in his parish to use eGiving, Fr. Fest has been able to overcome cold weather woes.
Before St. Joseph started its eGiving program through Faith Direct, a cold snap could have a devastating impact on collections.
“I would say that during these weekend storms, the collection just bottomed out,” Fr. Fest recalls. “Offertory decreased by 80 percent.”
And it was virtually impossible to make up for that loss, he explains, “because everyone was giving by check or cash, and they did not think or make the conscious, intentional effort to make up for their missed weeks of offertory.”
Launching an eGiving program was the first step in addressing this problem – and working with Faith Direct to actively market the program, so that members would understand the importance of consistent, committed giving, has led to stronger stewardship for the parish.
“eGiving helps people budget their giving, and follow through on that budget,” Fr. Fest notes. “If the member is a ‘one-check-per-week’ giver, their giving will be entirely dependent on their attendance, rather than their actual budgeted commitment. eGiving enables parishioners to follow through on their commitments.”
Remember: Having an eGiving program for your church is only half the battle – if it’s not backed with a powerful marketing message that inspires your members to be part of it, then your program won’t give you all the protection it can against weather disruptions.
Churches Benefit from Last Minute eGifts
Newly-released figures from Faith Direct show the importance of having an easy-to-use eGiving program that your church family can use for all of their gifts to the church. Donation numbers from December 2014 – based on the churches we serve throughout the United States – include:
These numbers illustrate what a strong eGiving program offers to your members when they decide to give:
- Flexibility: Church offices aren’t always open when people feel inspired to give – especially during holidays, when offices could have limited hours. eGiving allows members to give what they want, when they want, whenever they are inspired by a specific ministry or need.
- Choices: Not every member wants to drop a check off at the church. Your eGiving program must give users multiple ways to make their gift: whether it’s online, over the phone, or from their smartphones or tablets – and whether they want to use a checking account or credit card.
- Confidence: Donors making last-minute offerings (especially large gifts) want to be sure their gift is handled properly and attributed to the appropriate tax year. With eGiving, gifts are processed right away – so no checks are sitting in a church office until it is too late to be attributed to correct tax year.
Churches without a robust eGiving program that’s easily available to users for all of their gifts likely lost out on last-minute generosity at the end of the year or during other seasons such as Easter. Don’t continue to miss out in 2015 – make sure your eGiving program simplifies stewardship for your members, so they give their full support to your important ministries.
St. Nicholas Parish and the True Meaning of Christmas
Among Catholic parishes served by Faith Direct, St. Nicholas in North Pole, Alaska has many distinctions. It’s the northernmost parish in the Faith Direct family and the coldest, with the average temperature in January plunging to a frigid -34 degrees. St. Nicholas is also the only Faith Direct parish just down the street from a 51-foot-tall, 900-pound statue of Santa Claus.
You’ll discover the Christmas spirit in North Pole quite literally at every turn, whether you take Mistletoe Drive to Donner then make a left onto Kris Kringle (which will take you to Blitzen Drive), or if you visit the parish on St. Nicholas Drive (via Santa Claus Lane, of course).
And this Christmas spirit is sought out by the rest of the world. “Children from all over send their letters to Santa at the North Pole,” says Rev. Robert Fath, pastor of St. Nicholas Parish. “People also send their Christmas cards here for a North Pole postmark, which keeps the Post Office ‘elves’ quite busy.”
Normal Life in North Pole
But when tourists have packed away their souvenirs and headed to the next destination – after Santa’s helpers have sorted through a day’s worth of cards and letters and closed up the Post Office for the night – North Pole is a small town like most any other, with a population of almost 2,000 and with the many blessings and abundant needs of any other community.
One of the ways St. Nicholas provides Christ-centered ministries is through the many families who support the parish via electronic giving. Almost 40% of contributing households use the parish’s eGiving program, which is administered by Faith Direct.
“We have many wonderful families and kind individuals who are always eager to serve,” says Rev. Fath, noting that annual events like the parish Bazaar and the summer “Pignic” are never short of volunteers. “But we also have people in dire need – people who are poor, jobless or homeless, or who are struggling with addictions and inner turmoil.”
For these people, St. Nicholas offers a variety of ministries – from helping provide Thanksgiving dinners to those in need to offering prayer and counseling for troubled families.
A Gift that Keeps Giving
The Faith Direct eGiving program has also helped St. Nicholas expand its church home with a new Pastoral Center, which was completed in 2012. “eGiving was a huge help with our building campaign, because it allowed parishioners to give to the project on a consistent basis without the risk of forgetting from one month to the next,” says Rev. Fath. “The Pastoral Center is now open, and with the help of eGiving and the consistency it provides, we are on a 5-year schedule to pay off the 15-year mortgage.”
The Reason for the Season
According to Rev. Fath, “For all the decorations and festivities, the true meaning of Christmas is sharing God’s love and helping others – so we at St. Nicholas do our best to make sure it’s Christmas year-round here in that sense as well.”
eGiving is essential to helping St. Nicholas sustain this spirit of kindness and compassion. “We’re thrilled with the consistency and efficiency we’ve discovered through eGiving,” says Rev. Fath. “Our program is helping us strengthen the ministries we offer to the North Pole community, during the Christmas season and throughout the year.”