How to Choose the Right Giving Platform for Your Church

Thanks to online giving platforms, followers of Christ can now fulfill commands from scripture, like the one in 2 Corinthians 9:7 (“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give…”), with just a few clicks. These platforms boost efficiency, enhance tracking of online donations, and can even make giving a bit more fun. But how do churches pick a giving platform that doesn’t just meet, but multiplies their ministry’s needs?

In the following article, we’ll talk about how to choose the best church giving platform for you. We’ll look at everything from giving functionality to pricing to customer support. Best of all, we’ll guide you through the pros and cons that will help you choose church giving software that will help your church thrive in every season.

What is a Giving Platform?

A giving platform allows your church members to give on a digital device. It’s essentially a specialized software that handles everything from a generous tithe to the smallest donations, all the while keeping track of every penny for you. It's not just a tool though; it's a comprehensive giving solution designed for church fundraising and donor management.

Giving Platform Features to Look For

When shopping for a giving platform, think of it as seeking a new member for your ministry team. Here are the giving features to look for in a top candidate:

• Recurring Donations : Set it and forget it! This feature ensures that your congregation can schedule their giving effortlessly. Recurring gifts are also a win for church leaders; donors who use this functionality are more likely to give consistently, resulting in more effective fundraising efforts and more predictability.
• Giving Options: Your giving platform should support various forms of donations such as credit card/debit card donations and ACH/bank account transfers, making it convenient for givers to use their preferred payment method.
• Stellar Customer Support: Having a tech team that’s ready to equip and assist you at a moment’s notice is clutch. Effective support includes assistance with setup, troubleshooting specific challenges, and providing guidance on how to maximize the use of the platform.
• Year-End Reports: Year-end reports for tax purposes can be a pain. Choose a tool that helps to generate these reports automatically, so that admin can rest easy during tax season...and your donors can get clear, accurate reports that help them file.
• Giving History: Church leaders need big-picture insights into giving trends at their church. Comprehensive reporting tools should offer the ability to look at the ebb and flow of generosity over the last week, quarter, month, year, and more.
• Mobile Giving through Church App and Mobile App: A robust mobile experience should include an intuitive app interface that enables easy navigation for all age groups, support for push notifications for giving reminders, and integration with digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Wallet.
• Cover the Fees with Options to Cover Transaction Fee and Processing Fee: Look for platforms that allow givers to cover transactional fees. It’s a small act that can increase donations by a big margin. Offering this option can significantly reduce the net cost to the church, ensuring that more funds go directly to church needs and projects.
• Integration with Church Management Software (CHMS): Seamless integration can help automate and streamline your church staff's tasks. When your donor management is integrated with contact management, email and text communication, and event registration, you’re able to stay more organized and efficient. Look for platforms that offer extensive compatibility with popular CHMS systems to ensure smooth data synchronization and management.
• Customizable Donation Forms and Giving Pages: The giving experience should be simple, smooth, and customized to your church’s branding. That being said, look for giving platforms with customizable donation forms and giving pages.
• Text Giving and Social Media Integration: To keep your church giving platform fresh and relevant, make sure to integrate your fundraising efforts with text messaging and social media. Effective platforms should enable easy sharing of giving campaigns on social media, include QR codes for quick access to donation forms, and support SMS donations that can be completed in just a few simple steps.

Bottom line? The best online giving platforms will include all of the above–and more.

Giving Platform Red Flags

Keep an eye out for these signs that you might not be dealing with the créme de la créme of giving platforms:

• High Monthly Fees and Setup Fees: Giving platforms should not charge monthly fees unless they are integrated with a church management system. Even then, the cost should sit under $100–doable for large and small churches alike. Likewise, setup fees should not be astronomical (Ideally, setup would be absolutely free!)
• Clunky User Interface: The goal of using digital fundraising tools is to make giving as easy as possible. Givers should be able to donate in a couple of clicks, and no more. Likewise, the user interface should look fresh and contemporary.
• High Transactional and Processing Fees: Transactional fees are necessary for funding the software company that’s made giving easy-peasy. But these fees shouldn’t be exorbitant!
• No Mobile Giving: Beware of outdated giving platforms that don’t have mobile functionality. Your church members expect an on-the-go experience...make sure your giving tools allow them to donate on their smartphones!

3 Steps to Start Using a Giving Platform at Your Church

Ready to take your congregation’s generosity digital? Here’s how to convert old-school giving into an easy, one-or-two-click experience:

1. Rely on Support

Customer support can guide you through the initial setup, resolve any technical issues, and provide ongoing assistance as your church adapts to the new system. It's also beneficial if the platform offers training sessions and detailed user manuals. Make sure to rely on your support team during setup and training. They’re there for you!

2. Announce and Communicate Clearly

Effective communication is key to successful adoption. Start by introducing the concept during a sermon, explaining the scriptural and practical reasons behind the shift. Follow up with detailed instructions in your church bulletin, emails, and on your church website for giving online. Utilize visual aids, such as infographics or step-by-step guides, to help members understand how to access and use the new platform.

3. Make It Fun and Exciting

Organizing an event can turn the launch into a memorable and engaging experience. This could be as simple as setting up a "giving booth" where members can make their first digital donation while church volunteers stand by to assist. Or, host a larger event with workshops to educate your congregation on the benefits of digital giving, complete with testimonials from early adopters. Adding elements like a live demonstration, interactive sessions, and incentives for early or recurring donors can boost engagement.

Try Online Giving with Breeze

Breeze Giving is a user-friendly tool with robust features and an easy-to-navigate interface that you need to encourage generosity at your church. Breeze is like the loaves and fishes of giving platforms—always ready to multiply your church’s resources and support your community. It’s free to use with its ChMS, offers free setup, stellar customer support, and the must-have features mentioned above.

Choosing the right giving platform might just be the most strategic decision your church makes this year. With the right platform, the donations will keep on coming!

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