Something I've never really given too much thought to is the idea of making it possible for people to give to the church electronically. Certainly I prefer good old cash or a check, but the fact is, more and more people don't carry cash or checks (or, like me, they're not the ones having to do the paying). So I started thinking about alternative ways for people to give to the church: online giving, debit cards, credit cards, electronic bank transfers, etc.
I know of one person in our church who has their giving automatically mailed to the church each week by their bank (and they are one of our biggest givers). That works for them because they give the same amount every week. A lot of people don't give the same amount every week though, so I would think they would need another method.
I don't know anything about this, but a simple Google search directed me to these two places (electronicdonations.com and mychurchdonations.com). I never really thought about having to pay a fee. I suppose that will be necessary regardless of who we go through. But I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions.
Of course, I'm sure some of you are wondering why we should make people give to the church in the first place. Well, as a group of people who have went together to live out our faith, we own property and buildings that need maintained, we employ a pastor/secretary/administrator/lawn mower/etc., and together we support various other ministries and organizations. That is the purpose of church offerings; and, yes, I believe a minimum of the tithe is the best way to do it. If everyone just gives a mere 10% of what God has blessed them with, then it is equal giving, equal sacrifice, and an equal blessing for all involved. But, I know, that's just me (and many others).
Anyway, if you have any suggestions or ideas, or if you know of a good place to start... please let me know. You can email me, or I will go ahead and open up the comments again if you prefer that route. I would appreciate it.
2 comments:
Paypal also has a set up for 501(c)3's - https://merchant.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=merchant/donations. You still have to pay, but you can at least compare their (supposedly discounted) rates to the other two sites you mention.
I'm one of those who have my bank send it via check directly. I pay no fee (nor even stamp) for that service. I like the convenience and the fact that by doing it via my bank when I am paying the other bills, it actually gets done, and done right after each pay day, so I don't cut corners. :)
Thanks, Jim.
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