10 Helpful Facts about Church Giving Kiosks
Individuals are more connected than ever, accessing news, chatting with friends, and even participating in their church community from their smartphones. Giving kiosks for churches are one of several avenues that make donating simpler and easier than ever before.
Churches typically set up their kiosk on an iPad device, positioning them somewhere in the building where congregants gather. Kiosk providers offer churches card readers and software that can be accessed two ways: Members can download a mobile app to set up tithes, keep up with church news, or engage in other ways. Church leaders and administrators can access kiosk software from the back-end, analyzing data, making changes, and publishing announcements as needed.
1. Kiosks digitize and modernize your church.
Many church leaders work to uphold sacred traditions that have been carried out over thousands of years. For this reason, it’s no surprise some may have reservations about the idea of creating a more digitally-dependent church model. However, technology doesn’t have to serve as a distraction from your ministries and Sunday services. With each person carrying a smartphone in their pocket, technology is a reality churches can embrace and use for good.
2. Fewer people are carrying checks and cash than ever before.
Studies show most people are reluctant to carry cash and checks, preferring debit and credit cards instead. At church, traditional methods like collection plates may still be offered for those who don’t enjoy electronic giving. But recent giving research shows every generation from millennials to baby boomers are becoming more open to digital giving. Some report that they strongly prefer it.
3. Members can listen to sermons from their phone.
More churches are choosing to upload sermons to the web so members can still tune in if they miss a Sunday. Many types of kiosk software allow uploads so members can access past sermons from the church mobile app.
4. Kiosk software enables push notifications.
Kiosks do more than collect tithes from donors. Church leaders can decide to share important information that goes straight to members’ phones. As long as your members are set up for push notifications, or messages that pop up on their cell phones, they can receive news straight from the source. In situations like snow closings or last-minute event changes, push notifications can make all the difference.
5. Kiosks can improve church organization.
Those that haven’t used kiosks often assume that they are one-solution devices. But aside from organizing donations, kiosks can be used for many other things. Some churches use kiosks to allow members to register for events and pay for tickets. It’s also possible to collect volunteer sign-ups. Kiosk technology can be customized to meet the dynamic needs of your congregation throughout the church year.
6. Kiosks reduce the workload for staff.
There was a time when all church gifts had to be received and processed manually. This usually meant a staff member or volunteer had their work cut out for them – especially during the holiday season when charitable giving typically reaches its peak. With kiosks, the number of donors that switch to electronic giving is the number you no longer have to process manually. If many of your members switch from cash to digital, it can save your staff hours.
7. Kiosks allow church leaders to review donor data at a glance.
Church leaders can pull up donor data on their work computers, seeing who has given recently, how often they give, and to what causes they give (e.g. a capital campaign, annual fundraiser, or specific program). By having this data a few clicks away, church leaders open the potential for greater awareness, recognizing giving patterns they hadn’t seen before.
8. All you need is one device to get started.
Most kiosks are set up with intuitive user interfaces so anyone can learn to use them. Even your least ‘tech-savvy’ members will be using the kiosk like a pro after just a few uses. The upfront investment often pales in comparison to the lift in recurring giving churches experience in the long run.
9. Kiosks can lift donations in the summer months.
Summer is the quietest time for most churches. Sunday school is out, fewer people are in the building, and members are traveling and vacationing. Churches often use this time for renovations and building clean-outs. Though summer comes as a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the church year, donations typically suffer. Kiosks can reduce the blow, encouraging more donors to set up automatic tithes. Even small recurring gifts from a few members can add up to a big difference at the end of the year.
10. Kiosks encourage a culture of giving at church.
Kiosks can open the door for valuable changes in how your church staff operates. They can also improve funding sources for vital programs. But one of the most magical elements of a giving kiosk is that it can change your church culture for the better. Donors may find themselves gathering by the kiosk to catch up with friends, giving small donations more often, or meeting other volunteers in the sign-up line. Sometimes the impact of one simple tool can’t be anticipated, and your community will use it in its own unique way.
Kiosks can increase the number of first-time donations.
Those who are visiting or new to your church may be slow to give. They’re just getting comfortable and want to be sure it is the right community for them. Kiosks introduce a low-commitment way to submit a one-time donation without feeling pressured. One study showed kiosk gifts were up to 24% higher than the average mobile gift.
Many digital giving solutions are out there, and no one-size-fits-all approach exists for modern churches. Platforms like SecureGive offer several giving kiosk options depending on the needs of the church. At Donorwerx, we walk you through your options and work one-on-one to find a giving solution that fits your congregation and budget. Learn more about giving kiosks for churches.
