6 Questions for Evaluating E-Giving Solutions
Many churches are turning to online giving solutions. As the world moves to a more digital culture, the churches who thrive are those who adapt with the times. They are the ones who keep their donors’ needs in mind, never straying from the mission and vision Evaluating E-Giving Solutions.
You might be now in the middle of evaluating the many e-giving options available for digital social and mobile users. At DonorWerx, we have worked with thousands of churches to define their most important needs and help them reach their missions effectively.
The first step in choosing your e-giving provider is asking a few valuable questions. These questions determine whether the system is optimal for your church, or whether to look elsewhere.
If you have this checklist on hand, it will help you in the long run, setting your church up for potential givers and even recurring donations. Let’s Get started.
“Is this provider easy for the donor to use?”
While considering the needs of your church, don’t forget about the needs of your donor. Everything else should revolve around that. Remember that it is your job to provide what he or she needs—both spiritually, as a church pastor, and physically making it as convenient as possible for them to give. E-giving solutions should be available on both Android and iPhone, have a simple platform, and also adapted to the native language of your donors. Remember, if your giving solution is not an easy one, your potential givers won’t use it.
“Does this provider allow recurring giving?”
The system you choose must have an option for recurring giving. This is non-negotiable. Your goal is to take the one-time givers on the journey towards supporting your church for the long haul. This means you need recurring givers, those who are committed to supporting you month after month. Ensure that your web service provider can meet these needs and has the system capacity for it.
“What is the monthly fee?”
When considering your budget, look for hidden fees, monthly fees, transaction fees, and even exchange rate fees. Think of shopping around for your e-giving solution like shopping around for a new bank to service you. You want the best rates possible, the most convenient service, and you want to provide your clients—the donors—with the quality you promise them. Always look at the fees incurred with a new provider and get a good idea on the amount you will need to have on hand each month for their services.
“How reliable is their support system?”
It’s crucial that you have good professional relationships with your providers. Therefore, when evaluating a potential new partner, check their support reviews. You can often find online reviews from those who have used their services before to determine their efficiency.
“How easy are the integrations?”
Many online giving solutions use a third-party processor, or other software platforms for payments. For example, Stripe, Paypal, or ZenCart. You want to integrate smartphone readers and digital banks as well. One important thing to check is that the process is supported by the other services and that they will help you to integrate everything seamlessly. s
“How secure will my donors’ data be?”
Check that your online giving platform will adhere to strict data policies and keep these in mind when working with them. A typically secure system will use bank level encryption and must be PCI-DSS compliant when accepting donations through credit or debit cards. Your donors’ security and data must be your highest priority. They entrust you with their gifts and working with an inadequate system could cost you their loyalty and trust.
At DonorWerx, we work with thousands of churches and have seen online giving grow tremendously. With the recent current events forcing everyone to move their businesses and even personal lives online, there is no better time than now to Get started.
To find out how we can you choose the best E-giving solution, contact us today for a consultation. There are other factors you also need to be aware of when choosing your e-solutions platform for donors, and we would be happy to walk you through the process. Call us today.
