Some ministries slap a PayPal button up on their website, see no improvement in giving, and wonder why. If all eGiving.com were doing was the same thing PayPal does, it wouldn’t be any more effective in helping ministries attain necessary funding. While PayPal is good at what it does—providing a simple, secure way for individuals and organizations to electronically transfer funds on an occasional basis—it has major down sides for those who do regular business that way. It also fails to provide the kind of support and guidance that ministries need in order to thoroughly assist them in successfully managing an online giving program.
Strategic Website Integration
In order to make your online giving program make sense, it needs to be part of a bigger picture that includes giving your constituents reasons to visit your website. Sure, the occasional online native might stumble across your site and give a random donation here or there, but when the giving tally meets your budgetary needs, such irregular giving simply won’t cut it. However, the ministry technology experts at eGiving.com can help you develop motivation for those who already know and appreciate your ministry to visit your website, where you can give them additional opportunities to give. Specific short-term projects or particular programs, such as missions or a building fund, can be effectively funded through these types of one-time gifts.
Aesthetic Considerations
Aesthetic ConsiderationsLet’s face it: The chances of that easily recognizable PayPal symbol meshing with your ministry’s website design are pretty slim. (Unless your website has a Facebook motif, that is.) The familiarity might actually breed contempt, as the saying goes: Faithful givers may see it and simply ignore it. Others may be less ambivalent and see it as a “low blow” to be asking for donations in that way. However, when you have an eGiving.com donation page specifically designed to blend in with your existing website, those who see it won’t be thinking you’re like any other organization: They’ll be much more likely to see your ministry fund as part of your Kingdom-minded philosophy.
Greater Financial Benefit
In addition to the training and support provided through eGiving.com’s Christian staff, for gifts made from a user’s checking/savings account, your ministry will receive the full amount (minus $0.25/check) of the donation in a timely manner, no strings attached. Pulling from the eGiving.com brochure, here is what you can expect for service fees (valid as of Oct 2012): Total costs: $100 implementation /$30 monthly support/ .25 per ACH (check), .25 per credit card plus interchange % (Visa debit/ credit average for 2012 was 2.45%) NSF is $7. No user/PCI/file fees.
With PayPal, the situation can be different. If someone donates money with a credit or debit card through PayPal, the recipient typically pays a fee of $0.30 per transaction, in addition to 2.9% of the total amount sent. PayPal also holds funds and disallows the recipient from benefiting from the lower costs of ACH giving. Note that Paypal does offer a discount program for approved 501(c)(3) charities with rates set at 2.2% + a $0.30/transaction fee for charities receiving $0-$100,000 per month via Paypal.
Another financial benefit to eGiving.com is that our program includes more than online giving: Our recurring electronic giving program can greatly impact your ministry’s regular stream of reliable funding.
Additional benefits include the ability to keep detailed records of online giving sources and intentions, as well as our flexible reporting functions and management software links. To learn more, contact eGiving.com today.
Photo credits: Top © Pei Lin / Fotolia. Bottom © Wellford Tiller / Fotolia
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