A myth is a widely held but false belief or idea.
Of course, myths can be based on some semblance of truth or have roots based in truth, but at the end of the day, a myth is still a false belief or idea.
With that in mind, we thought we’d turn the light on a few myths that we hear commonly when it comes to mobile giving. Sound good? Ok, on with it …
1-Older generations won’t give on their mobile phone.
Although there is truth to the fact that older generations habitually give “in the plate,” it’s also true that baby boomers and older generations are using mobile banking apps, paying for their coffee via the Starbucks app, buying things on Amazon, and engaging with their families on Facebook and Instagram.
Don’t count the “older” generations out just because you think they don’t know how to use their iPhones. We’ve actually seen very old and well-established churches implement mobile giving with HUGE success!
2-Only large churches can use mobile giving.
This one just doesn’t make sense. I mean, why would there be any difference in people's giving preference – cash, check, credit, debit, ACH, online, mobile, text – based on the size of the church?
Church plants to megachurches and even gigachurches leverage mobile fundraising apps to enable giving anytime, anywhere. In fact, at Tithe.ly we have thousands of small- to mid-sized churches using mobile giving right along side some of the biggest churches in the world.
The size of your church has literally no significance here. Whether you’re a small church that’s just starting or an established church that’s been serving your community for years, mobile giving can help you raise more money than ever.
3-Mobile giving costs too much.
If you roll out mobile giving and don’t see giving increase, then the costs will be too much to sustain over time. That is a fact.
But the key to debunking this myth is understanding that proper implementation and roll out of a mobile giving app to your church will, in fact, increase giving. You can take that to the bank. Most churches will see far more giving over and above their normal weekly or monthly average which, even with new fees, puts the church in a better financial position.
Don’t believe me, check out what Pastor Mike Morris from Cornerstone Community Church has to say during a recent interview we did with him.
4-Mobile giving isn’t secure.
Similar to #2 above, this couldn’t be further from the truth. When done correctly, mobile giving is more secure than taking cash and/or checks when the collection plate comes by.
Think about the potential for people's contributions to be stolen, mismanaged, or lost when you're passing a plate or basket around a room with hundreds or thousands of people touching it while then relying on people to physically manage “offline giving” in order to get it counted and deposited into your bank account.
The security or risk in handling physical cash and check far exceeds that of doing digital giving.
When it comes to mobile giving, the payment card industry security counsel dictates proper use and acts as a watchdog over all companies that handle credit and debit card information. Adhering to their standards (PCI DSS Level 1) and ensuring all transactions are done over 256 Bit Secure SSL (or TLS) maintains the highest level of security which ensures donor information is safe and secure.
The critical point here, when it comes to security in mobile giving, is to ensure the provider you're using adheres to the industry standards.
5-Mobile giving makes it harder to give and doesn’t allow donors to set up recurring donations.
What?! I bet you I can give on my mobile phone faster than you can find, write, tear off, and drop your check into the plate. Plus, my tax receipt will be emailed immediately to my inbox.
In addition, mobile giving actually makes setting up auto recurring giving easier because it’s shown to the person during their giving moment (eg. it puts it on their mind). Donors can then set up donations to occur on a schedule that fits with their financial situation.
Lastly, it’s our hope that the information above will help you find the answers you’re looking for. If you’re looking for more information on how to evaluate and select the right solution, read the definitive guide to mobile giving for churches.
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Also on #4 if you are concerned about meeting requirements of PCI you can use PayPal (as my church does) that takes care of all of this for you.