With a wide variety of ChMS tools available, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the choices. To help church leaders compare their options, we’re continuing to add to our series of ChMS reviews. In this review, we take a look at Breeze Church Management Software and what this tool has to offer.
Overview of Breeze Church Management Software
Breeze focuses on serving small and mid-sized churches. Their goal is to provide a tool that doesn’t require a database expert or IT technician to manage effectively. As stated by their founder,
I set out to build the most-insanely-easy-to-use church software imaginable, specifically aiming to serve small and mid-sized churches that need it to just work.”
Benefits and Features of Breeze
Dashboard
The first screen you’ll see when you log into Breeze is your dashboard. You can customize the dashboard to display the information you prefer to see right away. Options include attendance data, contributions reports, upcoming events, follow-ups (i.e., tasks), and more.
People
The core aspect of any ChMS is the people database. All other functions of the software tie back to the people database (contribution records, attendance, event registration, volunteer check-in, and groups).
When you click on the People menu, you’ll see a list of everyone in the database. At this point, you have the option of clicking on an individual’s profile, search for an individual, or perform a filtered search. Filters include various demographics such as marital status, age, birth date, gender, education, and more. Let’s say you wanted to send an email to all married couples inviting them to a marriage retreat. You could filter for anyone with the “Married” marital status, then click “Email People” to create and send the email. You can also send a text message, export a list, assign tags, or complete other updates.
When you click on an individual’s profile, you’ll see basic information such as name, phone numbers, address, email address, family members, and more. Additional data such as assigned Tags, attendance records, giving, and notes are accessible via options on the left of the screen.
Tags
The Tags menu option is where you define and assign groups. A group could be a small group or a ministry classroom (such as Nursery or Preschool). You can collect tags under folders, add tags, and add people to a specific tag.
Events and Check-In
The Events section includes Event Management, Event Check-In, and Volunteer Management.
Event Management
You can create a single all-events calendar or multiple calendars for the church. Within each calendar, you can add events. You can also embed any calendar onto the church’s website.
When you add an event, you’ll provide an event name, start/end dates, which calendar to display it on, a description, and location. You can also specify who’s allowed to check-in to the event based on tags, who responded to a form, everyone, or no one.
Event Check-In
To check-in children, click on a specific event then select “Check-In.” From here, you can check the box next to each child as they arrive.
Volunteers
You can create online sign up sheets within an event. This will send an email to invite people to sign up to serve in a specific role at an event or service. To check-in volunteers, click on the event then select Volunteers.
Contributions
Here you can add contributions individually, use an envelope number, or a check scanner to create a batch. For each contribution, you can designate a fund you would like it to credit. There are also fields for the check number, date, and other details.
From Contributions, you can view various reports by a date range. From there, you can filter by Fund, giving method, amount, and more. If you click on Funds, you can check the amount within each fund and add funds. The Contributions section also includes an option to record giving pledges within a campaign.
Here you can also set up online giving through Stripe. They don’t charge monthly fees. However, the fee per transaction for debit/credit cards is 2.9% + $0.30. The fee for ACH transactions is 1% + $0.25.
Follow-Ups
Think of Follow-Ups like tasks. Click “Assign Follow Up” and enter the name of the person to follow up with or contact. Assign a deadline, then check the follow-up option (Baptism, Membership, etc.), and add a note if needed. The individual assigned a follow up will receive a notification email about the assignment. Churches can customize the follow-up options.
Forms
The Forms function enables you to create registration forms, surveys, and contact information update requests. You can customize a form using various fields, including payment options. You can email, link to, or embed a form onto a website. As people complete a form, you can view their entries from the main Forms page.
Workflow and Usability of Breeze
Using the demo version, I was able to quickly navigate through each aspect of the software without any issues. The videos within each section were short and informative. Understanding that Tags are how Breeze handles group assignments is important. However, every ChMS tool seems to have its own terminology so that’s nothing new. Overall, I think the average user could quickly find the needed functionality and advanced users could customize forms and events efficiently.
User Satisfaction and Comments
Breeze has an overall 4.9 out of 5-star rating at Capterra. Reviews include comments about excellent support and ease of use.
We are able to track our members and visitors with ease. The calendar feature allows us to track attendance, volunteers, and works well with our website, and other media. The online giving has made data entry so much easier! I highly recommend this product. I worked with another company for over 10 years, and thought they were the best. Breeze changed my mind. They by far have been the best solution for our church software needs.” – Cindy C. Administrative Assistant
Overview Video
Additionally, you can have your own demo version of the software by clicking on “Start an Instant Demo” from the Breeze homepage. There are videos within the demo version for each aspect of the software.
Support
Breeze provides various ways to learn more about the tool and to get customer support. There are quite a few videos and articles regarding setting up Breeze and additional tips. They have a Facebook Group and Breeze University (a series of videos to help you learn more about the software). You can also contact their support team by phone and email.
Technology Details / Specifications
Since Breeze is online, there’s no software to install on a computer. Additionally, Breeze is accessible via a mobile app.
Pricing Details
Breeze pricing is $50 per month. This includes unlimited users, unlimited people, all features, etc. Another important item to note is that Breeze does not charge a set-up fee nor do they require a contract (cancel at any time).
Conclusion
Based on the ease of use, the features offered, flat-rate pricing, and positive Capterra reviews, Breeze Church Management Software is certainly a ChMS tool worth considering.
Below is a list of articles we’ve published in the past on this topic:
Transitioning Church Staff to a New ChMS
