Q&A: Online Giving

Why did Kelly Woodlawn Church implement online giving?

Although online giving was implemented during the pandemic of 2020, it was an idea discussed previously. It provides ways for people to contribute from home without the inconvenience of checks and money orders. It provides a way for people to contribute using debit or credit cards in place of cash or checks. It allows the use of PCs, tablets and even smartphones to contribute to the church (click here to return to the top of this page).

Why can’t I give the way I always have?

You certainly can! Now, you can give by way of the collection plate, by mailing in a check or money order (be sure to specify on the memo line what your gift is to be used for) or by using online giving as described here (click here to return to the top of this page).

Must I set up an account with Vanco to use online giving?

No, but contributing is faster and easier if you do have an account. You are only required to set up an account in order to make a recurring gift. With no account, you must re-enter debit card, credit card or ACH (bank account) information and personal information for each set of contributions you make. This is somewhat safer in the sense that a “hack” of Vanco will not compromise your personal information (click here to return to the top of this page).

What are the costs of online giving and who pays them?

There is a $10 monthly fee the church must pay to maintain the service. Each “transaction set” (the combination of all the contributions in a given Vanco window) is charged $0.45 plus a percentage of the transaction set total (1% for ACH [bank account] transactions sets, 2.75% for most debit/credit card transaction sets or 3.5% for American Express card transaction sets).

These fees are taken from debit/credit card contributions, but for ACH contributions the church is billed in the next monthly invoice from Vanco. The contributor never sees an additional charge, although the contributor does have an option to include these charges in their contribution so the church receives a specific contribution amount (click here to return to the top of this page).

How quickly does the church receive funds after a contribution is made?

There is a two step process that takes place. First, contributor funds are made available in a special Vanco account for the church. For contributions made by ACH (bank account) this happens the next business day and for credit/debit card contributions this happens in two to three business days. A Finance Committee person may then login to the church’s Vanco account to initiate an ACH transfer into a church bank account. These funds are available the next business day (click here to return to the top of this page).

Can a contribution be made in any dollar and cents amount or are only particular dollar increment contributions allowed?

Almost any dollar and cents amount can be entered. Please keep the transaction fee charges in mind, however. Transactions which cost more than the contribution will be disallowed and below a certain amount transactions may not be worthwhile for the contributor. For example, a $1.00 Visa debit card transaction set would only net the church $0.52!

Remember two things though. First, fees are charged on the transaction set total, so you may “bundle” contributions. For example you could combine the $1.00 contribution above (maybe for “Sunday School”) with a $20 offering. Then the Visa debit card contribution would result in the church receiving $0.95 for Sunday School and $19.02 for your offering.

Second, you have the option to automatically increase your contribution to “offset” the charges. In the “bundle” example, choosing that option would mean your Visa debit card would be charged $22.06, but the church would receive $1.00 for Sunday School and $20.00 for your offering as you probably intended (click here to return to the top of this page).

What are the different line items shown on the Vanco form?

The “line items” that appear on Vanco’s online giving forms represent different “opportunities to give” as designated by the Finance Committee. One way to look at them is as if they were different “envelopes” you could use to designate specific uses for your contributions.

The Finance Committee wrote a webpage explaining these “opportunities to give.” The last line item, “Other (please specify)” allows giving opportunities beyond those specified. For example, to give to the Hospitality Committee use the “Other (please specify)” line item and type “Hospitality Committee” in the associated memo text box (click here to return to the top of this page).

How long is the church required to use Vanco?

Kelly Woodlawn Church is not under contract with Vanco. The church can terminate its relationship with Vanco given 30 days notice. At the end of that period all funds in Vanco accounts would be transferred to Kelly Woodlawn church accounts and Vanco would no longer accept or deduct (in the case of recurring contributions) contributions on behalf of Kelly Woodlawn Church (click here to return to the top of this page).

Can Vanco provide me with reports of my giving?

Only the Finance Committee can provide you with a report of your giving. Vanco only knows about contributions made via online giving. If you set up an account with Vanco you may display and/or print a summary of your online giving activity by way of the Vanco window you access from this website (click here to return to the top of this page).

Given the level of online crime, how safe is online giving?

One song we like to sing at Kelly Woodlawn Church is “God Never Fails.” Vanco may be a good company, but it isn’t divine! Transactions made by way of Vanco meet and in most cases exceed online financial safety best practices (click here for details). If you feel safe with other online financial transactions you can feel safe with Vanco (click here to return to the top of this page).

How does Vanco treat my personal information and are there other Vanco practices I should be aware of?

Vanco’s collection and use of your personal information and church information is governed by its privacy policy. The terms you (and Kelly Woodlawn Church) agree to abide by in order to use Vanco’s services are specified by this document (click here to return to the top of this page).