(This is the 4^th article in a four part series about giving to the church. See Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of the previous articles.)

While it is certainly encouraging to see an increasing number of churches taking advantage of online and mobile giving each year, the evidence found on thousands of church websites across the country reveals that we (as a collective body) still have a long way to go in this area.

And I’m not just talking about the smaller, “more traditional” churches either. I’m talking about the big, “innovative” ones as well! A recent test performed by a popular blogger revealed that it takes more than three minutes to give a gift to some of the largest churches in America! (For comparison, it takes fewer than 60 seconds to make a donation to the average presidential candidate.)

Whereas churches will often take weeks or months painstakingly considering stage design and slide decks for an upcoming sermon series, I am consistently amazed at how little thought many churches put into their digital giving solutions. We’re kidding ourselves if we think this doesn’t have a direct impact on church budgets.

What’s true with coffee shops, rental car agencies, and barbeque sauces is true for giving platforms as well: not all of them are created equal. And while something (anything!) is almost certainly better than nothing, there is also a big difference between a “good enough for now” giving solution and a functional and user-friendly platform that will actually drive giving to your church.

Is it fast? Is it simple? Is it secure? Is it accessible for givers age 17 – 75?

These are the types of questions pastors and tech teams need to be asking on a regular basis. With digital donations accounting for an ever-increasing percentage of annual budgets, it is imperative that churches take these channels seriously.

In addition to the questions listed above, here are four additional questions you can ask to audit the effectiveness of your online giving processes. Keep working at it until you can respond to each with an emphatic “YES!”

1)   Is it easy to find?

So you’ve identified a giving provider uniquely suited to serve the needs of your church. That’s great! Where is it? If I’ve been on your website for more than 10 seconds, and am still not sure where the giving page is, you’ve already lost me. Be proud of your giving page! Don’t hide the link under a bushel. (Or on the footer. Or on an image carousel. Or on a dropdown list of 15 other links.) Get the “Giving” button on your homepage, preferably as part of the primary navigation bar. Get it above the fold. Get it visible! It doesn’t need to be the first thing I see when I land on your website, but it should be easy to find if and when it is needed.

2)   Is it easy to use?

The best giving solutions on the web have removed every extra field, extra step or extra click. Are you asking people to enter info that you don’t absolutely need? Cut it out! Your giving process is NOT the place to be filling out your membership database. Ask for only the info you need to submit the gift. You can always circle back later for additional details. This is especially true when it comes to creating accounts. Nothing frustrates me more than when I see churches asking would be givers to first create a username and password, and to then come back later to complete their gift. Remember: speed and simplicity are the rules of the day!

3)   Have you talked about it recently?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a church devote considerable time and energy to finding and implementing the absolute perfect giving platform only to then completely drop the ball when communicating with their congregation. Don’t let this be the story at your church! Introducing new forms of giving is just like introducing any new service, event, or ministry: people can’t and won’t participate unless they know about it! The right tools are important, but the right communication can have an even bigger impact! Get a mention in the bulletin. Send out regular emails reminding members of the choices they have when giving to your church. And don’t forget the Sunday Service! An enthusiastic endorsement from a pastor or Deacon is a great way to help people feel comfortable giving online.

4)   Do your givers actually like using it?

Over the years, I’ve been in the room (or on the phone) with hundreds of church teams as they’ve considered introducing online giving for the first time. In many of these meetings, I have been surprised at how little consideration is given to one key constituency at the church: the givers themselves! We spend hours talking through costs, back-end integrations, admin controls, etc., but – important as these things are – they mean little if people don’t take advantage of the new tools! When you review your church’s giving options, try to look at them through the eyes of your givers. Or, better still, involve a few givers in the decision-making process! From accessibility to ease-of-use to receipting and follow-up, if your giving platform isn’t making it easier for your members to practice lives of generosity, then it isn’t doing its job! All other considerations are secondary.