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People want to give in times of crisis as well as during celebrations like Easter. But, with millions sheltering at home due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, churches are rethinking their solutions for generosity. One way to give that shouldn’t be ignored is text giving. It’s simple, quick, and secure, and can be done anytime, anywhere.
Right now, we’re offering free text giving during the Covid-19 outbreak to help churches remain generous, even as they practice social distancing. Let’s go into a little more detail on what text giving is and how you can share it with your congregation.
What is text giving?
When your church signs up for text giving, you’ll receive a dedicated 10-digit text giving number that’s different from your church’s phone number. When someone wants to donate via text, they simply text your dedicated giving number with a dollar amount or the word “give.” From there, they’ll receive a link to a secure page and complete a one-time set up and submit their gift. After completing the set up, they’ll be able to text a gift in seconds using 2 steps:
#1: Enter the gift amount
#2: Press send
Getting started with free text and online giving
The first step is simple—sign up for free text giving. If you don’t have an online giving plan, begin by joining our $0/month plan. This gives you access to online and mobile giving, as well as Forms for events, prayer requests, and more (on top of free text giving). If you’re a current customer and want to add text-to-give to your account for free, create a support case within your dashboard to request it.
Share visuals to help educate your church
Over 65% of people are visual learners. Share the simple set up and dedicated giving number on social media, your website, and in emails, but also pair the information with images or videos to walk people through each step. This is especially helpful for older adults who may struggle a little with technology.
Check out this video showing people how to set up a text donation using easyTithe. Resources like this are available when you join, so you can share with your congregation.
Address online giving security
Adults of all ages may be hesitant to submit a gift via text until they feel confident it’s secure. Inform them that easyTithe is a Level 1 Certified PCI Compliant Service Provider, and we meet the payment card industry’s strictest security standard. We treat your sensitive information with the utmost respect and put the highest security measures in place.
Equip your church beyond text giving
Text-to-give is a great tool that makes it easy to be generous when the world around us is very uncertain. While they call it social distancing, know that the social part of church doesn’t have to go away. Technology helps keep us together even when we’re not in the same room.
Beyond free text giving, access free live streaming for 90 days, a free church app for 90 days, and free mass messaging for 30 days. If any of these would be helpful during these uncertain times, you can learn more right here.
If you’d like to learn more about launching (or relaunching) online giving, check out our free video course: How to Launch Giving at Your Church. In this course for pastors by pastors, you’ll learn how to teach and inspire your congregation to be generous online.
