7 Best Online Giving Platforms for Churches

Effective church fundraising requires an online giving platform that has evolved beyond traditional methods, making online giving platforms essential tools for churches.

An effective online giving platform simplifies donations, encourages generosity, and helps churches manage their funds more efficiently. With the rise of mobile apps and web-based giving solutions, churches have more options than ever to engage their congregations and support their missions.

This article explores some of the best online giving platforms for churches, highlighting key features, pros, and cons to help you make the right choice for your congregation.

What Features to Look for in Church Giving Platforms

What We’ll Learn

What Features to Look for in Church Giving Platforms
Best Free Giving Platforms for Churches
More Top Giving Platforms for Churches
Conclusion

What Features to Look for in Church Giving Platforms

Before diving into specific platforms, it’s essential to understand what features you should be looking for in an online giving platform for your church. Here are some of the most important:

Ease of Use: A simple, user-friendly interface is crucial. Congregants should be able to make donations quickly without navigating complicated menus or forms.

Mobile Compatibility: Many people prefer to use their smartphones for online transactions. A mobile-friendly platform is essential, enabling donors to give anytime and anywhere.

Recurring Donation Options: Churches thrive on consistent support from their congregants. A platform that allows recurring tithes can significantly increase long-term giving.

Low Fees: While online giving platforms provide invaluable services, high platform and payment processing transaction fees can eat into donations. Look for platforms that offer low or even no fees.

Customizable Giving Pages: Personalizing your church’s donation page can strengthen your connection with donors and make the giving experience more personal. Donors are more likely to contribute on branded donation pages.

Text-to-Give: Text-to-give is an increasingly popular option, especially for churches with younger congregants. This feature enables donors to give by sending a simple text message to your designated number.

Financial Reporting: You’ll need a giving platform that offers comprehensive reporting features and allows church leaders to track donations and forecast future giving trends.
Event Support: If your church or youth group wants to host special events, you’ll need check-in and support for online registrations and ticketing.

Integrations: Seamless integration with your church’s existing systems, such as accounting software or church management systems, can streamline operations and save time.

Best Free Giving Platforms for Churches

Finding a cost-effective solution is crucial for churches mindful of their budgets (and who isn’t?). Thankfully, there are several powerful free or low-cost online giving platforms designed specifically for churches. One of the best free options is DoJiggy.

DoJiggy

DoJiggy is a leading fundraising platform for churches, nonprofits, and schools. While not exclusively a church-focused platform, its flexible features, and affordable (free!) pricing make it a top choice for religious organizations.

Key Features: DoJiggy offers customizable donation pages, recurring donation, and tithing options, as well as mobile-friendly giving via text-to-donate and scan-to-donate features. Run peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns, charity raffles, online auctions, event registration and ticketing campaigns, and more with this powerful platform.
Pros: One of the main advantages of DoJiggy is its affordability for churches. With no platform fees and low transaction fees, it’s a great option for small church fundraising. Additionally , its robust feature set makes it easy to run everything from virtual fundraisers to large church capital campaigns. It also provides excellent reporting features, making it easy for church leaders to manage and track donations.
Best for: Churches looking for a comprehensive, free fundraising platform that can also be used for special events and other church-related activities.

Givelify

Givelify is another top online giving platform for churches. It offers a mobile-friendly, easy-to-use solution that encourages tithing and donations.

Key Features: Givelify focuses on simplicity. It allows congregants to donate via their smartphones in just three taps. Additionally, it offers real-time donation tracking and financial reporting for church leaders.
Pros: Givelify’s mobile app is user-friendly, and its simplicity makes it a hit among donors and church leaders. The platform also provides in-depth reporting and analytics.
Best for: Churches that prioritize mobile giving and need a platform with a simple, straightforward interface.

RallyUp

RallyUp is a versatile fundraising platform used by churches and nonprofits. It’s well-known for its event fundraising capabilities, making it ideal for churches that frequently host fundraising events.

Key Features: RallyUp offers a variety of fundraising options, including auctions, raffles, and peer-to-peer campaigns. It’s also mobile-friendly and offers customizable donation pages.
Pros: RallyUp’s flexibility and range of features make it a great option for churches looking to diversify their fundraising methods. The platform also allows for creative fundraising ideas, such as virtual events, making it adaptable for churches of any size.
Cons: Because RallyUp is not church-specific, some of its features may not be tailored to the needs of religious organizations.
Best for: Churches that regularly host events and are looking for a platform that can manage both online giving and event fundraising.

More Top Giving Platforms for Churches

Tithely

Tithely is a popular platform built specifically for churches, making it one of the most trusted names in online giving for religious organizations. It’s designed to help churches encourage donations and streamline their giving process.

Key Features: Tithely offers donation features such as text-to-give and recurring donations. One standout feature is its church management system, which allows for member management, event registration, and communication tools.
Pros: Tithely’s church-specific design makes it highly intuitive for pastors and church leaders. Its mobile-first approach ensures that it’s easy to use on any device. Plus, its integration with accounting and church management systems is a big advantage for churches.
Best for: Churches looking for a platform with comprehensive giving and church management tools.

Pushpay

Pushpay is a church-focused giving platform that emphasizes mobile giving and engagement. It’s designed to facilitate donations and enhance communication between churches or parishes and their members. Pushpay has amazing functionality but is one of the more expensive platforms on the market, which could be a drawback for smaller churches.

Key Features: Pushpay offers mobile giving, text-to-give, and recurring donation options. It also features an app that churches and parishes can customize to fit their needs, creating a seamless experience for congregants. They focus on insights and analytics to help churches better know their donors.
Pros: Pushpay’s user-friendly interface and mobile-first design make it a favorite among churches. The platform also provides excellent customer support and integration with other software platforms.
Best for: Larger churches looking for a premium online giving platform with advanced features and an open API.

PayPal

While not specifically designed for churches, PayPal remains one of the most trusted and widely used online payment platforms. Its simple donation buttons can be added to a church’s website or social media pages.

Key Features: PayPal offers a straightforward way for people to give, with minimal setup required. It’s mobile-friendly and supports recurring donations.
Pros: PayPal is known for its simplicity and trustworthiness. It’s an option for smaller churches or those seeking a no-frills donation solution.
Best for: Smaller churches or congregations that want an easy-to-implement donation solution without the need for much customization or reporting.

While PayPal is a trusted payment processor, it lacks the user interface, customized tools, and reporting of a robust fundraising platform. To meet this need, DoJiggy integrates with PayPal to process donations securely and provide churches with powerful giving features.

Donorbox

Donorbox is another versatile fundraising platform used by churches and nonprofits alike. It’s known for its recurring donation options and embedability with websites.

Key Features: Donorbox offers customizable donation pages, recurring donations, and in-depth reporting. It also integrates directly into WordPress sites, making it ideal for churches with a WordPress-based website.
Pros: Donorbox’s low transaction fees and customizable options make it a great option for churches on a budget. The platform is also straightforward to set up and use.
Best for: Churches that want a simple, affordable platform for managing donations and recurring giving. While Donorbox offers many great features, it lacks some of the more advanced tools that other fundraising platforms have, such as auction fundraising.

Conclusion

Choosing the right online donations platform for your church is crucial for maximizing donations and effectively managing your church’s finances.

At DoJiggy, we understand that every congregation has unique needs when it comes to online giving. That’s why we provide churches with the insights and tools necessary to select the best platform for their fundraising goals. Whether you’re considering a church-specific platform or a more general fundraising solution like DoJiggy, we’re here to help you succeed.