“OnlineGiving.org’s remote deposit system has allowed us to overcome both of these challenges quickly. We now save time on making a physical trip to the bank and get access to our funds faster”
– Chris Giddens, Bethel Austin
“Our standard answer is not, no.” Stephen Ballard, one of the founders of OnlineGiving.org, makes that statement often when he talks to churches. So, when churches reached out to OnlineGiving.org in 2021 about scanning checks, we dove in and designed a process for our churches to do just that.
While check scanning is not a new task, OnlineGiving.org found that the industry lacked a centralized solution managed from the cloud and offered a scanning approach for full recording into ChMS and remote deposit.
Traditionally, churches scanning checks had to perform the scanning process multiple times to get check documents into multiple systems and deposited into bank accounts. Other churches have to upload batch files to banks for a deposit or even still drive checks to a physical location for deposit.
Further, OnlineGiving.org found churches were using check solutions that require legacy (old) Microsoft Window machines to be kept by the church or for tedious ranger drivers to be installed on each device.
It was from that perspective that the OnlineGiving.org IT team decided to develop a solution that would break out of the chains of legacy check scanning with innovative new technology that would no longer require multiple scans, no driving to the bank, no bank file uploads, no ranger drivers to download, and no Microsoft Window requirements.
OnlineGiving.org IT team also decided to build a solution that would live as a service in the cloud that was fully monitored and centralized for extreme stability and ease of feature enhancements. A solution would allow scanning applications to work on both Mac and Windows-based computers.
Research also revealed that check scanning could be a significant factor for churches migrating to ChMS. Allowing a centralized check scanning solution from within OnlineGiving.org would free the church to migrate ChMS platforms with even less friction. Further, the research found that some ChMS platforms only offered support for scanners with a single check at a time!
Indeed, an innovative solution was long overdue for the church-giving realm.
Many months later, OnlineGiving.org’s new innovative, time-saving solution was fully developed and ready for OnlineGiving.org churches to take advantage of. The new solution offered a scan-once-and-be-done approach that allows church administrators to bulk scan a batch of checks and for that scan to be submitted once for full ChMS recording and remote bank deposit!
Bethel Austin in Austin, TX was one of the first churches to utilize this new platform. Here is what Chris Giddens Bethel’s Executive Operations Director had to say about our check scanning feature –
“Our church moved into its own long-term facility in 2021 and expanded to two services, which provided two unique challenges. First, we now had two services to count tithes and offerings for, which delayed when we could get everything ready for a deposit.
Second, moving into our own building with increased expenses means we need the deposits available faster. As a result, OG’s remote deposit system has allowed us to overcome both of these challenges quickly. We now save time on making a physical trip to the bank and get access to our funds faster as well!”
– Chris Giddens, Bethel Austin
Bethel had recently migrated to Planning Center and was hunting for a check scanning solution as the existing Planning Center solution did not include remote deposit or bulk scan. Clearly a solution needed to be found.
OnlineGiving.org check scanning solution assisted Bethel Austin in solving a real issue by not only saving time by streamlining the process but also by providing a solution that directly pushes scanned check donation records into Planning Center (ChMS) automatically.
Here are some of the highlights of the OnlineGiving.org check scanning feature:
- Batch check scanning with 100+ checks in a single scan, including check endorsement.
- No downloading is required. No need for ranger drivers or the installation of scanner hardware drivers. Works on both Windows and Mac machines.
- Check scanning application is centralized, monitored, and managed 24/7/365 as part of the OnlineGiving.org cloud platform.
- Scan once and be done for both ChMS recording and remote deposit into the bank. No need to scan twice or download deposit files. Money is deposited electronically into the church bank account
- Intuitive check scanning application that provides cutting-edge OCR technology that can extract donor contact information, account information, price, and memo line information. Repeat givers are automatically recognized, and external ChMS matching is built-in.
- Full support for splitting gifts into multiple funds.
You may be wondering if people still write paper checks. Yes, absolutely; people still write checks! While most of our commerce is now digitally driven, checks are far from extinct. Consider these facts:
- The average person writes thirty-eight checks a year.1.
- 59% of churchgoers stated that their preferred method of giving at church was by check.2.
- One study found that most donors see advantages to e-mail and direct mail communication from their support organizations. Direct mail typically produces paper check responses and is a major fund-raising tactic for non-profits.3.
Our studies are showing a dramatic shift towards digital giving, but there remains a significant number of Christians, specifically Seniors, who still prefer to give via paper check. While small, this group faithfully gives a significant percentage to the average church. This percentage will continue to shrink as Seniors pass from the scene, but I believe we could see another five to ten years of needing to provide check-writing options for donors.
Related: “The Value of a $50 Check,” for ideas on using a strategy for garnering gifts by check.
(link the related post above)
Innovative technology should focus on optimizing existing processes that are time-tested to streamline cost-effective giving for the church. Since paper checks are still being utilized in most churches, finding easier ways to process this giving makes sense. This is especially true for older or multi-generational churches. Providing the means of giving they prefer makes it easier for them to give while offering a check scanning solution that makes the process faster and easier for church staff.
The Stewardship Coach
- https://www.thepennyhoarder.com/save-money/americans-still-writing-checks/
- https://research.lifeway.com/2018/05/10/churchgoers-say-they-tithe-but-not-always-to-the-church/
- Cooke, Phil. Maximize Your Influence: How to Make Digital Media Work for Your Church, Your Ministry, And You. Cooke Media Group, 2020.
The https://t.co/u2tMB6uWxC IT team decided to develop a solution that would break out of the chains of legacy check scanning with innovative new technology. Indeed, an innovative solution was long overdue for the church-giving realm. https://t.co/fbezsD8La9 pic.twitter.com/N6nyvW9tUk
— Online Giving (@onlinegivingorg) October 1, 2022
