Effective Church Fund Management with OnlineGiving.org

Managing church donations and payments—whether tithes, offerings, or special campaigns—doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right tools, you can keep everything organized, making it easier for both your team and your congregation. This article explores practical ways to manage church donations using features from OnlineGiving.org’s platform, explaining how it works and how it can help you stay on top of your church’s financial needs.

Flexible Fund Management

Churches often run multiple campaigns at once, from general tithes and offerings to specific initiatives like building funds or Christmas offerings. With OnlineGiving.org’s platform, you can create as many funds as necessary and even set up sub-funds to track more specific areas of giving. For example, you might have a general “Missions” fund with sub-funds for “Local Missions” and “Global Missions.”

This level of detail helps ensure donations are properly organized while offering clear options for your congregation to direct their contributions. Making it simple for your donors to understand where their money is going helps keep your accounting clear and manageable.

For multi-campus churches, the platform also supports donations that need to be tracked across different locations. You can create primary funds for each campus, and the system will remember a donor’s preferred campus after their first donation. Future gifts will automatically be routed to that campus, simplifying the process for donors and administrators alike.

Text Giving Made Simple

Text giving is becoming more popular, and OnlineGiving.org makes it easy. You can assign unique keywords for each fund. For instance, “BUILDING” could be the keyword for a building fund, while “YOUTH” might be designated for youth ministry. Donors simply text the keyword, and their gift goes directly to the right place.

For multi-campus setups, instead of assigning different keywords for each campus, you can use a shared keyword like “GIVE.” No matter which campus a donor attends, they text “GIVE,” and the system automatically routes the donation to the correct fund based on their previous giving. This keeps things simple for your congregation while ensuring funds are properly allocated.

OnlineGiving.org also offers customization options, including default gift amounts. This feature is particularly useful for special campaigns. For example, during a capital campaign, you can set the keyword “BUILDING” to automatically process a $50 donation when someone texts it. This is convenient for donors who know in advance that texting the keyword will result in a specific amount being donated.

For general giving, donors typically provide the amount themselves when texting keywords like “TITHE” or “OFFERING.” The default amount feature should be reserved for campaigns where a set contribution is pre-configured.

Simplifying Financial Reporting

Accurate and up-to-date financial reporting is crucial for managing church finances. One way to streamline this process is by linking your giving platform to your Church Management Software (ChMS). This integration ensures all donations—from text giving, online donations, or event payments—are automatically tracked in your system. This saves time, reduces manual entry, and provides a clearer view of your church’s financial health.

Setting up a fund on the platform is simple. You log into the control panel, navigate to the “Funds” section, and create a new fund with a recognizable title, such as “Tithes & Offerings” or “Christmas Offering.” Assign a keyword for text giving to make it more accessible for those who prefer to give through their phones.

If you need to create sub-funds, that process is just as straightforward. For instance, if you have a general “Outreach” fund but want to break it down into more specific categories like “Community Meals” or “Christmas Offering,” you can easily do so and assign unique keywords to each.

Handling Non-Tax-Deductible Funds

The platform also supports non-tax-deductible funds, which are useful if your church collects payments for events, tickets, or other non-donation items. Marking funds as non-tax-deductible makes it clear to your donors and ensures your financial records stay compliant with tax regulations. This means that whether you’re managing tax-deductible gifts or regular payments, everything can be handled within the same system.

Generating Reports and Links

One of the most valuable features of OnlineGiving.org is the ability to generate reports on your donations. Whether you’re looking at individual funds or all your funds together, reports help you track giving trends over time, assess financial health, and prepare for year-end accounting. Additionally, you can download spreadsheets that include links to each fund or sub-fund, making it easy to share with your team or incorporate into your communications.

For campaigns or events, you can also create custom website links and QR codes. For example, if you’re running a capital drive or a mission trip fundraiser, you can create a direct link that takes donors straight to that fund’s page. QR codes can also be generated, allowing people to scan them with their phones and go directly to the giving page. This is a great way to make giving easier through printed materials, church bulletins, or social media.

Managing church funds doesn’t have to be a headache. With features like multi-campus support, text giving, and detailed reporting, OnlineGiving.org provides the tools to keep everything organized and offer your congregation a seamless giving experience. Whether handling donations or regular payments, this platform allows you to manage all aspects of church finances in one place.

Control Panel Funds Guide: Video Overview

Managing Funds in Online Giving: A Comprehensive Guide for Church Administrators

The Online Giving control panel equips church administrators with powerful tools for organizing and managing church finances. The Funds feature allows you to set up, manage, and track donations effectively, ensuring both donor and financial team experiences are optimized. Whether your church has multiple campuses, specific giving campaigns, or detailed reporting needs, this guide walks you through everything you need to know about using and managing Funds within the platform.

In this guide, you'll find step-by-step instructions for setting up funds and sub-funds, managing text giving, and configuring important settings such as internal fund codes, default gift amounts, and ChMS (Church Management Software) integration.

Key Takeaways

• Flexible Fund Management: Create unlimited funds and sub-funds for better organization and tracking.
• Multi-Campus Support: Funds can be set up to track donations by campus.
• Text Giving Integration: Assign unique text giving keywords to funds/sub-funds for easy donor access.
• ChMS Integration: Easily link funds to your church’s management software for streamlined financial reporting.

Table of Contents

1. Funds Overview
   • Multi-Campus Churches
   • Text Giving & Funds/Sub-Funds
   • Fund Titles & Internal Fund Codes
   • Setup Assistance & Team Training
2. Managing Funds
   • How to View Funds
   • How to Search Funds
   • How to View Reports
   • How to Sort Funds
3. Setting Up Funds
   • How to Create a Fund
   • How to Create a Sub-Fund
   • How to Edit a Fund
   • How to Hide a Fund
4. Text Giving & Fund Setup
   • How to Set Up Text Giving Keywords
   • How to Set Up Default Text Giving Fund/Sub-Fund
   • How to Set Default Gift Amount
5. Advanced Settings
   • How to Elect a Fund as Non-Tax Deductible
   • How to Set Up ChMS Fund Recording
6. Generating Links & Reports
   • How to Get Website Link to Fund
   • How to Download Spreadsheet with Fund Links
   • How to Download Spreadsheet with Sub-Fund Links
7. FAQs

Funds Overview

Multi-Campus Churches

Online Giving allows you to set up primary funds that serve as campus locations. Sub-funds can be created under each primary fund to allow detailed tracking per campus. The system remembers a donor’s preferred campus after their first gift and automatically applies it to future donations.

Text Giving & Funds/Sub-Funds

Text message giving integrates seamlessly with your funds. You can assign one or more keywords (codes) to each fund or sub-fund, making it easy for donors to give via text. In a multi-campus setup, shared keywords can be used across campuses, allowing a unified message but separate fund destinations.

Fund Titles & Internal Fund Codes

Each fund should have an intuitive, public-facing title to avoid donor confusion. However, Online Giving allows for an internal fund code that can be linked to a unique ChMS ID. This ensures donations are correctly categorized, even for complex financial reporting needs.

Setup Assistance & Team Training

Need help setting up your funds? Our support team is available for assistance via screen sharing or direct setup requests. During your account provisioning, we can preconfigure funds and sub-funds according to your church’s specific needs.

Managing Funds

How to View Funds

1. Login to the control panel.
2. Click "Funds" from the left navigation menu.

How to Search Funds

1. Login to the control panel.
2. Click "Funds" from the left navigation menu.
3. Filter by entering search keywords (title, code, F1 Fund ID, external fund ID, or text message code).
4. Press enter to apply filters.

How to View Reports

• To view a Fund Report: Click the gear icon on the desired fund row and select "View Report".
• To view a Multi-Fund Report: Filter funds as needed, then click "View Report" at the top right.

How to Sort Funds

Drag and drop the fund rows to sort them in your preferred order.

Setting Up Funds

How to Create a Fund

1. Login to the control panel: Open your browser and go to the control panel login page. Enter your login credentials and click "Login".
2. Navigate to the Funds section: From the left-hand navigation menu, click "Funds" to access the funds management dashboard.
3. Start creating a new fund: Click the "Create New Fund" button at the top right of the page.
4. Enter a Fund Title: This is the name displayed to donors. Ensure the title is clear and intuitive to avoid confusion. Example: Use descriptive names like "Tithes & Offerings" or "Building Fund".
5. Assign a Unique Keyword/Code: This is an internal identifier for the fund, often used for financial tracking or reporting purposes. Example: "G123" for internal categorization or reporting.
6. Hide the Fund from the Primary Donation Form (optional): Select "Hide fund to Not show on primary (main) donation form" to hide the fund from the main donation form if needed.
7. Elect the Fund as a Campus Location (optional): If the fund will be used to track donations by campus, select "Yes, this fund is a campus".
8. Set up Text Message Codes: Enter one or more keywords/phrases for text message giving.
9. Hide Text Message Codes (optional): Choose "Do not show code in cheat sheet" if you want to hide the keyword from the donor-facing help page.
10. Disable Recurring Gift Conversion Prompt (optional): Select "No, disable recurring text giving message" if you don't want donors to receive recurring gift prompts.
11. Set a Default Gift Amount (optional): Optionally set a default gift amount to be charged automatically for text giving.
12. Add External Fund ID or ChMS Integration (optional): If your church uses ChMS, add the appropriate ChMS fund/program.
13. Save the Fund: Once all the information is entered, click "Save" to create the fund.

How to Create a Sub-Fund

1. Login to the control panel: Open the control panel and log in with your credentials.
2. Navigate to the Funds section: From the left-hand menu, click "Funds" to access your list of funds.
3. Select the primary fund: Find the primary fund where you want to create a sub-fund, click the Gear icon, and select "Manage Sub-Funds".
4. Create the new sub-fund: Click "Create New Sub-Fund" at the top right of the page.
5. Enter the Sub-Fund Title: This is the name displayed to donors. Example: Use a title like "Local Missions" or "Global Missions".
6. Assign a Unique Keyword/Code: This is for internal use. Example: Use something like "S123" to keep internal tracking organized.
7. Hide the Sub-Fund from the Primary Donation Form (optional): Select "Hide fund to Not show on primary (main) donation form".
8. Set up Text Message Codes: Enter text message codes, keep them simple, and add extra codes for common typos.
9. Hide Text Message Codes (optional): To hide keywords from the help page, select "Do not show code in cheat sheet".
10. Set a Default Gift Amount (optional): Set a default amount for text giving.
11. Add External Fund ID or ChMS Integration (optional): Add the ChMS fund ID if needed.
12. Save the Sub-Fund: Click "Save" to create the sub-fund.

Text Giving & Fund Setup

How to Set Up Text Giving Keywords

1. Login to the control panel: Click "Funds" from the left navigation menu.
2. Create or edit a fund: Enter the text message codes in the designated field.
3. Save: Click "Save" to commit the changes.

How to Set Up Default Text Giving Fund/Sub-Fund

To set up a default text giving fund for gifts without a keyword:

1. Login to the control panel.
2. Click "Funds" from the left navigation menu.
3. Click the Star icon in the fund (or sub-fund) row you wish to make default.

How to Set Default Gift Amount

1. Login to the control panel: Click "Funds" from the left navigation menu.
2. Click the gear icon and enter the default gift amount.
3. Save: Click "Save" to commit the changes.

Advanced Settings

How to Elect a Fund as Non-Tax Deductible

1. Login to the control panel: Click "Funds" from the left navigation menu.
2. Select the gear icon next to the fund.
3. Choose "Use non-tax-deductible gateway terminal".
4. Click "Save" to commit changes.

How to Set Up ChMS Fund Recording

1. Login to the control panel: Create or edit a fund.
2. Add the External Fund ID or select the ChMS fund/program.
3. Click "Save" to complete the setup.

Generating Links & Reports

How to Get Website Link to Fund

1. Login to the control panel: Click the gear icon next to the fund.
2. Select "Website Link", "Sole Fund Link", or "Customize Website Link" for advanced options.

How to Download Spreadsheet with Fund Links

1. Login to the control panel: Click the Export button at the bottom left of the page.
2. Select "Export CSV Spreadsheet With Links" to download the fund links.

How to Download Spreadsheet with Sub-Fund Links

1. Login to the control panel: Select "View Sub Funds" for a specific fund.
2. Click the Export button and choose "Export CSV Spreadsheet With Links".

FAQs

• Can I track donations by campus? Yes, by setting up primary funds as campus locations, you can track donations by campus.
• How do I hide a fund from the donation form? Edit the fund and choose to hide it from the primary donation form in the settings.
• Can I use shared text giving keywords for multiple campuses? Yes, shared keywords can be set up, and the system will automatically detect the donor's preferred campus.
• How do I set a default text giving fund? Click the star icon next to the fund in the control panel to set it as the default.
• What is the best way to organize multi-campus funds? Create primary funds for each campus and sub-funds for specific purposes. Use the same or shared text giving codes for streamlined giving.