$343 billion is expected to be lost to online payment fraud between 2023 and 2027. Wow!
Here's the problem: Just because your church isn't a business doesn't mean your church or your members can't fall victim to scams, hackers, or fraud.
Now more than ever, churches need to protect themselves and their donors.
In their 2023 Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations: Innovation Amidst and Beyond COVID-19 study, the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found that 69% of congregations had adopted online giving and mobile giving, up from 50% surveyed pre-pandemic in 2020.
This is great news for churches wanting to secure their financial future! Because many of those same churches in the survey also reported a greater per capita rate of donations than the churches that don't use online giving. See the chart below.
Online donation software is a boon for many churches, giving them the funds they need to pay the bills and do the Lord's work. But it's not without risks...
So...is your church's giving secure?
Are you one of the 69% of churches using online giving? If so, is the platform you're using as secure as possible? And does your church practice safe online giving?
Let's talk about secure church online giving platforms and what your church can do to stay safe.
When choosing an online giving provider, make sure they provide these features (or integrate with a platform that does):
But these 6 features still aren't enough. Securing online church donations isn't a "set it and forget it" feature, even if you have the most secure platform available.
So before I get into what to look for in church giving software providers, let's talk about what you can do to protect your church and members.
Educating staff, volunteers, and members on phishing scams and online fraud helps them avoid suspicious activity. This will go a long way to help avoid financial loss and data breaches.
Strong passwords and regular password changes greatly improve account security and prevent unauthorized access. Teach your members to use strong passwords for everything, and make sure you and your leaders and regularly changing passwords on devices you use at church.
Make it a habit to address these issues regularly. Consider asking your Sunday School or small group leaders to teach their groups on this topic. Once every few months is a great start.
As you have figured out by now, prioritizing security features is crucial.
Look for providers who offer robust security and PCI compliance to safeguard donor information. Reach out to providers and ask detailed questions about their security measures, including data storage protocols and access controls.
However, here's a shortcut you can use: Checking user reviews.
User reviews give you a glimpse into a provider's reliability and trustworthiness. If other churches have experienced issues with fraud or security on any platform, don't bother with that platform.
ChurchTrac has joined forces with Stripe, giving you world-class security on the most user-friendly platform to manage your ministry.
Churches must prioritize the security of their online giving platform. There's too much at stake to take secure giving for granted!
To protect donors and your institution, choose a secure online giving solution and educate staff and members on cybersecurity best practices. These two things alone could help more people see your church as safe and trustworthy.
You'll breathe easier knowing your church and your members are much safer from fraud!
Matt
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