Why Not to Use Other Online Giving Apps
Why Not to Use Them
We at Jewel Church Accounting System are aware that some churches are using peer-to-peer (P2P) payment apps such as Zelle and CashApp to accept donations from their members. More recently, some are using online giving platforms like Tithely. However, there are some very real and important issues involved with substituting these apps for AdventistGiving, an app specifically designed for the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Please encourage your members to use the AdventistGiving app. Most donors, if they know what’s easiest and best for you, will be happy to switch.
While P2P apps do include an optional memo, they do not require donors to specify the funds they wish to donate to. This puts an extra burden on the treasurer to verify and track the donors' wishes, and opens the door for miscommunication, misunderstanding, and accusations of misappropriation. P2P apps are NOT designed for the purpose of making church contributions. For the protection of our Treasurers and Donors, we recommend that churches NOT use these apps.
Online giving apps are a definite improvement over P2P apps, since they require donors to specify the fund(s) they are donating to. However, the local church treasurer is responsible for setting up all funds, while AdventistGiving comes with all Conference Funds already set up, in addition to the common Local Funds, all arranged in a format that's easy for donors to use. Also, these apps charge fees which the treasurer must enter separately from the donations, while AdventistGiving is free to the local church. And other apps do not produce reports that can be imported into Jewel.
Only AdventistGiving is set up specifically for Adventist donations, automatically collects all the necessary information about the donation, and passes it on seamlessly to the Treasurer to be imported directly into Jewel, saving time and virtually eliminating mistakes and misunderstandings. Our advice is that Adventist churches use only the AdventistGiving app/website to receive funds electronically. We suggest that you periodically place the following or a similar announcement in your church bulletin to inform your church members:
Online giving: AdventistGiving is the official giving app of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Please make every effort to use this app for your giving, as it saves steps for you and your hardworking treasurer. AdventistGiving seamlessly transmits your fund designations and imports directly into our Jewel Church Accounting program, saving time, effort and errors in entering donations and maintaining church records. Use AdventistGiving, and your treasurer will thank you!