GIVING FAQ’S

Online Giving Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I designate my contribution?

Yes, you can designate your gift to go toward one of the following accounts:

· 01 Tithes: This account can be used for regular tithes. This supports all the ministries and general operations of our church.

· 02 General Missions: Gifts given to this account help Calvary support, on a monthly basis, over 145 missionaries and mission organizations through the Biblical principal, “…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

·03 By Faith: The By Faith Initiative, launched in 2011, is Calvary’s church-wide campaign to raise the funds needed for the continued renovations and development of our facility. You may think of it as Calvary’s building fund.

·04 Benevolence: This account is our benevolence fund. It is used to help people in our church family who are experiencing temporary financial hardship.

We may also add additional accounts at specific times.

Q: What are the benefits of online giving?

There are several benefits to online giving for both you and the church.

· Simplicity -You will not need to remember if you gave this month or pay period, or send your offering checks when you are out of town.

· Security -Online giving is more secure than giving with a check in that an electronic gift can’t be lost or stolen. For additional information on how Calvary Church keeps your information and contributions secure, refer to Online Giving Policies

.·No Distractions -Instead of needing to worry about writing your contribution check during the service, you can be fully engaged with the worship service, knowing that you have already given your offering.

·Helping Calvary Church – Since the information is logged to your donor record and deposited automatically, online contributions require less processing from our administrative and volunteer staff.

Q: Is it safe to give online?

Yes. In many ways giving online is safer than writing a check because an electronic gift cannot be lost or stolen. The security of the system is continually managed by our online provider, Fellowship One.

Q: What types of accounts can I use to give?

You can give online using your checking account, with your bank routing and account numbers. You can also use a credit or debit card. Please note, however, that Calvary Church encourages practices that promote healthy personal finances, which includes the role of debt . Please exercise wise stewardship when using a credit card to give.

Q: How is using my bank's online bill pay feature for my donations different; and should I switch?

You do not necessarily need to switch. Calvary Church online giving is different from your bank’s online bill pay feature in two ways: First, with Calvary’s system, donations are immediately recorded to the church and placed in your giving history at the time of your contribution, whereas your bank takes time (several days) to process and mail a check to the church. Secondly, Calvary’s online giving is processed electronically, so there is no need for our offering volunteers to handle a physical check.

Q: Are there any fees involved with giving online?

You will not pay any fees with an online gift. Calvary is charged minimal

fees; however, online gifts are a more accurate, cost efficient, and convenient way for the church to process donations.

Q: Can I make a one-time contribution?

Yes. The system allows you the option of either making a one-time contribution or setting up a recurring contribution. For a one-time contribution, you can give immediately or, for both one-time and recurring contributions, you can schedule the contributions to come out of your bank account on the date(s) specified by you.

Q: If I want to setup a recurring gift, what are my options for frequency of my gift?

For recurring gifts, you have the option of giving weekly, monthly, twice a month (1st and 16th) or every two weeks. You may also specify the starting and ending dates for your recurring gifts.

Q: Can I change my personal information or the amount or frequency of my gift once I have set it up?

Yes. You can change or cancel your contribution at any time before the date of your next scheduled contribution (once a contribution has been processed it cannot be cancelled).

Simply log in to the system using your user name and password and make the necessary changes in the system.

Q: Can I review my donation history online?

Yes. The site will allow you to view the complete history of your contributions, given either online or otherwise. Once you’ve created an account, you will be able to contribute immediately. In some cases, before you can see any past contributions, we must manually connect your online account with your previous information. This is a one-time process that usually happens within a week of creating your account. After that, you can view your giving history (online or by check) at any time.

Q: How long does it take for my donation history to post online for review?

When you first set up your online giving profile, it will take about a week for our staff to link your InFellowship ID with the church database record.

After this you will be able to review your previous gifts to Calvary Church in the online giving section of the website. Once your record is linked, future gifts will be posted and available for viewing immediately.

Q: Can I see giving history for other members of my household?

Yes. If you are in the system as an adult, you will be able to view giving history for all members of your household. In order to view history or generate a statement for selected people in your household, select the person or people you want to display under the “Contributions for” selector and click View. Click the “Download Statement” link to generate a statement for the person or people in view. If you or someone in your household (i.e. an adult child) would like to be separated from the rest of the household, please contact the church finance office.

Q: Why are some transactions attributed to my household and others to an individual?

All online giving transactions are attributed to the individual whose InFellowship ID was used to set up and process the transaction.

This is because an InFellowship ID is used for one unique person and cannot be shared among multiple people. Paper checks processed

by the church are usually attributed to the household. We anticipate this difference not being an issue for married couples filing jointly since it doesn’t matter whose name is on a gift for tax deduction purposes.

For instances when you need to show an individual’s giving on a separate statement, select the person you want to display under the “Contributions for” selector and click View. Click the “Download statement” link to generate a statement for the person in view.

Q: Will I still receive regular contribution statements from the church?

You will not receive a printed contribution statement mailed to your postal address if you have created an InFellowship ID. InFellowship gives you the opportunity to print or download your statement at any time for the current year and past year. If you ever need a printed statement sent to you, you may contact our finance department, and we will be happy to mail one.

Q: When will contributions be taken from my account?

Contributions will be taken from your specified bank account within 2 business days of the date you requested. This time frame allows time for the contribution to process through your bank and the church’s bank. If the date of your contribution falls on a weekend or a holiday, the transaction will be initiated on the next banking day.

Q: How will I know that I set up my gift correctly?

Very shortly after submitting your contribution, you will receive an email verifying your contribution and you will see it in your giving history online.

If giving for the first time after setting up your account, you will be able to see past giving history in about a week.

Q: Does it matter which internet browser I use?

Any browser will work, including many mobile devices.

Q: Who can I contact with additional questions about online giving?

For any questions, concerns or comments about the online giving system, please contact our finance department. You will receive a response from someone as soon as possible.