Sunday, August 19, 2007

Did you know that you will need documentation for charitable contributions under $250?

I didn't. Some churches are getting around the problem by allowing their members to charge their contribution (some will only take debit cards fearing that their members may go into debt, giving money they can't afford to give) or have installed an ATM machine:

Automatic checking account withdrawals are used by some churches, and more recently, ATM-like kiosks are now available in many church corridors and lobbies, where parishioners can swipe a card and receive a printed receipt, which they can either save for the IRS or plunk into the collection basket with a flourish, so pew mates will know they're not spiritual freeloaders.

The card-swipe kiosks were a brainchild of Dr. Marty Baker, pastor of Stevens Creek Community Church in Augusta, Georgia. They were so successful in his own church that he now markets the devices privately and has placed them in 35 congregations across the U.S. "People don't carry cash," he says, noting that total income from contributions has increased 18% since the first kiosk was installed in 2005. Coins and paper money now account for less than 5% of that total.

(via)

My pastor will not allow us to automate the process of giving to the church. He believes that we should give consciously, not automatically. But our giving would be more consistent if he allowed it. Sometimes we forget to contribute when we return from vacation.