New eGiving smartphone app about to be released
The South Pacific Division first launched a smartphone app for members to use when returning tithes and offerings in 2014. The number of members using the app to return tithes and give offerings has continued to grow from 2014 to 2019. Every quarter the number increases as more members switch from cash to electronic giving through the eGiving app or eGiving website. Through the operations of our helpdesk and customer services, we have learned that there were several, user experiences in the eGiving app that we needed to address; hence, the work on a new version.
TIMING
We expect a new app to be available for upgrade from the app stores on both apple and android phones to our South Pacific Division Church members in QTR 3, 2019.
COLLABORATIVE
There are some crucial functionalities that remain the same in the new app. Firstly, the South Pacific Division’s eGiving app is very collaborative in that each Union, Conference, and Church can edit and add offerings to the Tithes & Offerings system that runs the back end of the phone app.
EFFICIENT
Another important foundational platform of the SPD eGiving app is that every local church uses the same bank in the South Pacific and the SPD has linked the accounts together in what is termed “Central Monetary Fund” accounts. Hence the SPD is about to receive funds given through eGiving and can very promptly deposit those funds back into the local church account. This historical banking system has been able to achieve remarkable benefits for every entity across the entire division
When an eGIver gives tithe and offering through eGiving, that deposit is transferred from the SPD into the local church bank account, and the data on the transaction is automatically entered into the ledger of the local church treasurer. eGiving has saved hundreds of thousands of hours of local church volunteer time, and time at the Conference office treasury level as well. Less cash needs to be held from Sabbath to Monday banking. Less data entry, fewer mistakes, and more prompt reporting are just some of the benefits of eGiving.
SINGLE TRANSACTION
The other functionality that remains the same is that the giver can bundle several transactions into the one transaction. Tithe, church offerings, Sabbath School offerings, and any other gifts can be given in one single transaction, with the system reporting them separately in the ledger so that funds are treated appropriately.
CALENDAR OF OFFERINGS
The Australia Union and the two conferences in New Zealand are unique in the global Seventh-day Adventist Church in that they are the only fields that use the approved “Calendar of Offerings” plan approved by the General Conference Working Policy. This means that each year, the South Pacific Division creates a calendar of offerings for each year. On that calendar is a prescribed ratio of local church offerings to non-local offerings. The General Conference mission offerings and the South Pacific Division ministry & institution offerings are added. Unions also add their unique offerings which may be for institutions and mission partnerships such as between the AUC and Timor Leste.
NEW FEATURES
- Look & feel
- Ease of Use
- Recurring payments can be set up / edit settings
- Adventist identity in the branding
- Ability to easily edit giving profile and update preferences
- Geo Location
- Bundled transactions remain
- More simple to use with fewer choices
- History of giving available to the user
- Ability to nominate a home church
- Quick credit/debit card entry. Using a card scanner.
- Moved from Zamarin platform on the current eGiving app to React Native platform on the new app
If your Division is interested in talking to the South Pacific Division about the eGiving app, other division officers can catch up with the SPD leaders at Annual Councils or email Francois Keet HERE. Our Associate CFO of the SPD oversees our Tithes and Offerings system.
