Set up Giving
Before you can accept online donations, track donations from a Sunday service, or download donation reports, you'll need to set up Giving. Follow the steps in this guide when you're ready to set everything up so you're ready to go!
Important
The organization administrator who added Giving to your account is the only one with access to complete setup. Once setup is complete, you can add additional users. See Permissions in Giving for an overview of additional roles.
Complete the setup wizard in Giving
The first time you open Giving, you'll see the Getting started with Giving page. To view the product, complete the entire setup process.
Select Continue with setup on the Getting started page.
(Optional) Select Invite user on the Invite Giving administrators page to add another Giving administrator, which is the highest level of access. Additional users with different levels of access can also be added at any time once setup is complete.
Type the person's name into the search box and select their name. If they don't have a profile already, enter their details in the Edit profile popup, then select Save.
Select Send Invite Now to give this person access to Giving.
When you're finished adding administrators, select Next step.
Select Set in account settings on the Set your currency page to choose a currency for your account. Giving is available in United States dollars, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, and New Zealand dollars.
In account settings, choose your currency from the dropdown.
Type your selected currency code in the Confirm your currency box.
Select Save currency.
(Optional) Select Set up Payments to complete the setup process for Planning Center Payments, which is what processes online donations and event payments. Follow the steps in Accept online donations and event payments with Planning Center Payments to complete setup.
Select Skip for now to continue setting up Giving. If you skip this step, you won't be able to accept online donations immediately.
Select Edit in account settings on the Confirm your basic contact info page to add your organization's contact information. An email and phone number are required.
Enter your organization's email and phone number.
Select Save contact information to return to Giving.
Enter a name and description for your default fund on the Create your default fund page.
Choose whether or not the fund should be listed on Church Center. If you choose Unpublished, only administrators can designate donations to this fund.
Select Next.
Review the information and additional resources on the You're ready to track donations page, then select Continue to Giving.
Create additional funds and add payment sources
Before you begin accepting online donations and entering cash or check donations, take some time to create additional funds and payment sources so that a donor's intent is clear.
Funds are used to track a donor's intent for their donation. The Create and manage funds article will walk you through setting up more funds.
Payment sources track where a donation came from. Maybe you have donations from an old donation software, receive non-deductible donations from charitable retirement funds, or accept donations through digital wallets —create a payment source for each one so that you have a complete giving picture. The Create and manage payment sources article will walk you through setting up payment sources.
Manage additional settings
You will find additional settings on the Settings tab on the Manage page in Giving. From here you can enable features like donor numbers and text2give, and adjust donation receipts. The Manage settings article will explain each setting in more detail.
Configure your online donation form
While your online donation form will be available by default after you've set up Giving (including Planning Center Payments) and Church Center, there are a few additional features that you get to decide whether or not are available to donors while donating, such as a memo line or express giving. You can turn these features on or off from the Donation form tab on the Manage page in Giving. The Manage your online donation form article will explain each feature in more detail.
Important
Don't forget to enable the Church Center mobile app in the Publishing product! The Activate the Church Center mobile app will walk you through the process.
Import donations
If you'd like to include historical donations from another system in Giving, use the donation import tool to import a CSV file of donations. The Import donation history article will walk you through the process of preparing your CSV file and completing the import.
Prepare for rollout
Along with getting Giving set up and ready to accept donations, it's equally as important to prepare for rolling things out to your church. If you are using an online donation platform for the first time, you'll want to spend time teaching your congregation how to donate and manage their information online. If you're transitioning to Giving from another donation platform, you'll want to focus on helping donors learn about Church Center and what they need to do to switch over their donations.
No matter which situation you find yourself in, communication is key. Communicate the plan clearly with everyone so they know what to expect.
Here are a few tips for planning your rollout:
Give yourselves 1-2 months to complete the rollout process.
If you're transitioning from another system, announce your intention to switch to Giving to your congregation, including the dates that the two platforms will overlap and the transition end date.
Start publishing the URL for online giving and information on the Church Center app in bulletins and on websites. Many churches use videos during a service and emails to announce their change. You can learn additional promotional materials available in Promote Church Center to your congregation.
Make yourselves available for questions and help in setting up recurring donations, payment methods, etc.
Next steps and additional resources
Now that Giving is set up and you've planned rollout, you're ready to start tracking donations! Check out these resources to help you get started on the right foot: