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| Converting Congregants to Electronic Funds Transfer Increases Donation Consistency |
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| Simply Giving® is a modern-day stewardship program created by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and administered by Vanco Services, a leading provider of electronic payment solutions. The e.service® Thrivent Financial EFT service is ideal for recurring transactions such as weekly offerings and is available to Lutheran institutions at no cost through the support of Thrivent Financial. With EFT, recurring donations or tuition payments are automatically transferred from a congregation member's checking or savings account into the appropriate church or school account. EFT works equally well for processing one-time transactions including ticket sales, auctions and one-time gifts. |
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| Benefits |
| See how EFT can increase revenue, promote consistent year-round giving and reduce administrative tasks while enhancing donor loyalty and satisfaction. |
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| FAQs |
| Get answers to frequently asked questions about EFT. |
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| How It Works |
| View the steps involved, from initial authorization to payment confirmation. |
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| Get Started |
| To sign up for the e.service® Thrivent Financial EFT service, download the enrollment forms or contact a Vanco Services representative. |
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The Simply Giving® Program
e.service® Thrivent Financial EFT Service |
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| Benefits Back to Top |
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| EFT offers important benefits to both your organization and its donors. |
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| Improves Donation Consistency |
| When EFT is used to automate religious offerings and tuition, funds are received exactly as scheduled and cash flow becomes more predictable. EFT is an effective way to reduce seasonal slumps in giving. |
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| Reduces Administrative Activity |
| Automating recurring transactions with EFT eliminates the time spent manually processing checks and pursuing past-due commitments. Once a recurring transaction is entered and scheduled, it does not have to be re-entered again. |
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| Frees Up Staff Time |
| EFT increases productivity by reducing the staff time spent manually processing checks. The greater the number of checks you currently handle each week, the greater potential time savings. |
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| Notifies You of Returns Faster |
| Receiving notification of returns within two business days of the payment date allows you to address situations quickly. |
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| Enhances Donor and Patron Loyalty |
| For congregants accustomed to writing 52 checks a year, EFT is a welcome way to make weekly offerings. |
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| Provides Security |
| EFT is more secure than checks, which can be misplaced, lost or even stolen at many points throughout the process. |
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| Improves Accuracy |
| EFT eliminates the errors arising from illegible and incomplete checks or from posting errors. |
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| Helps the Environment |
| Check use has declined dramatically in recent years in part because of the heightened awareness of the resources consumed in printing, processing and transporting checks. EFT is a paperless solution. |
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| How It Works Back to Top |
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Authorize |
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Members authorize the church or school to debit donations or tuition fees from their checking or savings accounts by completing a Member Enrollment and Authorization Form. |
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Enter the Transaction |
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After receiving a signed Member Enrollment and Authorization Form, the donation or payment information is entered into Vanco's online Service Center for processing. The online Service Center is the secure website where the electronic transactions are entered and managed. Once a recurring transaction—such as a weekly donation or monthly tuition payment—has been entered, the rest is automated and continues as scheduled until changed, put on hold or cancelled. Our friendly Vanco implementation specialists have helped thousands of Lutheran institutions get started and our customer service staff is readily available to provide ongoing assistance. |
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Process |
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Prior to each scheduled donation or payment, Vanco transmits a file with payment information via the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network. |
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Deposit |
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Deposits are made to your account for the total amount of the EFT transactions according to the timing specified on the Member Enrollment and Authorization Forms. |
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Confirm |
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Vanco generates a report confirming all deposits made to your account. Donors in turn see the transactions on account statements from their financial institutions. |
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| Frequently Asked Questions Back to Top |
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| Are there any charges to either the individuals or the Lutheran institutions participating in the EFT program? |
| No. All fees associated with the e.service® Thrivent Financial EFT service are paid by Thrivent Financial as their gift to the Lutheran community. |
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| What is EFT? |
| EFT is the secure electronic transfer of an authorized payment from your donor's checking or savings account into your account. EFT may also be referred to as direct debit, Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer, direct payment, automatic bill payment, automated debit and electronic payment. |
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| What types of organizations offer EFT? |
| Nonprofit organizations of every type and size now offer EFT to manage recurring donations, tuition and other payments. In addition to churches, schools and other faith-based institutions, EFT is also used effectively by a wide range of humanitarian, cultural and educational organizations. |
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| Are there any special hardware or software needs? |
| No. Your only requirement is a personal computer with an Internet connection. You simply log into Vanco's secure, easy-to-use, online Service Center to manage your transactions. Friendly customer service representatives are available to help you with any questions. |
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| Does the service require a long-term contract? |
| No long-term contract is required. Our philosophy is to retain our clients with superior products and service. |
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| Will donors use EFT? |
| Absolutely! Chances are the majority of your donors are already making or receiving at least one payment via EFT. |
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| How do church members visibly demonstrate their participation in the weekly offering? |
| This is the most frequently asked question from churches considering the Simply Giving® program. A supply of Simply Giving® stickers is provided to each congregation for use by members who then affix them to their offering envelopes. |
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| How do donors know the dollar amount and date of deductions from their accounts? |
| For a recurring transaction, the amount and the timing will be exactly as specified on the original authorization form and will continue until a change is made. If the planned donation date is a Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday, the deduction will occur on the next business day following that date. The debit will appear on the donor's statement from his or her financial institution. |
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| Where can I get more information on the program? |
| Please contact Vanco Services. Our representatives are happy to help you find the answers to your specific questions. |
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| Get Started Back to Top |
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| Enroll in the Simply Giving® program today! |
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To sign up for the e.service® Thrivent Financial EFT service, download, print and complete the Simply Giving® Enrollment Forms and mail the paperwork to:
Simply Giving®
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
4321 N Ballard Rd
Appleton, WI 54919 |
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| Simply Giving® Enrollment Forms (PDF) |
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