Immanuel Lutheran Church

Electronic Giving

What is Electronic Giving?

Your Electronic Giving contributions are made through pre-authorized withdrawals (direct debit) from your bank checking or savings account.  You determine the amount and frequency of your contribution.  It can be an automatic recurring donation happening weekly (on Monday), semi-monthly (on the 1st and 15th), or monthly (on the 1st or 15th) or a one-time, single donation – the option is yours.  Your contribution is deposited into the Immanuel Lutheran Church account on the same day it is withdrawn from your account.  The transaction is performed by e.service® by Web from Vanco Services, LLC.  This company also processes transactions for the Simply Giving® program.  Vanco Services, LLC is a PCI (Payment Card Industry) Level 1 Compliant Service Provider specializing in electronic payment solutions.  They provide secure and reliable processing for both recurring and one-time transactions.  Vanco works with over 15,000 organizations in a variety of industries nationwide.  With more than 18 years of experience in Automated Clearing House (ACH) processing, cash management and risk management, Vanco has earned its reputation as a trusted industry leader.

What are the Benefits of Electronic Giving?

Electronic Giving is a safe, reliable way to accomplish your personal stewardship plan.  It allows you to manage your contributions through thoughtful planned giving and enables faithful stewardship.  Because your contribution is given consistently, you will not need to play “catch-up” at year-end, worry about forgotten checkbooks, or missed Sunday offerings.  However, you are not the only one that benefits.  Immanuel Lutheran Church benefits from steady, more predictable revenue throughout the year, more efficient bookkeeping, and greater confidence in meeting its financial commitments.

How do I start, update, or stop Electronic Giving?

It is easy!  Just use the instructions below that apply to your situation.

If you are enrolling as a new Electronic Giving member for the first time, you should:

1.  Select the "DONATE" button at the top or bottom of this page - this will bring up a secure page hosted by Vanco Services, LLC.

2.  Click on "Create a Profile" under "New Member" and use your e-mail address.

If you wish to make a one-time donation using Electronic Giving and do not wish to create a profile, you should:

1.  Select the "DONATE" button at the top or bottom of this page - this will bring up a secure page hosted by Vanco Services, LLC.

2.  Enter your donation amounts for the corresponding funds.

3.  Click on the "Continue" button and follow the directions on the next web page concerning your identification and the bank account you are using.

Enrollments and Updates using a paper form:

1.  Complete an Electronic Giving Authorization form (click here for form, click here for instructions).  This enrollment/update form is also available at the church.  Make sure your entries are legible and that you sign your form!  This form may be filled out on your computer.  Data entered by computer cannot be "saved" with the form.  It MUST be "printed" after you have typed in your appropriate data.  Be sure to "sign" the form before returning it.  We recommend that you also print a copy for your own records.

2.  Place it in an envelope marked "Attn: Immanuel Financial Secretary".

3.  Return the envelope and form to the church office or place it in the offering plate and the Immanuel Financial Secretary will enter the information for you.

4.  Please allow for adequate delivery and processing time when using this form so that your request may begin on the date you desire otherwise it will be processed on the next appropriate processing date.

Additional notes:

 •   Select the transfer date to be a Monday (for weekly) and the 1st and/or 15th for monthly or semi-monthly donations to help entry processing and efficiency in the Financial Secretary's recording program.

 •   To DONATE semi-monthly, add a donation for monthly on the 1st and add a second donation for monthly on the 15th.

 •   The transfer date is adjusted automatically to not display on a bank holiday or weekend for checking accounts.

 •   If you edit a donation that has an adjusted date, you need to enter the "unadjusted" date or the program displays an alert stating the date is invalid.   (For example; if you donate on the 1st of the month, but the 1st is a Saturday — the transaction date would be displayed as the 3rd, unless that Monday happened to be a bank holiday, then it would say the 4th.  If you edited the amount for such a record, you would need to reset the date to the 1st.)

 •   If you have problems editing a donation, delete that donation and add a new one.

 •   Changes from checking / savings accounts must be entered before 3:00 PM at least two business (bank) days prior to the donation date.

 •   When enrolling or updating using the paper form, additional lead time is necessary for delivery and processing to ensure that your desired donation start date can be achieved.

 •   Selecting the "Summary" tab in your record will display your scheduled donations.

 •   If a fund that you wish to donate to is not listed, please contact the Financial Secretary for guidance.

Whom do I contact if I have more questions about Electronic Giving?

Please contact the Immanuel Financial Secretary for your additional questions.  The Immanuel church office can refer you to either the Financial Secretary or assistant to the Financial Secretary.