No cash? No problem! The future of giving is in the app

Cash is losing relevance in society generally; and that presents both a problem and an opportunity for all churches: how can people give during the offering without it? That question led to the creation of Givt – an app designed for church and charity use to allow people to donate in all situations.

COVID-19 has changed the way people interact with the church and has revealed a flaw in the majority of cashless solutions. Givers want to give, not pay, and give regardless of where they are. What is needed is a solution like Givt, which utilises a smart phone app for all donations. It allows people to give while watching an online service, or while sitting in the church building, on their phone – instantly. That allows churches to keep the ‘giving moment’, even when we are all apart.

“We fully believe that giving is more than a financial transaction – it is also a relational transaction,” said Sjoerd van Oort, the co-founder of Givt. “All current solutions for donations only provide the financial side of the transaction. We are convinced that if we optimally support the person donating, that person will give more freely. Giving becomes fun.”

Post COVID giving

The church building is special, not only as a place to worship but also as a place to come together as a community. As churches begin to reopen people want to come and interact in that space, and the collection is a part of the tradition. Givt allows churches to keep the collection in the service without the need to pass around a collection bag: simply give from your seat with your phone – based on your location or by finding the church in the list. Using the Givt location feature, the app will recognise that the giver is in a particular church and allow them to give directly, without the need for a terminal. That is the safest way to have an offering and allows people to use the same system for giving at home and in the church building.

When normal services resume Givt can equip collection bags and plates with small beacons which allows people to have the physical experience of giving and passing the bag – fitting seamlessly into the service.

Sjoerd van Oort explained: “The majority of people will continue to interact with the church online through streamed services, newsletters and websites for some time to come. We believe that keeping the giving moment during these interactions is more vital than ever, as it allows the congregation to come together and participate in the act of giving.

“Through QR codes and a list in the app of all churches using Givt, your congregations can give easily, anonymously and any amount they wish, exactly as they could do with cash in the offering bag.

“QR codes have the added benefit that they can be created for specific collections – say a mission fund – allowing people greater flexibility with their giving than standing orders or direct debits. We understand that these are great ways for people to give, but they lack the interaction and the moment that comes with giving during a service.”

Gift Aid

Givt also simplifies the Gift Aid process.

Said Sjoerd: “Gift Aid solutions currently on the market for cashless giving are cumbersome for both the giver and the church. Our solution to that is to automate it for you. Rather than filling out extensive details, our users simply select the Gift Aid button in the app and all subsequent donations are Gift Aided. For the church, we will claim all these Gift Aided amounts on your behalf through the full Gift Aid scheme, each week. HMRC will then transfer the Gift Aid directly to your account.

“That means that, unlike with cash, you can get the benefit of full Gift Aid without any administrative burden. We will also tell you what amounts you can claim under the Small Donations Scheme, so you get the best of both systems. We can confidently say that this is the best Gift Aid solution on the market for both givers and churches.”

• For more information visit www.givtapp.net/en-gb/giving-unites/ call 020 3798 8068 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.