Welcome

You represent a religious organization, and you may already have had experience with the ability of the Internet to enhance your work. You are a believer.

Or, you wonder if it is worthwhile to invest precious resources given to you in trust by others, into what is just more technology. You are a skeptic.

Regardless, you are a decision maker. Our goal here is to help you with those decisions---by providing you with facts, ideas, resources and concepts.

Are we biased? Absolutely. The Internet is the printing press, telephone, television, meeting hall, secretary, fundraiser and more all rolled into one. You could say no to all that, but then you must know why. And as for the service CharityWeb offers, we think it's the best in the market. You decide.

We invite you to explore your options. You may click on the item which interests you, or just simply scroll down the page.

Our service

CharityWeb provides e-commerce (on-line giving, on-line purchase) solutions at low-cost, high security and in real-time.

1. What is real-time processing ?
2. How does Credit Card processing on-line works?
3. What are the advantages of real-time on-line processing compared to other methods for accepting donations and payments?
4. What is the problem with using Encrypted E-mail to gather credit card information?
5. How do I decide between other options and companies?
6. What are the cost and features of CharityWeb's service?
7. Are there other ways to accept on-line payments besides credit card and check?
8. Why do I have to get a merchant account? Can't we just use yours?

Free resources

In this section, we explore some of the issues about the Internet itself, and discuss its potential and limits to helping your group. We point you towards other web resources, and hope that this discussion will help in your decision making process.

1. Will the Internet add to the service or ministry my religious group provides?
2. What are some of the unique needs faced by religious institutions?
3. What are the capabilities of the Internet?
   1. History
   2. The message is the medium
   3. Presence is the key
   4. Uses
4. Other Resources

Other Implementation Questions and Answers

1. What does it mean to "process" a credit card?
2. Why should I automate the acceptance of credit cards at my Web site?
3. Are there religious groups like mine that are successfully accepting credit cards?
4. What is an Internet Merchant Account?
5. How do I get an Internet Merchant Account?
6. Can I use my existing Merchant Account with CharityWeb?
7. What banks will work with me to help me establish an Internet Merchant Account?
8. I have a checking account with my local bank but they cannot provide me with an Internet Merchant Account. Can I still work with my bank?
9. What kind of bank fees can I expect to pay for an Internet Merchant Account?
10. How long does it take to get an Internet Merchant Account?
11. I am an international merchant. Will I be able to use CharityWeb?
12. Can I process transactions in non-US currency?
13. Even though my transactions are processed in US dollars, can I accept international credit cards?
14. What kind of donation/purchase volumes are non-profits and religious organizations achieving on the World Wide Web?
15. I’m having trouble attracting people to my Web site to make donations/purchases. What am I doing wrong?

Secure on-line giving/on-line purchase in real-time

At CharityWeb, we recommend on-line giving/purchase done in real time. Or in Internet language: e-commerce solution. On-line means your donor makes a gift or a purchase through the Internet, usually by entering a credit card or check number. Real-time means that the financial transaction takes place electronically all the way, from the moment the donation is made till its receipt by you. No staff person needs to get involved.

We construct a payment/donation web page that is linked to your organization's existing web pages. When your supporter is ready to make a gift or payment to you, they will fill out their credit card (or check) number, together with whatever other data you request (e.g. interest, religious affiliation, address, permission for future contact etc.) This information is then sent from their computer via encrypted code to our secured server.

The donor receives an immediate on-line receipt, your merchant account is credited, and we add their information to your database. Depending on the information you have requested or required from them, you can learn about the reasons why they are interested in you. This information is invaluable for planning future projects undertaken by you.

• This payment method is secure all the way. No unencrypted credit card numbers pass through some random server somewhere in cyberspace to be copied.
• The information lies in our own secure server, which is dedicated to this one use only.
• The data to be collected can be customized for you and organized automatically.
• The elimination of hours spent manually processing checks and credit cards can then be dedicated to your core work and mission. This lets technology free people up to do ministry---which only people, and not machines, do.Back to Top

How does Credit Card on-line giving in Real-time work?

	Your donor enters their credit card number and amount of payment on the donation web page CharityWeb has set up.
	This is sent via encryption directly to CharityWeb's secure server. We organize data from your donors for you. (And never resell or use this data ourselves)
	CharityWeb transmits the credit card information to our Internet Gateway, who then has a private line to the Acquiring Processor. The Processor verifies the availability of funds and "authorizes" the donation. The cardholder's available credit limit is reduced by the authorized amount.
	For you to receive credit cards over the Internet, you will need to set up an Internet Merchant Account with your bank, which must be able to connect with First Data Merchant Processing Services, Nashville Platform. Some banks have yet to provide such Internet services. If not, we can recommend a good Internet Merchant Account which can also take care of your other credit card and check transactions. (A set up fee of $250 is required) You will be given a merchant identification number (MID) and a terminal identification number (TID) when you set-up your merchant account. CharityWeb will need this for configuring your account on our server.
	The Acquiring Processor tells the bank issuing the credit card (donor's bank) to move money to your bank (acquiring bank). The settlement takes 3-5 days.
	The donor receives a receipt, which they can print out. CharityWeb send you a regular report of the donations made to you. Back to Top

Issue

Conventional practice

Internet solution

Ecological

(Stewardship of Creation)

Encrypted E-mail Solution?

The Problem with Regular E-mail. Since many organizations are familiar with the e-mail, it becomes a logical step to think about gathering registration information, including credit card numbers, through an e-mail link attached to the web pages. This method complements communication methods of phone and post. However, the problem is that e-mail of any kind can be broken into easily. In addition, e-mail content, including those credit card numbers, passes through different servers along the electronic route, and can be grabbed by any mischievous hacker.

Obstacle

The biggest obstacle to an e-mail solution is not with technology but with the banks. They most likely will not allow you to do so. If you already have a merchant account to process credit cards the conventional way, your contract most likely prohibits you from receiving credit card numbers via e-mail and over the Internet. Check with your bank. (To use credit cards on the Internet, a separate Internet Merchant Account is required, for which the best use is the real-time solution we offer.) Banks perceive Internet transactions to be riskier, not because of the technology per se, but because of the unknowing risks their customers have taken, like collecting credit information in e-mail form. Banks with limited Internet client experience are reluctant to discuss adding Internet services to existing merchant accounts because they assume their clients are talking about precisely these risky methods. Some organizations innocently use the Encrypted E-mail method without telling the bank. But if the bank were to find out---through exploring your website---they can revoke the existing merchant account. A revoked or refused merchant account then makes it difficult to apply for another one in the future, or your rates will be higher. (Sort of like car insurance and speeding tickets.) Back to Top

Deciding between different options

There are other firms providing similar services. As you weigh your options, please consider the following:

• Percentage vs. flat fee for transactions. Some providers don't charge a set up fee for the donation page, but take a percentage (e.g. 10%) of each donation or purchase. Or they may rely on corporate sponsorship, so that your donation page is linked to corporate advertising. At CharityWeb, we have chosen a flat fee of 39 cents for each transaction, regardless of the amount charged. So, if you receive $100, it will cost you 39 cents and not $10. The issue here for us is philosophical: we do not charge a percentage because we do not profit by someone else's generosity to you. You receive 100% of the donation. However, we charge a flat fee because there is a cost to any transaction.
• Free setup. It's great, but how will the firm provide maintenance? What will the quality of the donation page be like? Will the provider have the bandwidth (i.e. ability to process electronic information per unit of time) to cope with voluminous transactions during peak periods like the holidays? CharityWeb charges a setup fee, which is our promise that you will receive a quality product.
• Where is the donation page located? Will it be on a secure server dedicated only to financial transactions? A server dedicated to multiple uses is less secure.
• Is it Real-time or modified e-mail? A few on-line credit card services are essentially e-mail services. The credit card information arrives in your office as e-mail that has to be manually processed. Furthermore, great care must be taken to ensure an e-mail service is secure. CharityWeb is real time, secure along the whole path the data takes, and you receive automatic statements and fund transfers.
• Whose account? Some providers route donations and purchases from you and everyone else into a "trust" or centralized account. The provider's bank first receives the money and then returns it to you. CharityWeb takes the opposite position: the money is routed to your own merchant account. As such, you take care of your money; we take care of the technology.
• Web page design. We do hope you are sharing someone dedicated to web page design, who can regularly and effectively communicate the dynamism of your ministry. Do remember, however, that web design is primary an artistic endeavor, and that on-line financial processing setup is a programming task.
• Do it yourself. Of course you can. The immediate challenge is cost and security: purchasing or leasing a secured server, dedicated only to financial transactions and housed in a physically secure place. A server that is also being simultaneously used to provide e-mail services or other computing activity is prone to security breaches. Then you will need to hire, or use an in-house expert, to set up and regularly maintain the donation page. If the in-house job is done by volunteers, or for whom this is a secondary responsibility, be aware of all of the traditional challenges of securing relevant, continuous and consistent service. In the end, you will be bearing the cost of starting our business---without the ability of spreading it among other clients. We believe you are better off with third party service providers like us-together with photocopier rentals, food caterers, security guards etc.-who allow organizations like yours to focus on your main mission.

Our Service: cost and features

We provide you with:

1. a consistent, customized and secure place on the web where all payments (e.g. purchase of books, gifts and tickets, donations to your charitable activities, membership pledges, monthly tithe etc.) can be made, thus,
2. decreasing the cost of transaction by establishing one merchant account,
3. minimizing the need for manual transactions, and
4. generating a database of people served by you.
5. a continued relationship of quality service

Will the Internet add to the service or ministry we provide?

Nothing substitutes for good service or ministry: putting people first by nurturing them. No Internet technology can replace a program that meets needs with passion and focus. What Internet tools can do for ministry is to free up time and energy for your core work, whatever that is. However, since the first step in any ministry and service is to be present, religious institutions must therefore show up in cyberspace. You then bring them from virtual reality to community. And community is the task of human beings, aided by technology.

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The needs of religious organizations

Lowering costs and increasing revenue are challenges faced by all organizations. However, religious institutions and nonprofit institutions face even more: making their mission relevant in changing times; reaching out to an ever diverse, mobile and far-flung constituency; nurturing connection with supporters; and always doing more with less. Some of the issues you are might want to consider are:

• Outreach to new people. How can new people interested in our work find us easily?
• Service to existing members. In a global mobile culture, how can we help each other keep in touch? How can we mobilize our members to respond to the needs of the world?
• Greater organizational effectiveness · We have many volunteers helping us. Sometimes our different departments operate independently. How can we find areas of cooperative cost-savings?
• How can we be good stewards of our human, material and environmental resources i.e. save time and money? · How can we free up resources of time and money for actual service?

The capabilities and future of the Internet

History

Religious people might not be aware that the Internet was developed by the U.S. Military to ensure that communication would not fail in the event of a nuclear first strike. Because it is decentralized---hence Web---it cannot be knocked out. Ironically and happily so, this instrument of the Military has "democratized" communication by linking everyone who has the means of using a PC into a globally interconnected network. Think of it, no bomb ever evolved into a toy for children! Yet the Internet is used by peace activists in repressive countries to communicate with the outside world, for inner city libraries to be linked to research institutions, for friends and strangers around the world to talk and see each other. Indeed, in our turbulent age, we have this "miracle" of a sword being made into a ploughshare.

However, will the Internet remain a tool for building human community? It is, after all, just a tool for work, and what it accomplishes is shaped by those who are using it. In the 1980's Universities developed the Internet into a tool for research. In the 1990's, business made the World Wide Web a shopping mall. What about the 21st Century? Will religious people make their mark by imbuing the Internet with the values of their tradition?

The message is the medium

Conventional wisdom has it that the medium is the message. Was it delivered by someone famous? Was it done in a comforting trustworthy style? The message itself? Forget it. Now, religious people who speak in public know that delivery is important, or you bore your listeners. Nevertheless, in the age of the clever sound bite, people of faith are naturally concerned when glamor and glitz (and big money) substitute for substance.

The good news is that the Internet can make the message central again. It is important for religious groups to see that the Internet is NOT another oversized media machine, but the opposite. The Internet allows any group with a PC and phone line an opportunity to be seen and heard. With an ability to reach millions of people, this form of communication is far cheaper and more accessible than newspaper ads or billboards. A message of value---say a truly worthwhile company selling really good cheap tickets---will be noticed. And its reputation will spread by word of mouth, or more likely word of keyboard, as people send e-mail messages to their friends with the attached web links. For example, all of the current big Internet companies (Yahoo!, Amazon.com) got their reputation because they had something of value which people then recommended to each other. This is free advertising.

Websites with content of perceived value will be noticed. Religious traditions have value. The issue here is whether religious groups will use this opportunity.

You see, commercial advertising all say the same thing: you are not enough. You must slim down or bulk up, buy the new and get rid of the old. No one is inherently valuable---until you consume the product at hand. Therefore, advertising creates and feeds a sense of vacuum. People of faith hold the opposite, that there is inherent value---in a practice, teaching, belief, way of life, or community. So, why not proclaim this value? Why are you not (yet) using the Web?

Presence is the key

In the past, religious groups who have wanted to spread their beliefs or practices have sometimes encroached upon the territory of other groups. One group's success was perceived or experienced as another's loss. While Cyberspace--- the World Wide Web---is a "virtual" territory, there is no need for such fears. This is because the electronic pie is infinitely expandable. The good news is that ministry on the Web is a win-win situation for all. What is required is not domination but presence. And presence---showing up---is always the first step in ministry. This is true of congregations in neighborhoods, volunteers visiting the sick, or workers in disaster relief. Show up, and the growth in work follows. So, show up on the Web.

Remember, while the Internet begins with technology, what it will end up being is determined by our values and vision--- the very contents of our faith.

Uses for the Internet

At a conventional level, the Internet is a duplicator of the postal system, newsletter, bulletin board, bookstore, secretary etc. all lumped together. It compliments conventional means by providing relevant information about the organization. Remember to update the information, or else it soon looks like a recycled sermon or speech from two years ago. When it is maintained, well organized, and easy to search and read with important and relevant information on it, then it becomes an elegant and effective tool for people to come to you. A good example is Glide Memorial Church.

At a dynamic level, the Internet is a new synergistic entity, allowing for a unique real-time experience of connection. For example, a forum or speech at your church or temple can be web-cast live on the Internet, with anyone anywhere in the world login in cost-free from their own homes or offices. Grace Cathedral in San Francisco for example has made the Internet a standing ministry all on its own. Their website is in itself a new and unique gathering space for education, lectures and ministry.

Other uses:

1. List the items in your on-line bookstore or gift shop around events. Make a careful selection of books, CD's, and items geared towards baptisms, bar mitz vahs, funerals, hospitalizations, graduations, birthdays, etc. in the lives of your people. Now, friends and family from around the country can easily order and send these gifts at the appropriate time.
2. Let your sermon or teaching tapes be available on-line. These can be purchased, or acquired for free. In any case, you will want to charge postage, and these can be listed in your Internet Shop.

Other resources

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1. What does it mean to "process" a credit card? To process a credit card means to accept the card number for payment and have the transaction immediately authorized through a credit card processing network much like in a retail store when a merchant accepts your card and "swipes" it through a credit card terminal. In order for a merchant to accept credit cards for payment on the Internet, the merchant must have an Internet Merchant Account with an acquirer (usually a bank).
2. Why should I automate the acceptance of credit cards at my Web site? Focusing your energy on the mission of your organization, and attracting people to your site is your main task. Therefore, whatever else than can be automated ought to be, so that your operation is simplified and time is saved. Automation also puts you on a more level playing field with bigger players.
3. Are there religious groups like mine that are successfully accepting credit cards? Yes. Several faith-based disaster relief groups accept on-line donations. If you already accept credit card transactions in any of your activities, then automating the process is the next logical step. If you process checks and credit cards regularly, then jumping ahead and allowing for these payments to be made on the Web is the next step. In commercial language, accepting credit card payments in an automated fashion is a competitive advantage.
4. What is an Internet Merchant Account? In commercial language, someone accepting money(for a service or product) is called a merchant. In order for anyone to accept credit cards for payment on the Internet, this merchant must have an Internet Merchant Account with an acquirer (usually a bank). The acquirer takes on the job of processing the card and making sure the funds are deposited into the merchant's bank account. CharityWeb is the facilitator, moving the credit card transaction from the your (i.e.merchant's) web site to your bank's (i.e.the acquirer's) processing network. We receive the results and post them back to your site.
5. How do I get an Internet Merchant Account? To qualify for an Internet Merchant Account, you must have a checking account with a US bank. If you currently do not have an account with a bank, many acquiring institutions can assist you. Your acquiring institution must have the ability to set up your account to use the First Data Corporation Nashville processing platform.
6. Can I use my existing Merchant Account with CharityWeb? Your Merchant Account must be specifically designated for Internet transactions. If you currently have a Merchant Account, see if your acquiring institution(i.e. your bank) can provide you with an Internet Merchant Account.
7. What banks will work with me to help me establish an Internet Merchant Account? Any bank that can process credit card transactions through the First Data Corporation Nashville (also known as Envoy) platform, and supports Internet transactions should be able to work with you to set up your Internet Merchant Account. We can give you recommendations.
8. I have a checking account with my local bank but they cannot provide me with an Internet Merchant Account. Can I still work with my bank? Yes. There are are other acquiring institutions that can provide you with an Internet Merchant Account, who will then deposit the funds from your Internet transactions directly into your present checking account.
9. What kind of bank fees can I expect to pay for an Internet Merchant Account? Fees vary, so ask. Most acquirers charge an application fee that may range from $50 to $300. Some (but not all) acquirers will charge a minimum monthly fee, and/or a monthly statement fee. All acquirers will charge a discount rate, which is a percentage of the transaction, and can range from 1.5% to 4% per transaction. Many acquirers also charge an additional per transaction fee that is from $0.10 to $0.40 per transaction. We can some good recommendations on hand to give you.
10. How long does it take to get an Internet Merchant Account? That will depend on how complete the information your provide is. The process can take from two days to one month, or even longer.
11. I am an international organization. Will I be able to use CharityWeb? Yes, if you can qualify for an Internet Merchant Account with a US acquirer who can use CharityWeb's services. And, you must have a checking account with a US bank to qualify for a merchant account. If you do not currently have a US banking relationship, CharityWeb can assist you in obtaining a US Internet merchant account.
12. Can I process transactions in non-US currency? Currently all transactions processed through CharityWeb are in US dollars only.
13. Even though my transactions are processed in US dollars, can I accept international credit cards? Of course. Any credit card (Visa, MasterCard, etc) that you are qualified to accept through your acquirer, although issued in a foreign country, can be accepted by you. You end up receiving US dollars, and your donors are billed for the equivalent amount in their native currencies.
14. What kind of donation/purchase volumes are religious groups and non-profits achieving on the World Wide Web? In the business world, projections by leading industry analysts suggest that customers are going to keep coming to the Web to shop in increasing numbers. This makes a whole generation of people---and not just young people---accustomed to the Web as a place to conduct business, education and social activities. This primed group of people will be a natural and growing group of potential supporters for you. CharityWeb serves clients who are getting transactions ranging from a few to the thousands. Now, getting your sales or donation volume to grow is a function of the appropriateness of your product or service for Web-based activity, and your skill, enthusiasm and determination as a fund raiser and champion of your activities.
15. I’m having trouble attracting people to my Web site to make donations/purchases. What am I doing wrong? "Marketing" is a challenge in both the virtual world as it is in the "virtual" world. A couple of suggestions are: 1) offering a product or service that customers can reasonably decide to purchase on the Web (that doesn’t need to be physically seen or "tried out"). Something they are already familiar with, like prayer books from your tradition is an example; 2) taking every strategic and tactical step possible to effectively champion (i.e. "market") your site and your mission. If you believe in what you do, don't be bashful. Business principles in marketing are useful, and you are in more danger of not paying attention to them than overusing them. One excellent Web site where you can learn a lot about "marketing" your own site is www.wilsonweb.com.

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