A church app is a great way to encourage community growth throughout the year. From online donations to live video streams, a Catholic app can help parishioners stay connected to faith communities wherever they go.
Let’s face it: funding is a primary aspect of church growth, and online giving opens up a new world of opportunity. But with so many fundraising apps out there today, finding the right one for your church can be overwhelming. Read on to learn about some of the best Catholic apps for online giving, community building, and more!
ParishSOFT
ParishSOFT is hands down the best all-in-one Catholic apps, especially when it comes to growing your church’s funding all year long. It was created specifically for Catholic parishes and dioceses/archdioceses. In addition to its excellent digital features, it’s one of the completely Catholic-friendly platforms available today.
To maintain consistent growth of your parish or diocese, a church management software (ChMS) is essential. ParishSOFT offers a digital ChMS that relieves church leaders from excess administrative work so they can focus on putting people first.
Online giving is another tool ParishSOFT is known for. Their web, mobile, and text-to-give options equip parishioners with the ability to give anytime, anywhere. All donations, pledges, and giving campaigns are tracked seamlessly with convenient, custom reports in every phase of growth.
Other features ParishSOFT features include:
- Church accounting tools
- Payroll
- Religious education
- Ministry Scheduling
- Parishioner and family directories
- Tithing options
- And more
Let’s look at some of the unique pros and cons of the platform.
Pros:
- Multiple uses church-wide
- More affordable than other church giving apps
- Simple, streamlined user interface (mobile and desktop)
- Catholic-focused tools and customer support
- Access to Catholic coaches through the Giving Success Program
- Plenty of free educational resources
Cons:
- Typical credit/debit card transaction fees apply
- $10 monthly minimum
With so many 5-star reviews, ParishSOFT is the leading Catholic provider in the online giving space today.
MinistryONE
MinistryONE is a customizable engagement app for church communities. It integrates with online giving platforms and church management software, allowing your parish, diocese, or church to stay connected 24/7.
It allows churches to set up live streams of sermons and events. Parishioners can submit online prayer requests instantly, where the pastoral team can follow up using personal details submitted in the request. MinistryONE also lets you send community announcements, special links, and encouraging phrases via push notifications.
Pros:
- Personalized branding, logo, and content
- One-time and recurring giving options
- Customizable online platform featuring videos, event sign-ups, and more
- Works with your ChMS software
- Sleek, modern technology and user interface
Cons:
- Best if used with an existing, supported giving platform
It can be hard to find a church app that exists specifically for Catholic denominations. But MinistryONE supports Catholic as well as other Christian organizations.
Pledge
Pledge.to is a secular fundraising app helping thousands of nonprofits and charity organizations raise money through donor pledges. It’s easy to use and set up. However, it’s mainly ideal for fundraising events.
Pros:
- Helpful for businesses and nonprofit organizations
- Accepts Cryptocurrencies
- Integrates with some eCommerce platforms
Cons:
- Doesn’t specifically cater to faith-based ministries
- Reporting features aren’t as robust as other online giving platforms
- Not the best option for ongoing donations and tithes
Since Catholic parishes and dioceses benefit from pledges and offerings, finding an app that supports the pledge initiatives is important. Although, it may be a better option to choose a faith-based Catholic app that encourages pledges.
Laudate
Whether someone is a newcomer to your church or a long-time member, it’s helpful to point them to an app that has everything they need to loyally practice the Catholic faith. One of the best catholic bible apps, Laudate, is a helpful resource.
Within the app, you’ll find a section for daily readings, Biblical texts, and important Catholic documents. There’s a section to import and export prayers, plus a Confession section. There are plenty of links to Catechism resources, Catholic news, and the rosary.
Pros:
- Versatile tools for the Catholic faith
- Free to use
- Helps those who can’t attend church in person
Cons:
- User interface is slightly outdated
- No option for online giving
- Lacks integration with church software
- Could use a community section for users to connect
While Laudate doesn’t support online giving, it’s a helpful tool for parishioners to access Catholic documents until your church upgrades to a more custom app.
PayPal
Standard payment platforms can be helpful for some parishes that are just getting started. Smaller churches might not have the funds to commit to a full-featured giving app just yet, and that’s okay. Start where you are and use what you have access to.
PayPal is free to use, although it can charge standard credit/debit card processing fees.
Pros:
- An easy way to accept funds for new or small churches
- Electronically monitor your church donations
Cons:
- Only accepting electronic payments via PayPal may seem suspicious
- No church-specific features
- Lack of robust analytics that other church giving apps have
- Managing multiple church log-ins can be confusing
Note: Some online giving apps allow givers to use PayPal within the online giving feature. PayPal can integrate with many other fundraising platforms, so it doesn’t have to be a stand-alone payment choice.
What Catholic Giving App is Best?
Since smartphone app users donate an average of 30% more than cash or check givers, be sure to find the right Catholic giving app to help grow your church.
If you want some of the top features of every app mentioned all in one place, the ParishSOFT platform is the place to start. Reach out to ParishSOFT to learn how to grow your church in 2023 and beyond!
