January 22,2011 -
Churches are experiencing the benefit of having a presence on their supporters’ iPhones despite Apple’s regulations for donation applications. New York based Nadanu and their eOfferingPlate product line figured out a way to offer churches a method to collect donations on the iPhone and still keep in check with Apple donation restrictions. The “optimized app” as eOfferingPlate markets it, gives the donor a giving experience that mimics a real giving scenario, like the Offering Plate at church. Donors open the app and deposit “currency” into their plate and then process a onetime or recurring donation. “The iPhone introduced a new reality to businesses and society”, says Nico Sztabzyb, Chief Marketing officer of Nadanu, “People like to use a slick mobile device with slick functionality and people will use their phones for pretty much everything, including financial transactions.” Apple has been under heat by the nonprofit industry for the past several months for blocking donation apps from their popular iTunes store. The company has not commented much on the decision but seems committed to their decision. “We knew donors needed a way to give from their iPhone, there had to be a way to achieve it and keep with Apple guidelines. So we sat with our development team and made it happen”, said Nico.
Nadanu knew their investment paid off when they began to receive donations through their iPhone application to individual organizations as high as $10,000.00 on the last day of 2010. The company reported the smallest donation received on their iPhone app was $180.00 at the same period of time.
The service is used by churches of all sizes from planters to organizations like the Salvation Army and Christian Freedom. Regardless of size each church receives the branded iPhone app as a part of their package. A Facebook app, Blackberry app and tool for the web is also included.
