Allowing your community to give online is a key part of modern ministry. EvangelOS partners with Stripe, a global leader in online payments, to securely process donations. This guide walks through connecting Stripe and understanding the Stripe Connect model.

Online Giving requires the Online Giving feature, available on the Growth plan and above.

Understanding Stripe Connect

EvangelOS uses Stripe Connect to process payments. This is important to understand:

• Your church has its own Stripe account. Donations go directly to your church's Stripe account and are deposited into your church's bank account on Stripe's standard payout schedule.
• EvangelOS never touches your funds. We connect to your Stripe account but do not hold, move, or have access to your money.
• EvangelOS never sees your bank details. All financial credential handling is done directly between Stripe and your church.
• If you use EvangelOS for multiple campuses or separate legal entities, each can have its own Stripe account connected.

Step 1: Connect Your Stripe Account

Only users with Site Admin permissions can set up the Stripe integration.

1. Go to Financial Management in the left sidebar.
2. Select the Online Giving Setup tab.
3. Click Connect with Stripe.
4. You will be redirected to a secure Stripe-hosted page.

If You Already Have a Stripe Account

Log in to your existing Stripe account to authorize the connection. EvangelOS will connect to that account and display it as active.

If You Are New to Stripe

Stripe will guide you through creating a new account for your church. You will need:

• Your church's legal name and address
• Your church's Tax ID / EIN
• A bank account for receiving deposits (routing and account number)
• Identity verification for the account's authorized representative

This process typically takes 5–10 minutes. Once complete, you will be automatically returned to EvangelOS.

Step 2: Verify the Connection

After completing Stripe's setup, return to Financial Management → Online Giving Setup. Your connection status will show:

• Connected & Verified: Stripe account is active and payouts are enabled. You are ready to accept donations.
• Connected — Pending Verification: Stripe is reviewing your account details. This can take up to 2 business days. Giving forms will not process payments until verification is complete.
• Action Required: Stripe needs additional information. Click the link to return to Stripe and complete the requested steps.

Step 3: Start Accepting Donations

Once your Stripe account shows Connected & Verified, the following giving entry points become active:

• Member Portal Giving: Members logged in to the portal can give directly from their account, with saved payment methods for faster future gifts.
• Guest Giving Page: A public, standalone page anyone can use to give without logging in. See Setting Up a Guest Giving Page for customization options.
• Event Registration Payments: If you charge for event registration, those payments are also processed through your Stripe connection.

Understanding Stripe Fees

Stripe charges a processing fee on every transaction. Standard rates for nonprofits are typically:

• Card payments: 2.2% + $0.30 per transaction (nonprofits may qualify for Stripe's discounted nonprofit rate of 0.7% + $0.30 — apply directly through Stripe's nonprofit program).
• ACH bank transfers: 0.8% per transaction, capped at $5.00. A good option for larger gifts.

EvangelOS does not charge additional fees on top of Stripe's rates.

What's Next?

With online giving active, here are the next steps to complete your giving setup:

• Setting Up a Guest Giving Page — create a public giving page for your website.
• How to Manage Giving Batches — record offline gifts (cash and checks) alongside your online giving.
• Managing Funds — set up designated funds (General, Building, Missions, etc.).