CHICAGO -- The Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, following an emerging trend, is making automatic donations and direct payments available to all its parishes and parochial schools.
Donors and parents can make donations and tuition payments automatically from their checking, savings or credit card accounts each month. The service is provided through ParishPay LLC, according to a company news release.
"This is about giving people more choices; we are making it easier for people to give," said Tim Dockery, the archdiocese's development services director. "Most Americans already receive their paychecks by direct deposit, and nearly half of all Americans are paying their bills through direct payments. You can now give to your parish or pay tuition in the same convenient way."
Queens, N.Y.-based ParishPay charges a 1 percent fee plus $1 monthly per donor to process credit card charges and automatic bank payments. The money is withheld from the donations or tuition payments.
The archdiocese, following the lead of several other Catholic groups, expects the service to positively impact parish finances in coming years. (See story: More churches taking credit cards for offerings)
Donors can specify if the money is to be given to the regular parish collection, special funds such as the Cardinal's annual appeal or other causes, such as Catholic Charities. The service also can automatically collect pledges for long-term projects such as endowment funds or capital campaigns.
