Giving FAQs
- What is PayPal and how is Hideaway Lake Community Church using it to enable online donations?
- PayPal allows us to collect donations from a button on our website or an email link. It is a low cost way for us to make it convenient for you to keep your pledge up-to-date, or perhaps, send a donation when you cannot make it to church.
- Why did you choose PayPal?
- It is the most widely-used donation provider and we have confidence in its reliability. Also, it is inexpensive. In fact, we do not pay anything unless someone donates, and then PayPal retains a percentage of the donation as a transaction fee.
- Will the information I provide be kept private?
- We take your privacy very seriously. When you make a donation/payment, the church bookkeeper receives an email with your name, the amount of your donation/payment, your physical address and you email address. The addresses may be used to contact you if there are any questions about your donation. Hideaway Lake Community Church never shares your information with anyone else. For more information see PayPal’s privacy policy.
- Do I have to have a PayPal account?
- No. Look for the button that allows you to choose to use a major credit card (American Express, VISA, etc.) You can use one of them without ever signing up for PayPal.
- How secure is online giving/payments?
PayPal is a secure way to make a payment with your credit or debit card because this information is only processed on PayPal’s secure system. The church never sees or has access to your credit card or bank account information. For a more comprehensive information see PayPal’s security overview. - Is there any charge or fee to me for this service?
- No. You select the dollar amount for your gift or payment. That is the dollar amount that will be charged and your entire donation is tax deductible. The church pays a nominal fee to PayPal for the convenience and security of the service.
- Does 100% of my gift go to Hideaway Lake Community Church?
- If you give via cash or check then Yes but, if you use the online service provided by PayPal then No. With every single donation, PayPal will take 2.2% plus $0.30 of that donation as a processing fee. For instance if $100 is given, PayPal will take $2.20 plus $0.30 to pay for their processing. Hideaway Lake Community Church would receive $97.50 of the original $100.
- Is there a way I can set up a recurring donation to the church?
- Yes. Hideaway Lake Community Church offers an automatic withdrawal from your bank account option that has no cost to the church or the donor.
- How can I keep track of my online giving/payments?
- You will receive an annual giving statement from the church which lists all donations you have given (online and in person). If you have a PayPal account then you can also see a record of donations or payments by looking at your account history. All donation sand payments using your credit card will show up on your credit card statement clearly marked from Hideaway.
- Are you encouraging people to borrow to support the church?
- No. We are simply making it convenient for people who prefer to donate online to do so, not asking people to incur debt to do so.
- Do I have to be a member of the church to donate?
- No. We are grateful for support from all who feel motivated to do so.
- How do I make sure my donation goes to the correct church account?
- There is a place to specify in notes if the contribution is intended to go for a specific purpose other than the general budget. If nothing is specified, your contribution will go to the general budget.
- Is my donation tax-deductible?
- Yes. As tax a exempt organization, Hideaway Lake Community Church is qualified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to receive contributions from donors. Since qualified churches are not subject to federal income tax, these donations are tax-free to the church. Donors, in turn, may be able to deduct their contributions to churches on their income tax return.