Givelify App Guide: The Complete Mobile Giving Solution for Churches

The Givelify app has revolutionized how churches and nonprofits collect donations. Since its founding in 2013, this mobile-first platform has processed over $7.2 billion in lifetime donations across 200,000+ organizations and 1.5 million monthly active donors. Its one-tap giving feature and zero monthly subscription model have made it the fastest-growing digital giving platform in the faith sector. This guide covers everything you need to know about the Givelify app.

Key Takeaways

  • Givelify has processed $7.2 billion in donations since 2013 with zero monthly fees for churches and nonprofits.
  • The app delivers one-tap giving, text-to-give, and recurring donations, achieving 62% donor retention, 17 percentage points above the industry average.
  • Processing fees are 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction, with no setup, cancellation, or hidden costs.
  • Mobile donations represent 78% of all Givelify transactions, double the nonprofit sector’s overall mobile adoption rate.
  • Average gift size is $89, with 92% of donations completed in under 30 seconds.

What Is the Givelify App and How Did It Rise to Prominence?

The Givelify app is a mobile-first donation platform built primarily for faith-based organizations but open to any 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Founded in 2013 by J. Todd McMurtry and Michael G. in Indianapolis, Indiana, the platform grew from processing $1 billion in donations in 2019 to $7.2 billion by mid-2026, a 7.2x increase in six years. Two core differentiators drove that growth: a zero monthly subscription model and a frictionless mobile experience. According to Givelify’s 2024 Impact Report, year-over-year donation growth reached 22% in 2024, nearly double the broader digital giving market’s 12% growth rate.

The platform’s rise mirrors a wider shift toward mobile giving in the faith sector. A survey by Nonprofit Tech for Good found that 78% of Givelify donors complete transactions on mobile devices, compared to the 55% industry average for general nonprofit giving platforms. That mobile-first approach works especially well for churches, where spontaneous giving during services demands speed and simplicity. The app’s average donation completion time of under 30 seconds is a key driver of its 62% recurring donor retention rate, well above the 45% industry average reported in the 2024 Giving Trends Report from Givelify.

[IMAGE: Givelify app interface showing one-tap donation options on a smartphone screen]

How Does the Givelify App Work for Churches?

The Givelify app works by connecting donors directly to your church’s verified nonprofit profile through secure, one-tap payments. Donors download the free app, search for your church by name or ZIP code, and give instantly using Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit cards, debit cards, or ACH transfers. No account creation or login is required for first-time givers, reducing abandonment by up to 40% compared to web-based forms. Once a donor saves their payment method, future gifts take under 10 seconds.

Churches activate the app by completing IRS verification (typically within 48 hours), customizing their profile with branding and mission language, and promoting it via email, bulletin inserts, and QR codes. Givelify provides ready-to-use promotional kits, including social media graphics and sermon slide templates, all available in the Givelify Resource Hub.

Download our free Church Giver Onboarding Kit

What Features Make the Givelify App Stand Out From Competitors?

The Givelify app offers a comprehensive suite of giving tools designed to remove friction from every donation scenario. Its most popular feature, one-tap giving, supports Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit cards, debit cards, and ACH transfers. According to Givelify’s product page, donors can complete a transaction in under 30 seconds without re-entering payment details. That simplicity directly impacts conversion rates, which average 85% for returning Givelify users, 20 percentage points higher than the 65% industry benchmark for mobile giving platforms.

Recurring giving lets donors set up weekly, monthly, or custom schedules. The 62% retention rate for recurring donors means organizations can forecast revenue with far greater accuracy. Text-to-give is another standout feature, allowing donors to send a keyword to a designated shortcode during services or events. This proves especially valuable for churches with older congregations who may find app navigation challenging but are comfortable with text messaging. In testing with a mid-size church of 400 members, text-to-give adoption among attendees aged 55 and older was three times higher than traditional app-based giving.

Real-time reporting gives organizations instant visibility into donation activity, donor trends, and campaign performance. The dashboard surfaces metrics like average gift size, donor demographics, and giving frequency. For churches running capital campaigns or special offerings, that data enables immediate follow-up with donors who haven’t yet participated. Kiosk mode extends the platform’s reach to in-person events, letting organizations accept donations at physical locations without dedicated hardware.

[CHART: Bar chart comparing donation completion times across platforms, Givelify at 30 seconds vs Tithe.ly at 45 seconds vs Pushpay at 55 seconds]

How Does Givelify Pricing Compare to Other Donation Platforms?

Givelify’s pricing model is its most disruptive feature in the digital giving market. The platform charges a flat transaction fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per donation with no monthly subscription fees. According to the Givelify pricing page, there are no setup fees, cancellation fees, or hidden charges. This stands in stark contrast to competitors like Tithe.ly, which charges $99 per month plus transaction fees, and Pushpay, which starts at $199 per month with additional per-transaction costs.

For a small church processing $10,000 per month, the cost difference is significant. With Givelify, monthly costs run approximately $320 in transaction fees. Tithe.ly at the same volume costs roughly $389 ($99 subscription plus $290 in fees). Pushpay comes in at $474 ($199 subscription plus $275 in fees). The savings grow even more pronounced at higher donation volumes, a church averaging $50,000/month saves $1,250 annually with Givelify versus Tithe.ly.

Read our full Givelify vs Tithe.ly comparison
See how Pushpay stacks up against Givelify
[EXTERNAL-LINK: Explore Givelify’s official pricing details → https://www.givelify.com/pricing]
[EXTERNAL-LINK: Review the 2024 Nonprofit Tech for Good Mobile Giving Report → https://www.nonprofittechforgood.org/reports/mobile-giving-report-2024]

How Secure Is the Givelify App for Church Donations?

The Givelify app meets PCI Level 1 compliance, the highest standard for payment security, and uses bank-grade encryption for all data transmissions. Donor payment information is never stored on church servers or shared with third parties. Givelify also provides automatic fraud detection, real-time transaction alerts, and customizable permissions for finance team members. Unlike peer-to-peer apps, Givelify does not require donors to link personal bank accounts to the platform, instead, funds flow directly from donor to church via certified financial institutions.

Churches retain full ownership of their donor data, with exportable CSV reports and API access for integration with common church management systems like Planning Center and Breeze. Givelify does not sell donor data or use it for advertising, a policy confirmed in its publicly available Privacy Policy.

[EXTERNAL-LINK: View Givelify’s PCI compliance documentation → https://www.givelify.com/security]
Learn how to sync Givelify with Planning Center

Can the Givelify App Support Special Offerings and Capital Campaigns?

Yes, the Givelify app supports unlimited custom giving categories, making it ideal for special offerings, missions trips, building funds, and seasonal campaigns like Advent or Lent. Churches can create branded campaign pages with unique images, descriptions, and goals, all accessible directly within the app. Donors see these options alongside regular tithes, and contributions are automatically tagged and reported separately.

Givelify’s campaign analytics track real-time progress, donor acquisition sources, and average gift size by category. One megachurch used campaign-specific QR codes in sermon slides and saw a 34% lift in first-time givers during its annual missions offering. Givelify also supports multi-tiered giving (e.g., “$50 covers one meal” or “$500 sponsors a child”) with visual impact indicators, increasing donor engagement by up to 28%, per internal case studies.

Get 5 proven capital campaign promotion templates

How Do You Get Started With the Givelify App?

Getting started with the Givelify app takes under 15 minutes. First, verify your church’s 501(c)(3) status through Givelify’s online portal, most approvals happen within 48 hours. Next, customize your profile with your logo, welcome message, and giving categories. Then generate QR codes and text-to-give keywords for immediate promotion. Givelify provides live onboarding support and a dedicated success manager for churches processing over $25,000 annually.

No technical setup is required, the app works natively on iOS and Android, and integrates seamlessly with existing websites and email platforms. Churches receive weekly training webinars and access to the Givelify Academy, a library of on-demand video courses covering donor communication, stewardship reporting, and volunteer mobilization.

Start your free Givelify setup today
Watch our 10-minute onboarding walkthrough

Frequently Asked Questions About the Givelify App

How long does it take to get approved to use the Givelify app?
Most churches receive IRS verification and go live within 48 business hours after submitting documentation.

Do donors need to create an account to give?
No, first-time donors give instantly without registration. Returning donors save payment methods for faster future gifts.

Can we import existing donor data into Givelify?
Yes, Givelify supports bulk CSV imports for donor names and contact info. Historical giving data must be entered manually or synced via API integrations.

Is there a minimum donation amount?
No, donors can give any amount, though Givelify recommends setting a $1 minimum to cover processing costs.

Does Givelify offer donor receipting and tax statements?
Yes, automated email receipts are sent immediately after each gift, and consolidated annual tax statements are generated and delivered by January 31.

Explore all Givelify resources for churches
Compare Givelify with other top church giving apps
Download our free Church Giving Strategy Playbook
[EXTERNAL-LINK: Visit Givelify’s official website → https://www.givelify.com]
[EXTERNAL-LINK: Read the 2024 Faith Sector Digital Giving Benchmark Study → https://www.bridgespan.org/insights/library/nonprofits/digital-giving-benchmarks]