When operating a church or any other non-profit organization, you face unique challenges compared to most other businesses. Oftentimes, key signing members are not available every day due to other time commitments, your administration staff may be made up of volunteers whose hours don’t necessarily all line up with each other, and internal processes are difficult to refine due to lack of time and resources.
SparcPay’s automated accounts payable system delivers an incredibly easy-to-integrate solution for churches and other community organizations that seek to ease these administrative burdens within their workflows.
The church industry clings to outdated payment processing methods
Meadow Heights Church is in the small rural town of Fredericktown, Missouri where technology is slow to catch on. Many churches are set in their ways, which means everything from bills to checks are still in paper form. As the COVID-19 pandemic closed down offices and gatherings, it became clear that their paper-based accounting processes were no longer going to meet the needs of their church.
The challenges of paper-based accounts payable processes for a church
Adjusting to a remote work environment meant that bill approvals and check signings, which were both done by board members who met at the church’s office, came to a complete standstill. The church soon discovered that trying to mail important documents between board members was untenable due to both time delays and lost mail.
Payments were late, which added stress to their organization as well as their vendors and service providers. They quickly realized that they needed an upgraded church payment system to help them adapt to their new reality.
Transitioning to digital approvals and payments
Meadow Heights Church consulted with their accountants at Miller Management to find the best online payment system for churches so that they could begin automating their accounts payable process. Miller Management suggested transitioning to SparcPay’s digital approval and electronic payment solution.
Meadow Heights Church was able to integrate SparcPay quickly thanks to our easy and intuitive user experience. They streamlined their bill processing overnight and continue to benefit from a paperless accounts payable process that’s accessible from anywhere.
The SparcPay advantage for churches
Board members no longer had to meet at the church’s office to review invoices, sign paper checks, or pass through approvals. This could all be done from the comfort and safety of their own homes, with the added benefit of having increased visibility into where each item was in the workflow.
“Implementing SparcPay has been one of the greatest and easiest changes for our church. It allows flexibility for our check signers to conveniently access and approve bills at home or on the road. The electronic payments not only eliminate checks altogether, but also ensure our invoices are now paid in a timely manner. What’s especially comforting about SparcPay is that we can do all of that while simultaneously improving the checks and balances system we have in place with greater visibility for all.” – Tracy Wade – Director & Financial Specialist, Meadow Heights Church
Knowing that they had implemented the optimal software for church finances, they could refocus their efforts where it mattered most—their congregation. By creating a secure workflow for board members and removing time spent traveling to and from the church, they were able to meet the new needs presented by uncertain pandemic times, while also putting in place workflow processes that will deliver benefits for decades to come.
SparcPay is not only the best online payment system for churches, it is also the best online payment system for any organization. If you’d like to learn more about how your nonprofit can gain access to an industry-leading accounts payable automation solution, reach out to SparcPay specialist who look forward to helping you get started today.