Earn all you can, save all you can, give all you can – John Wesley
UMNS photo by Kats Berry
Shopping online through UMCmarket can benefit your church
When you shop online and make a purchase through www.UMCmarket.org, your local church or a ministry of your choice receives a donation from the retailer.
This new online portal for fundraising has been vetted and proven as a safe shopping environment by the General Council on Finance & Administration (GCFA) and partner Zebraplace LLC, which operates the program.
The Oklahoma Conference Treasurer’s Office has registered our local churches and Conference agencies to receive funds through UMCmarket.
Every store at UMCmarket has agreed to give a percentage of the purchase amount as a donation. The participating retailers are well known.
And there is no added cost for you, the shopper, or The United Methodist Church.
The 2014 holiday season nears. UMCmarket also can grow your Christmas goodwill. As you buy gifts online to fulfill holiday wishes for family and friends, you also are giving more to your church.
Here is how to use the program.
• Go to the UMCmarket website and click on the "Get Started" button.
• Sign up for free membership by entering your email address or Facebook account name, and create a password.
• Follow the prompts to find your church or UM agency.
• Search for a retailer by name or category, click on that page, and shop online as you regularly would.
Payment is secured through Vanco Services.
The program’s unique transaction engine collects the vendor’s commission amount every time a member makes a purchase from a participating store.
Commissions are converted into donations to the organizations within The United Methodist Church. Within 30-90 days, stores send out the contributions generated through UMCmarket.
Once your church (or ministry) reaches $100 in total donations, a check will be mailed.
UMCmarket operates year-round.
Mobile app makes donating easy on-the-go
Use a new mobile-device app to make donations to your church wherever you may be — sitting in a pew or traveling the world.
The app "Easy2Give" was developed by the United Methodist General Council on Finance & Administration, in partnership with Vanco Services.
Oklahoma Conference Treasurer Brian Bakeman recently provided information about this new giving tool.
It’s available now as a free download for Android devices. An Apple iOS version is scheduled for release by year’s end.
All churches with Vanco accounts are able to receive funds through "Easy2Give."
To donate, use the app to search for and find the local church of your choice. Using a debit or credit card, make a contribution of $5 or more. You will receive email confirmation.
You can even specify a "home church," to make regular donations very convenient.
More information: http://easy2give.net.