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Recurring and Special Gifts
Recurring Gift
A good faith intention made by a donor to contribute regularly to Reliant as God enables them to for an indefinite amount of time. For example, a donor by faith may intend to regularly contribute to Reliant $35 per month. This is also called “regular giving.”
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Most Reliant donors give regular, monthly amounts. However, other recurring gift frequencies are common, including quarterly and annual gifts.
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To comply with accounting regulations, we do not refer to this as a “pledged gift” or “promised gift,” as the donor may choose to change or stop the recurring gift at any time. “Pledges” can indicate an amount that a donor has made an obligation to fulfill for a set term. Reliant seeks good faith intentions but only records gifts as they are received.
Recurring gifts may be given via EFT automatic withdrawal, credit card, or check.
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Special Gift
A gift by a donor to a ministry account with no expressed intention to repeat the gift on any regular basis. Also called a “single gift.”
Common Channels to Contribute to Reliant
Online Giving
Reliant’s online giving donor website is branded as Reliant.org. It is a preferable method for donor giving for its secure and instant access to all our giving methods, without the need for the fundraiser to send additional paperwork. Recurring gifts may be established online via
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bank transfer, credit card, or check giving.
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Checks must be sent in the mail separately from the online transaction
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. Special gifts may be given via electronic check, credit card or check.
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Reliant.org requires a secure account be created by the donor using an email address. The email address is designated as the donor's username.
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New donors should be directed to start at a missionary's online profile (www.Reliant.org/firstname.lastname) or at Reliant.org/give.
EFT
Reliant provides an electronic funds transfer service (EFT) whereby donors may designate an amount of a contribution to be automatically transferred directly from their bank account to Reliant's bank account. Donors can establish an EFT online (preferred) or via the How to Start Giving form.
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Automatic recurring EFT giving is available for withdrawal on the 5th or the 20th of every month.
Credit Card
Credit card payments may be made via Reliant.org or the How to Start Giving form. For security, online is preferred. Automatic recurring credit card giving is available for withdrawal on the 5th or the 20th of every month.
Reliant’s credit card vendors charge a per-gift fee for this service, which is hidden to the donor. Reliant employees may choose to sensitively communicate the additional amount (i.e. “using your Visa card costs Reliant an additional 3%”) and suggest that a donor consider giving a little more because of administrative costs. “Many donors choose to do credit card giving online because it’s so convenient. It costs Reliant a bit more to process these donations than an EFT gift, so many people have elected to give a few dollars more to help cover the administrative expenses and to ensure the ministry is fully funded.” While credit card gifts do incur additional fees, recurring gifts via credit cards still show a better consistency rate than check giving.
Checks
Checks must be made out to Reliant Mission or Reliant and never to a missionary. If an employee receives a check that is made out to them, the employee must return the check and request a new one made out to Reliant.
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In the case that this is impossible, the missionary has two options. They may purchase a money order (by signing over the donor's check) and send the money order to Reliant with the donor name in the “from” section of the money order, commonly known as the remitter. This gift can then be receipted appropriately to the donor.
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Or if the donor’s intent truly was a personal gift to the missionary, they should ask the donor to give a gift card instead.
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The missionary would then follow the guidelines for donor intent and gift cards laid out in the Field Manual.
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This important policy stems from IRS rules about tax-deductible gifts, which must be understood by the donor to be for the organization and not a personal gift to an individual.
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See Check Gift FAQ
Other Channels to Contribute to Reliant
Cash
Cash is not a preferable method of giving to Reliant. Cash must never be sent in the mail to Reliant.
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If cash gifts are received by Reliant fundraisers, the missionary has two options. They may purchase a money order and send the money order to Reliant with the donor name in the “from” section of the money order, commonly known as the remitter. This gift can then be receipted appropriately to the donor.
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Or if the donor’s intent truly was a personal gift, they should ask the donor to give a gift card instead. The missionary would then follow the guidelines for donor intent and gift cards in the Field Manual.
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See Cash Gift FAQ
Credit Card
Credit card payments may be made via Reliant.org or the How to Start Giving form. For security, online is preferred.
Recurring credit card gifts are sometimes marketed as LifeLink gifts because they are automatic and dependable.
Reliant’s credit card vendors charge a per-gift fee for this service, which is hidden to the donor. Reliant employees may choose to sensitively communicate the additional amount (i.e. “using your Visa card costs Reliant an additional 3%”) and suggest that a donor consider giving a little more because of administrative costs. “Many donors choose to do credit card giving online because it’s so convenient. It costs Reliant a bit more to process these donations than an EFT gift, so many people have elected to give a few dollars more to help cover the administrative expenses and to ensure the ministry is fully funded.” While credit card gifts do incur additional fees, recurring gifts via credit cards still show a better consistency rate than check giving.
LifeLink Program
The LifeLink program does not refer to any specific channel of giving but refers to any automatic withdrawal method, which is more dependable. This includes recurring EFT initiated via online or paper form and recurring credit card initiated via online or paper form.
Lifelink gifts via EFT or credit card are currently available for withdraw on the 5th or the 20th of every month.
Foreign Currency
Reliant prefers to receive contributions in U.S. currency but will accept foreign currency. Contributions will be converted to U.S. dollars, and any receipt issued will be based on the value of the currency after conversion on the date of the deposit. See International Donations for details. Gifts may not be tax-deductible outside the United States.
Stock, Non-Cash, Property, Estate
For less common or non-cash giving options, see Gift Acceptance Policy, Stock Gift FAQ, and Cryptocurrency Gift FAQ.
Collecting and Submitting Donor Information
Fundraisers should strongly encourage donors to use Reliant’s online giving options, which establish a direct link between the donor and Reliant’s Gift Services department.However However, in the case that donors choose to give recurring or special gifts using checks and paper forms, fundraisers have a responsibility to accept the gifts as an agent of Reliant and immediate immediately send or transmit them to the Gift Services department according to the most current instructions laid out. For record-keeping and receipting, the fundraiser is also responsible for accurately collecting donor information, such as name and contact information.
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A donor giving history is available at Reliant.org for all donors, regardless of the giving method.
Reliant sends paper statements to non-LifeLink check donors each time a gift is received in order to receipt them for their contribution and to give them a convenient way to give again. Reliant sends paper receipts immediately to donors who give special gifts via check. Donors who discover a mistake on their statement may call or email Reliant Gift Services for immediate attention.
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Credit card companies charge additional fees. Reliant recommends recurring giving via bank account for lowest overhead costs. The transaction date for LifeLink automatic giving is on or near the 5th or 20th of the month, and varies based on business days. You may start, stop, or change your giving at any time by visiting Reliant.org or calling Reliant donor services at 877-614-4600 or e-mailing gift.services@reliant.org. Thank you for your generosity.
Accounts and Numbers Assigned to Employees and Donors
Fund Number
Every fundraiser using the Ministry Team Development process is assigned a ministry Fund Number. This number is used to keep track of the amount of money generated for Reliant through the fundraising efforts for that ministry. Missionaries are assigned a single ministry fund based on their unique ministry job description. However, a fund can have multiple fundraisers (solicitors) in cases of a married couple, some project funds or mission trips.
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This number also represents an account that the Finance Department uses to reconcile payroll and expenses with the amount of funds allocated to an employed missionary as a result of their fundraising efforts for Reliant. Fund numbers are typically formatted: FD####
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Foreign Currency
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Gifts may not be tax-deductible outside the United States.
Stock, Non-Cash, Property, Estate
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