How do you deliver ministry funds, like Sunday’s offerings, to your bank? A priest in Chicago learned the hard way that making a weekly trip to the bank is a risk that’s not worth taking. According to an ABC news report, Father Jim Barrett was just steps away from his bank’s entrance with Sunday’s collection when a stranger approached. “He pushed me, grabbed the bag and ran,” Father Barrett said. Fortunately, he wasn’t seriously injured, but the thief got away with about $8,000 in cash and checks.

This robbery occurred even though the cleric had taken steps to prevent such an incident. “I never go at the same time, that’s one of the things the diocese tells us not to do,” he said. “Never go to the bank, never do anything like that in a pattern.”

A safe and secure delivery alternative to Father Barrett’s approach is a user-friendly technology like what ECCU offers called Remote Deposit Capture (RDC). Here are three reasons why it’s a better delivery alternative for ministries that deposit large numbers of checks each week:

  • You can deposit checks any time of the day or night without leaving the office.
  • For example, with ECCU, if you deposit before 4:00 p.m. (PT) on a normal business day, those funds post to your account that same day.
  • More convenient. No more photocopying checks! All you need is your computer and a special scanner (ECCU provides these to members). After scanning checks and reviewing your deposit, you submit online. ECCU’s RDC allows you to retain copies of checks online or download them.

And RDC does more than just deposit. It also captures the check amounts and exports that data to update your donor and financial systems.

You have to admit, this beats getting mugged on the way to the bank!