Non-Cash Giving is simplified in SecureGive

How Does Non-Cash Giving Work for Churches?

Quick Answer

SecureGive enables churches to accept non-cash gifts, including stock, mutual funds, ETFs, and cryptocurrency, through a fully integrated giving platform. In partnership with Engiven, a non-cash gift processor serving more than 18,000 ministries, SecureGive handles the entire non-cash giving workflow natively.

Donors pledge inside the platform, assets are liquidated by Engiven, and the church receives a cash grant within one to two weeks. The average non-cash gift processed through SecureGive is around $15,000, roughly 100 times the average card transaction, with no brokerage account, no tax forms, and no manual processing required from your team.

Most churches ask their members to give from what they earn. Very few have ever invited them to give from what they’ve built. For many congregations, that’s a significant missed opportunity.

Stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, and cryptocurrency are among the fastest-growing giving categories for ministries in the United States. The average non-cash donation through SecureGive is around $15,000, roughly 100 times the average card gift. And the members who are most ready to give this way are often already among your most faithful givers. They’re just waiting for an open door.

This guide covers how non-cash giving works through SecureGive, why crypto and stock giving each deserve a place in your generosity strategy, how to find non-cash givers in your congregation, and why churches that talk about it receive ten times more gifts than those that don’t.

$15,000

Average non-cash donation to a church

The average credit or debit card gift is around $150. Non-cash gifts are roughly 100x larger. For many donors, this is the most significant act of generosity they will ever make.

What Is Non-Cash Giving?

Non-cash giving is the donation of an appreciated asset, such as publicly traded stock, a mutual fund, an ETF, or cryptocurrency, directly to a ministry instead of cash. In a traditional non-cash gift transaction, the asset is transferred to the church or nonprofit. It is then the responsibility of the organization to liquidate that asset to receive dollars they can spend. But, with SecureGive, the asset is liquidated by a processing partner and the church receives the funds already in US dollars, often within one to two weeks.

For donors, the motivation is often spiritual as much as financial. They’ve watched an investment grow over years and feel called to put that growth toward something eternal. The tax benefits, while real and meaningful, are simply what makes the gift even more possible.

How it works for the donor:

A member bought stock at $25 per share. It’s now worth $150. Rather than selling it and donating what’s left after taxes, they give the shares directly through SecureGive. The church receives the full $150 value. The donor pays no capital gains tax and receives a full deduction. The same act of generosity results in a far greater gift.

SecureGive processes non-cash gifts in partnership with Engiven, a leading non-cash donation processor serving more than 18,000 ministries. The entire experience happens natively inside SecureGive, so your donors never leave the platform they already trust. For the administrator, that means all of your donations are recorded in a single system. 

Why Non-Cash Giving Belongs in Your Generosity Strategy

Most churches have built their giving culture around income: the tithe, the recurring gift, the Sunday offering. That’s a beautiful and important foundation. But generosity doesn’t only flow from a paycheck.

Some of your most faithful members have decades of accumulated wealth they’ve never been invited to give. Here’s why that invitation matters.

It Opens a Different Kind of Generosity

Tithing flows from income. Non-cash giving flows from wealth. These are two separate expressions of generosity, and most churches have only ever created space for one of them.

The Gifts Tend to Be Transformational

The average stock or crypto donation through SecureGive is around $15,000, and we’ve seen countless that are well into six figures. For many ministries, a single non-cash gift funds a mission trip, completes a capital project, or changes the trajectory of a program entirely.

Donors Experience Deeper Generosity

When a donor gives an appreciated asset, they’re often giving something they’ve carried for years. For many of them, it becomes one of the most meaningful acts of giving in their life, not because of the amount, but because of what it represents.

The Tax Structure Makes Bigger Gifts Possible

Donors who give appreciated assets avoid capital gains tax and receive a full deduction. This doesn’t just benefit them financially; it often allows them to give more than they thought they could, which deepens the gift and the impact.

Some Members Are Already Ready to Give

Many high-capacity donors have appreciated assets they genuinely want to direct toward your ministry. They’re simply waiting for an accessible, trusted way to do it. SecureGive gives them that path.

How Non-Cash Giving Works with SecureGive

SecureGive uses a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) model through Engiven. That means your church never holds stock or crypto, never files property gift tax forms, and never has to track down a donor’s identity from a broker.

Here’s the complete flow:

1

Donor pledges
The donor uses SecureGive, the same platform they already trust for card and ACH, to pledge a gift of stock or crypto.

2

Donor transfers
The donor transfers their stock or crypto directly to Engiven, SecureGive’s processing partner.

3

Asset received
Engiven receives and verifies the donated asset.

4

Asset liquidated
Engiven sells the asset at market value and handles all required IRS tax forms, including Forms 8282 and 8283. Your church files nothing.

5

Cash granted to your church
Engiven sends a cash grant directly to your ministry, typically within one to two weeks. Major gifts can be wired the next business day.

Already familiar with DAF grants?

If your church has ever received a grant from Fidelity Charitable or the National Christian Foundation, this process works exactly the same way. Your finance team will recognize it immediately.

Why a Brokerage Account Alone Isn't Enough

Some churches already accept stock through a brokerage account and assume that covers the need. In practice, there’s a gap most finance teams discover the hard way: roughly 1 in 3 stock gifts received through a brokerage account arrive with no donor information at all.

When a donor calls their broker to initiate a transfer, the receiving brokerage only gets the asset type and amount, not the donor’s name. Unless the donor separately contacts the church, the gift goes completely unmatched. Your team is left calling every previous stock donor trying to figure out who gave, which is a poor experience for everyone involved.

With SecureGive + Engiven:

Donors initiate the gift inside the SecureGive platform before transferring the asset. Their identity, contact info, and fund designation are captured at the moment of pledge, every time. Every gift is matched. Every donor is known. And every one of them receives the acknowledgment they deserve.

CRYPTOCURRENCY GIVING

Why Your Church Should Accept Crypto Gifts

Cryptocurrency is no longer a fringe asset held by a narrow demographic. It’s a $2.4 trillion asset class owned by roughly 1 in 5 American adults, which means people in your congregation almost certainly hold it. Many of them acquired it years ago, have watched it grow, and have never been given a way to direct that growth toward their church.

For younger donors especially, crypto may represent their most significant accumulated asset. Accepting it welcomes an expression of generosity that currently has no home in most churches.

20%

of U.S. adults own crypto

$1B+

in crypto given to nonprofits in 2025

$15K

average crypto donation through Engiven

$15M

largest single crypto donation through Engiven

Benefits of Accepting Crypto with SecureGive

Rapid, Easy Setup

Turn it on in minutes inside your existing SecureGive account..

A Real Giving Category

The average crypto donation is $15,000. Engiven has processed individual gifts over $15 million. This is a meaningful, growing part of how people give.

A New Generation of Givers

For many younger donors, giving crypto is how their generosity journey begins. It’s an on-ramp, not a detour.

Reach a $2.4 Trillion Asset Pool

Crypto is held by a wide range of people, including many who would give it if they had a simple, trusted way to do so through their church.

A New Generation of Givers

For many younger donors, giving crypto is how their generosity journey begins. It’s an on-ramp, not a detour.

Your Ministry Never Holds Crypto

You receive a cash grant, just like any other DAF distribution. 

Real-Time Donor Data

Donor information flows into SecureGive’s reporting automatically. 

Free Crypto Appraisals for Donors

IRS appraisals are required for crypto gifts over $5,000. Engiven provides them to donors at no cost, removing a common barrier to giving.

Crypto Giving: Top Questions

Crypto donors tend to be private about their holdings and won't bring it up unless you've made a path visible. If your church doesn't provide a way to accept it, you won't receive those gifts. Many churches have received their first crypto donation, sometimes $100,000 or more, from a member no one expected. About $1 billion in crypto was given to nonprofits in 2025. The invitation has to come from you first.

Yes. The blockchain is fully auditable and secure. Your ministry never receives or holds cryptocurrency at any point. Engiven is SOC 2 Type 2 certified and all donor data is encrypted. SecureGive is a Level 1 PCI DSS Certified Provider, the highest level of payment security certification available.

There is a 4% transaction fee on the resulting USD so your church keeps 96 cents of every dollar. IRS appraisals required for crypto gifts over $5,000 are also provided by Engiven to donors at no charge.

Funds are sent via check on Wednesday of the week following when the donation is received, so typically one to two weeks. Major gifts can be wired the next business day upon request. The timeline is set by Engiven's grant disbursement schedule, not the speed of the crypto transaction itself.

STOCK GIVING

Why Your Church Should Accept Stock Gifts

Stock giving is the fastest-growing area of giving for churches in the United States, and it’s not hard to understand why. About 80% of U.S. adults own stock. Many of your most faithful members have watched their investments grow for years and have never been invited to give from that growth.

When someone gives appreciated stock, they’re often acting on a conviction they’ve held for a long time. They want to give significantly. They just needed a simple, trusted way to do it through your church.

80%

of U.S. adults own stock

$6B

in stock given to ministries in 2025

$14K

average crypto donation through Engiven

1YR

hold time for full tax benefit

When a donor gives stock that has grown in value, the tax structure actually allows them to give more than they ever could from a paycheck. They give the full appreciated value, they avoid capital gains tax on the earnings, and your church receives a larger gift than cash would have made possible. The numbers work in everyone’s favor, but more than that, it gives donors a way to be more generous than they thought they could be.

Benefits of Accepting Stock with SecureGive

A Major and Growing Giving Category

About $6 billion in stock was given to ministries in 2025. Engiven’s average stock donation is over $14,000. This is where some of your most impactful gifts will come from.

Setup Takes Just Minutes

Enable stock giving inside SecureGive in a few minutes. Donors can begin giving the same day.

Every Donor Is Known From the Start

Every gift arrives with the donor’s name, fund designation, and contact information already attached.

Fully Automated Processing

Stocks are sold automatically. Your team enables it once and the rest happens automatically.

Your Church Never Holds Stock

You receive the donation in US dollars not securities.

Real-Time Reporting

All donor data flows into SecureGive’s reporting for fast, accurate insights.

No Tax Forms for Your Team

Engiven handles all IRS property gift forms. Your finance team files nothing.

Stock Giving: Top Questions

The biggest problem with self-processing stock gifts is donor identification. Roughly 1 in 3 stock gifts received through a brokerage account arrive with no donor name. Engiven solves this by capturing donor identity at the time of pledge inside SecureGive, before the asset ever transfers. Engiven also handles IRS tax forms automatically. The result is less administrative work for your staff and a better experience for your donors.

There is a 4% transaction fee on the resulting USD, so your church keeps 96 cents of every dollar. You only pay when gifts are processed.

Funds are sent via check on Wednesday of the week following when the donation is received, so typically one to two weeks. Stock transfers involve a few more steps than crypto, so the timeline from pledge to disbursement can run slightly longer. Major gifts can be wired the next business day upon request.

No. Setup inside SecureGive takes minutes and donors can give the same day. There is no brokerage application, no paperwork, and no waiting period. Churches using SecureGive no longer need a separate brokerage account to accept stock gifts.

That is completely fine. Some donors prefer to work through their financial advisor or existing brokerage, and that can continue. When a donor initiates their stock gift through SecureGive, then can then forward the instructions for the remaining step to their broker to complete. Donors are still able to give in a way that’s comfortable for them while your church unifies reporting.

PUTTING IT IN PRACTICE

How to Encourage Non-Cash Generosity

You don’t need to know who in your congregation owns stock or crypto. You need to create a culture where giving from wealth, not just income, feels welcome, expected, and easy. Research shows the difference is significant.

10x

More non-cash gifts received by ministries that consistently communicate non-cash giving options

This isn’t about targeting your wealthiest members with a financial pitch. It’s about normalizing a broader vision of generosity, one that includes everything God has entrusted to your people, not just what arrives in their paycheck. Here’s how to make that visible:

  • Mention non-cash giving alongside regular giving in bulletins, on screen, and during announcements. You don’t need to make it a production. Just make it visible.
  • Create a dedicated “Other Ways to Give” page on your church website linked from your main giving page. Many donors are looking for this and can’t find it.
  • Talk about generosity from wealth, not just tithing. These are two different conversations, and your members need permission to engage with both.
  • Bring it up during capital campaigns and building projects. This is when donors who want to give big are most ready to think beyond a check.
  • Use SecureGive’s Donor IQ and largest transactions reports to identify high-capacity givers. Someone giving $25,000 a year in cash may be able to give $100,000 in stock if invited.
  • Send a dedicated year-end letter asking specifically about stock and crypto gifts. Many donors with appreciated assets are looking for a place to give before December 31, and your church should be that place.

The Bottom Line

Your congregation’s generosity is bigger than their paycheck. 80% of U.S. adults own stock. 20% own crypto. Many of your most faithful members have been waiting for an invitation to give from what they’ve built, not just what they earn. SecureGive makes that invitation simple, trusted, and administratively effortless for your donors and your team. The only question is whether your church has opened the door.

Ready to open the door?

Enabling non-cash giving takes just a few minutes inside SecureGive. Your members may already be waiting for the invitation. Schedule a quick meeting with our team or call our offices at 855-895-8951.

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