The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, DC will accept crypto donations
The Archdiocese of Washington, DC of the Roman Catholic Church will begin accepting cryptocurrency donations as part of an effort to expand its ministries.
In a Tuesday announcement, crypto platform Engiven said it would facilitate donations to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, DC for fundraising efforts and to boost the church’s “digital stewardship initiatives.” According to the archdiocese’s website, the funds will be used to directly support 139 DC-area parishes as well as local programs, including providing food to those in need.
“The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, DC seeks to leverage technology to engage parishioners in new and exciting ways, making it easier for the faithful to fulfill the Church’s mission,” said Joseph Gillmer, executive director of development for the archdiocese.
Engiven is proud to partner with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
Why do organizations choose Engiven?
✅ Superior security
✅ Outstanding features + customization
✅ World-class support#cryptocurrency #non profit #philanthropy pic.twitter.com/W4HWZ24gfb— engiven (@engiveninc) 2 August 2022
Engiv’s site for the archdiocese included the ability to send donations anonymously in many cryptocurrencies, from Bitcoin (BTC) to 0x’s ZRX. According to the platform, funds designated to individual congregations receive 100% of the net income from donations.
Cointelegraph reported in November that Engiven had facilitated crypto donations for more than 400 faith-based organizations, including processing a single BTC donation for $10 million. Founder James Lawrence said at the time that “no faith-based organization, church or nonprofit can afford to neglect their online audience, donors and seekers” with crypto becoming part of that ecosystem.
Related: Pro-Russian groups collected only 4% of the crypto donations sent to Ukraine
While certain dioceses within the Roman Catholic Church appear to be open to using the latest technology, the Russian Orthodox Church said in February 2021 that it does not plan to accept cryptocurrency for donations, nor create its own digital currency. A spokesperson suggested at the time that church members should send money over the phone instead of crypto. Russian President Vladimir Putin has since signed a bill banning digital financial assets as payments in the country.
