Method and system for interactive contributions solicitation and donation

• US 5,887,273 A
• Filed: 04/18/1996
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Witold A. Ziarno
• Original Assignee: Witold A. Ziarno
• Inventors: Ziarno, Witold A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hughet, William N.
• Application Number:
  US08/575,915
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/39, 705/41, 395/200.42
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 33/00 Religious or ritual equipment in dwelling or for general use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/343 Cards including a counter
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/203 Dispensing operations within ATMs dispensing in general G07D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/22 electrically actuated
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

An offering plate that permits an attender at a religious service to make a donation that consists of a cash donation acceptor, an envelope donation acceptor, a credit card donation processor, and/or a debit card donation processor. The offering plate associates a donation with an account of a member, tallies information regarding a number of donations, and stores information regarding a donation, and a plurality of donations. The offering plate is part of an offering plate network which consists of an offering plate, a clergy member'"'"'s terminal, and a communication link between the offering plate and the clergy member'"'"'s terminal. The offering plate network collects, analyzes, and displays statistical information.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of interactive fund-raising across a data packet transferring computer network, comprising communicating a request for a contribution data packet to a plurality of remote contribution accepting devices communicatively linked to a contributions managing device and remote from each other and geographically remote from said contributions management device, accepting said request for a contribution data packet at said remote contribution accepting devices by way of a routine, said remote contributions accepting devices utilizing a routine for accepting at least one contribution, and said request being at least visually presented on said contribution accepting device;

inputting contributions at said remote contribution accepting devices in response to said request;

receiving and recording at said contributions managing device from a plurality of said remote contribution accepting devices said contributions inputted on said plurality of said remote contribution accepting devices, and said contributions managing device having a routine for receiving and recording contributions from at least one contribution accepting device.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said request for a contribution data packet is a data packet request for a contribution made in memory of or in honor of an individual who is deceased, and further comprising processing said data packet request on said contributions accepting devices to achieve visual presentation of said request on said contributions accepting devices.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising correlating respective contributions with recipient data, said recipient data being selected from the group consisting of an individual who is deceased, a single recipient of a collection and a recipient selected from a plurality of recipients, to obtain correlated recipient data;

temporarily storing respective correlated recipient data at respective contribution accepting devices;

transferring said correlated recipient data to said contributions management device; and

processing said correlated recipient data.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising requesting contributor information at said remote contribution accepting devices free of information unrelated to said contributor, temporarily capturing respective contributor informationand a respective contribution designated by said contributor at said contribution accepting devices;

and transmitting said contributor information to said contributions managing device.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising presenting to prospective contributors a request for a contribution, said request for a contribution comprising data packets comprising multiple display screens soliciting the entry of a contribution.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising temporarily retaining information on said contributions on said remote contribution accepting devices prior to communication of said contributions to said contributions managing device.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising communicating said contributions from said contributions managing device to a funds processing device for further processing thereof.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising correlating a respective contribution to a cause to which said respective contribution was designated to obtain cause correlated contribution data, communicating said cause correlated contribution data to a record generator remotely located from a number of said contribution accepting devices, generating a record at said record generator having thereon at least a portion of said cause correlated contribution data, and forwarding said record to a recipient of said record.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising communicating a message expressing gratitude to a respective contributor for a corresponding contribution from a device other than said respective remote contribution accepting device in response to a contribution entered at said respective remote contribution accepting device for further processing thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising electronically inputting contributor signature indicia correlated to a respective contribution to obtain correlated contribution and signature data, temporarily capturing said correlated contribution and signature indicia data on said remote contribution accepting devices, generating signature indicia data packets of said correlated contribution and signature indicia data, and communicating said signature indicia data packets to said contributions management device.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising monitoring said contributions entered at said remote contribution accepting devices in real time, whereby the tracking of contributions made at a plurality of geographically remote distinct contribution sites is facilitated.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising adding additional contributions to a running total of said contributions stored at an electronic device other than said remote contributions accepting device.

13. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said request for a contribution is a multi-lingual request for a contribution data packet.

14. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said request for a contribution is a multi-lingual request for a contribution data packet and further comprising communicating said multi-lingual request for a contribution data packet from said contributions managing device to said respective remote contributions accepting devices.

15. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising correlating said contributions with respective account data.

16. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising correlating a respective contribution with a respective request for a contribution data packet, said request for a contribution data packet selected from the group consisting of a prayer data packet, an entreaty data packet, and a petition data packet, to obtain a correlated request;

and, processing said correlated request.

17. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising electronically determining whether or not a plurality of said contributions have reached a quota.

18. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising correlating a respective contribution with identity data of a respective contributor making a respective contribution.

19. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising automatically correlating a respective contribution with an account of a respective contributor making said contribution.

20. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising compiling statistical data indicators from said contributions, said statistical data indicators selected from the group consisting of an effectiveness of a request soliciting the making of a contribution, contribution habits of contributors, a number of contributors making contributions over a period of time, and an amount of contributions raised over time.

21. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said remote contribution accepting devices comprise input means, said input means selected from the group consisting of a keyboard and touch sensitive screen, at least one microprocessor, and a display, and further comprising the step inputting contribution data on said remote contribution accepting device.

22. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said remote contribution accepting devices comprise input means selected from the group consisting of a keyboard and touch sensitive screen, at least one microprocessor, and a display;

and, said contributions managing device comprising a plurality of microprocessors and a display, and further comprising inputting contribution data on a remote contribution accepting device.

23. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising presenting on said remote contribution accepting devices symbols representing operators for inducing the making of monetary contributions, said symbols comprising said request for a contribution data packet.

24. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising presenting symbols representing monetary values of an order inducing the making of contribution preferences of contributors, said values selected from the group consisting essentially of $1, $5, $10, $15, and $N+$5, in which N is an integer and 15≦

N, said symbols being communicated to said contribution accepting devices in said request for a contribution data packet.

25. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising assembling information on a series of contributions of a respective contributor until said contributions reach a selected value, and processing said contributions once said selected value has been reached.

26. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said routine for accepting at least one contribution is a software routine for accepting successively made contributions one after another free of information unrelated to said contributions or said contributors, and in which said routine for receiving and recording contributions from at least one contribution accepting device is a software routine for accepting a multiplicity of said successively made contributions from said remote contributions accepting devices.

27. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising electronically analyzing statistical information related to said contributions.

28. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said remote contribution accepting devices comprise a keyboard, a display, and means for capturing information from record bearing credit cards or debit cards, and further comprising the step inputting contribution data on a remote contribution accepting device.

29. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising accommodating the contribution preference of contributors by presenting on said contribution accepting devices an additional request selected from the group comprising a request for a contribution inducing the making of said contribution, and a request for the making of a contribution to a plurality of different causes.

30. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said request comprises requests to enter a contribution to more than one collection for which said contributions are being solicited;

designated a respective collection to obtain designated collection data; and

, correlating said designated collection data with a respective contribution being designated to said collection to obtain correlated contribution and collection data; and

in which said correlated contribution and collection data are received and recorded at said contributions managing device.

31. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said request comprises a plurality of requests to make contributions to a plurality of collections for which said contributions are being solicited, and further comprising correlating respective contributions with the collections for which they are designated.

32. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising coding said contributions at said electronic contribution accepting devices to obtain coded contributions;

and decoding said coded contributions at a device other than said electronic contribution accepting devices.

33. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising communicatively linking said contributions accepting devices in a local area network.

34. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising tallying said contributions, said contributions selected from the group of contributions entered by respective individual contributors and contributions made by different contributors.

35. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising compiling a statistical indicator from a plurality of said contributions entered on said contribution accepting devices;

and, targeting a particular potential contributor with a subsequent request for a contribution as a function of said statistical indicator, said potential contributor selected from the group consisting of a particular contributor, sub-group of contributors, and group of contributors with a request for a contribution, whereby said entity is targeted in an effort to maximize overall contributions.

36. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising automatically quantifying data related to a plurality of said contributions entered on said contribution accepting devices to obtain a quantified judgement indicator;

and, modifying a subsequent request for a contribution in response to said quantified judgement indicator.

37. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said contributions are selected from the group consisting of free will offerings and tithes.

38. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising executing a contribution session in which said request for a contribution is displayed for a time out period.

39. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising executing a contribution session to obtain session information consisting essentially of contributions and contributor information;

and, periodically clearing said session information from a device selected from the group consisting of said contributions managing device and said contributions accepting devices.

40. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising executing a contribution session to obtain session information, said session information consisting of contributor information and contribution information.

41. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising determining the genuiness of said contribution.

42. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said contribution accepting device further comprises a donation associator;

and, further comprising correlating a particular contribution with a particular contributor utilizing said donation associator.

43. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising grouping a plurality of respective contribution managing devices with contribution accepting devices, each said contribution managing device communicating with at least one respective contribution accepting device, to obtain a plurality of grouped contribution collecting systems;

communicatively linking said grouped collecting systems, and sharing contribution data between said grouped collecting systems.

44. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which there are multiple collections for which contributions are solicited during an electronic contribution session and further comprising designating the specific collection to which a respective contribution is designated during said contribution session.

45. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising correlating a special prayer request data packet with a respective contribution related thereto.

46. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising communicating a multiplicity of said contributions from a plurality of contributions managing devices to a central database for further processing, said contributions managing devices being located at geographically remote fund-raising organizations or sites designated by said fund-raising organizations.

47. The method in accordance with claim 1 in which said contributions are free of information unrelated to said respective contributions.

48. A computer implemented system for interactive fund-raising across a data packet transferring computer network, comprising, in combination, a plurality of contribution accepting devices remote one from another;

a routine comprising a request for a contribution presented on a plurality of said remote contribution accepting devices;

a communication link linking respective remote contribution accepting devices to a respective contributions managing device; and

, a routine for receiving at said contributions managing device from a plurality of said remote contribution accepting devices a plurality of contributions entered on said contribution accepting devices, and said contributions management device being optionally geographically remote from a plurality of said electronic contributions accepting devices.

49. The system in accordance with claim 48 in which respective contributions are free of information unrelated to said respective contributions.

50. The system in accordance with claim 48 in which said request for a contribution is a request for a contribution to a plurality of causes.

51. The system in accordance with claim 48 further comprising a routine that correlates a respective contribution to a cause to which said respective contribution was designated to obtain correlated contribution data, a record generator remotely located from a plurality of said contribution accepting devices, communication circuitry for communicating said correlated contribution data to a record generator, a routine for generating a record at said record generator, and having thereon at least a portion of said correlated contribution data;

and means for forwarding said record to a recipient of said record.

52. A computer implemented system for interactive fund-raising across a data packet transferring computer network, comprising, in combination, a plurality of contribution accepting devices remote one from another, a routine comprising a request for a contribution presented on respective contribution accepting devices of said plurality, a communication link communicatively linking respective contribution accepting devices to an optionally geographically remote contributions managing device;

input means at said respective contribution accepting devices for inputting a contribution thereat, said contribution free of information unrelated to said contribution or said contributor; and

, a routine for receiving and recording at said contributions managing device a plurality of contributions entered on said contribution accepting devices.

53. A computer-based method of fund-raising within a religious service, comprising communicating a request for a contribution to a plurality of remote contribution accepting devices communicatively linked to a contributions managing device and remote from each other and remote from said contributions management device, said remote contributions accepting devices utilizing a routine for accepting at least one contribution, and said request being at least visually presented on said contribution accepting device;

inputting contributions at said remote contribution accepting devices in response to said request;

receiving and recording at said contributions managing device from a plurality of said remote contribution accepting devices said contributions inputted on said plurality of said remote contribution accepting devices, and said contributions managing device having a routine for receiving and recording contributions from at least one contribution accepting device.

54. A computer-based system for fund-raising within a religious service, comprising, in combination, a plurality of contribution accepting devices remote one from another;

a routine comprising a request for a contribution presented on a plurality of said remote contribution accepting devices;

a communication link linking respective remote contribution accepting devices to a respective contributions managing device; and

, a routine for receiving at said contributions managing device from a plurality of said remote contribution accepting devices a plurality of contributions entered on said contribution accepting devices, and said contributions management device being remote from a plurality of said electronic contributions accepting devices.