If you need to collect tithes or donations for a church or charity, there are a couple of options for the type of envelopes you can use. Tithe envelopes, or church envelopes, are meant for collections only within the church or organization. They are thin envelopes with a thumb flap closure, and not commonly sent in the mail. Remittance envelopes, or donation envelopes, are larger envelopes sometimes with a detachable flap that can serve as an order form or information form. Remittance envelopes are used to collect donations through the mail, and to allow the donator to put his or her name on the donation as well as communicate with the church or charity about events or products.
Tithe or Church Envelopes
Tithe envelopes can be personalized for your church or charity with corner copy (the return address and/or small logo of your organization) or with a custom printed image on the whole face of the envelope. Corner copy is usually included in the price of the envelope, but you should contact your printer for a custom quote if you would like a larger image or more copy, such as a form to fill out with the donator's information, on the envelope.
Tithe envelopes are small, to make the offerings easy to fit in a collections plate, and they have a small flap, usually with a thumb tab, for quick closure and quick opening. They are not usually sent in the mail since they are meant to be collected and opened within the church or organization, and they come in a small standard size. Tithe envelopes are the most common choice for church donations and offerings, and are easy to set up for printing since they have a standard envelope face to print on.
Remittance or Donation Envelopes
Remittance envelopes are very versatile and can be used to collect donations through the mail or in person, as well as collect information on your members, sign them up for events and programs, or allow them to choose novelty items or subscriptions in return for their donations. The front or face of the envelope is simple - it often consists of corner copy and the organization's address, and sometimes business reply or "stamp here" artwork in the upper right corner. The flaps of remittance envelopes are what make them special.
Remittance envelopes can have either a large standard flap or a large perforated flap. A non-perforated envelope has one large flap that can be printed with an order or information form, and is gummed at the edge for closure. When the flap is closed, the information is inside the flap, against the back of the envelope. Care must be taken with copy on these envelopes as anything printed near the gum of the flap may get ripped off when the envelope is opened. This problem can be solved with a perforated remittance envelope, which has the same large flap but perforated near the base.
The large flap is printed with the form, and can be filled out and torn off by the donator, then placed safely inside the envelope and sealed with the cash or check. The base of the flap, below the perforation, remains attached and this is the part of the flap that is gummed for closure. (Remember if you use the remittance envelopes through the mail that you may want to remind your patrons not to send cash. For in house collections and offerings, cash does fit inside the envelope.)
Another consideration for remittance or donation envelopes is the size of the envelope. They can sometimes be offered in three different sizes, often referred to as "6 and 1/4," "6 and 3/4" and "number 9." The size of your copy and the amount of information you need to gather on the envelope is the most important factor in determining the size you need. Donation envelopes, because of the large flaps and the rounded edges, can be difficult to set up for printing if the copy comes too close to the edge or to the flap gum. If you have questions about how to fit your copy on a donation envelope do not hesitate to call your printer. He may be able to provide you with a template for setting up your artwork, and can advise on how to best fit the copy onto this special type of envelope.
