b'As business partners of Citygate Network, Adam Baker and David Dow of Schooley Mitchell are committed to helping missions thrive. Through strategic guidance and thoughtful stewardship, Adam, David, and the Schooley Mitchell team help ministries serve their flocks more effectively while maintaining financial health. For more information on costreduction strategies, please reach out to David or Adam at david.dow@schooleymitchell.com or adam.baker@schooleymitchell.com.often see organizations breathe easierPCI compliance fees, noncompli-once they understand PCI, because itance fees, or a compliance certification turns fear of what if into confidencereference. If youre unsure, ask your that they are protected.Hackers dont justprocessor for your most recent Attesta-tion of Compliance or Self-Assessment How to know if yourewant money; theyQuestionnaire (SAQ) results. PCI compliant I f your organization accepts creditwant data. Steps toward compliance cards, either online or in person,1.Identify your scope: List every youre required to maintain PCIsystem, person, and vendor that compliance. You can usually findtouches credit card data. clues on your merchant processing statement, where some processors list2.Complete a SelfAssessment Questionnaire: The PCI Council provides multiple SAQ types depending on how you process payments. 3.Implement protections: Use firewalls, data encryption, secure passwords, and multi-factor authentication.4.Monitor and test regularly: Compliance isnt static; its an ongoing process. 5.Document everything: You may be asked for proof of compliance annually. If a breach happens: why compliance matters E ven when youve done every-thing right, a breach still hurts. But being compliant gives you proof that you acted responsibly, and that matters when youre talking with your board, your bank, or the people you serve. Noncompliant organizations risk losing their merchant account, paying 48 WWW.CITYGATENETWORK.ORG NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025'