Methods Of Giving to My Local Church
Your local church is likely to have a variety of ways in which you could support it financially.
These could include:
- the Parish Giving Scheme
- Standing Order
- a weekly envelope
- one-off gift aid envelopes or cash in the plate at a service.
The method you choose is exactly that, your choice, but hopefully the information here will help you make an informed choice. If you already support your church financially, then thank you! This information may however enable you decide whether the method you currently use is the best for you and for your church.
The more regular and consistent your giving the easier it is for your church to budget and plan based on anticipated income from planned giving. Whatever method you choose, your regular gift and your generosity is greatly appreciated your local church.
The following chart shows the different ways of giving to your church (not every church will necessarily offer every option). The numbers refer to the notes provided below:
- An envelope system can usually be organised by your local church. You would receive a numbered envelope for each week of the year, although this is quite labour intensive!
- Using PGS, the gift aid reclaim on your donation is handled automatically, provided you are an eligible taxpayer.
- If you use an envelope system or standing order, the gift aid reclaim on each donation you make will be handled by your local Treasurer, so long as you are an eligible taxpayer AND you have completed the necessary forms.
- If you simply put cash in the collection during a service, your church can only reclaim a certain amount of Gift Aid – up to an annual limit – using the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme. Otherwise you will have to complete a Gift Aid Envelope every time you give
We would encourage you to use the PGS as soon as this is available in your parish because it offers the most advantages, as you can see from the chart. You of course may have good reasons for preferring a different method, and that is fine, but before making your decision, please reflect upon the merits a