- What is the Parish Giving Scheme?
It’s a straightforward method of giving to a church and enables the church to ease the administrative burden for Treasurers and Gift Aid Secretaries.
. - How can I find out more about the Scheme?
You can watch this one-minute video!
. - Is it only for tax payers who can use Gift Aid?
No, anyone can use the Scheme.
. - How do I get started?
You can use this link which takes you straight to Christ Church’s PGS page. Then click on Regular Giving.
. - Can I start things over the phone rather than on the internet?
Yes you can.
When you are ready to set up a new regular gift, you will need to have your personal bank account details, church/parish name [Christ Church, Weston-super-Mare], and PGS parish code [010601339] to hand.
Then simply give PGS a call on 0333 002 1271, Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm, and they will take down all the information they need to complete your Direct Debit instruction for you. They will also ask about your preferences for opting in to Gift Aid, if you are eligible, and whether you would like to increase your gift annually by the rate of inflation.
The call usually takes about 10 minutes to complete. PGS will then send you confirmation of your new gift by post or email.
. - I currently give by Standing Order from my bank. What’s the difference?
The PGS scheme uses Direct Debits rather than Standing Orders. This means that, instead of instructing your bank to pass money to Christ Church, you are authorising the PGS to take money from your account and pass it on to Christ Church. It comes with the same protections as cover your utility bills if they use Direct Debits – the Direct Debit Guarantee.
With a Standing Order via your bank you can choose the date the money will be sent from your account but with the PGS the money will be taken on the first of the month.
You can watch a two-minute video about the process here.
. - I’ve heard that they increase my donation each year. Is that correct?
A unique feature of the PGS is the option for each giver to commit, in principle, to increase their gift annually in line with inflation. While this is a voluntary decision, it is one that could potentially have a huge impact on the life and future of the church. There is no need to agree to this optional service.
One of the biggest problems faced by local churches is that of ‘static giving’. If giving levels had kept track with inflation since the year 2000, they would have increased by more than 50%!
. - Can I change the amount I give whenever I want?
Yes, you can do this online or by phoning 0333 002 1260. You can just log-in to your account with PGS and update the amount. It will then change the next month, as long as you’ve given sufficient notice. Remember: all payments go out on the first of the month.
. - Why are you keen that donors switch to the PGS?
Say Christ Church had 50 donors… if they all used Standing Orders, the Treasurer would see 50 lines on our monthly bank statement – all on differing dates – and would have to process and reconcile each line in our accounting software. Our Gift Aid Secretary would have to enter the 40 or so donations from Gift Aiders into the Gift Aid software. Every two months they would then make a Gift Aid claim.
If the 50 donors switched to the PGS, the Treasurer would just see one line each month on the bank statement (the sum of all of the donations), and the Gift Aid would appear without any work on Gift Aid Secretary’s part later in the month. The Treasurer would receive a monthly statement from PGS listing the donors / donations.
The amount of money the church would receive would be identical via either method.
. - Is there anything to be aware of in making the switch to PGS?
If a donor was to change from a Standing Order to the PGS, they set up their Direct Debit on the PGS website. The donor would need to inform their bank to stop their existing Standing Order. The PGS needs a period of time to set things up so, if the donor found that they missed a month in the changeover, they could make up that missed month by a debit card payment in church or as a one-off gift via the PGS.
. - Does the PGS have its own FAQ?
Yes, it’s here.
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Christ Church Weston-super-Mare
Living God's Love