Parish Giving Scheme


Click on the headings below to expand each block of information. 

What is the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS)?

The Parish Giving Scheme is a nationwide tool to support church giving, manage regular donations and reduce parish administration.

The scheme allows people to make regular, planned donations to their local church by Direct Debit.

It is operated as a partnership between Church of England dioceses to ensure that it can remain delivered locally but administered as cost effectively as possible. Bristol Diocese has been operating the scheme since 2017, and around 50% of our churches are using and benefitting from it.

The Parish Giving Scheme is offered free of charge to parishes.

How can my church benefit?

The benefits of this scheme include:

  • an improved cash flow and a reduced administrative burden as Gift Aid is claimed automatically and paid into the church account each month,
  • inflation-proofed giving, as donors have the option to increase their gift annually in line with inflation thus retaining the real value of their donation, and
  • encouraging parishioners to review their giving annually.

100% of donations come directly back to your parish from the PGS each month.

Introducing the PGS also provides you with an excellent opportunity to talk about money with your congregation/s. This has the potential to bring about a change in cultural attitudes to giving. To take full advantage of this opportunity youre strongly recommended to introduce the PGS alongside an appropriate giving programme.

Click here for case studies of two churches using the PGS in the Bristol Diocese - one rural, Wiltshire parish: Box with Hazelbury, and one large, city church: Redland Parish Church. 

How can my church offer the scheme?

To register your church, download a registration form below and return this to Clare Fussell, Giving and Resources Adviser, at: Diocese of Bristol, Hillside House, 1500 Parkway North, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8YU
Or by email to: clare.fussell@bristoldiocese.org

 

Digital platform and website guide

The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) digital platform and website allows individuals to easily set up and manage their regular giving, and churches to straightforwardly manage their giving statements, online.

All the materials you need to set up your online giving page and communicate this to your church/es, are available here. Further information is in the Church Handbook. 

Downloadable resources

Materials to help you to join the scheme:

Materials to allow potential donors to give through the PGS:

  • Editable Gift form for your congregation/s: this can be emailed, edited within the PDF, then printed, signed and posted to the PGS. You need to download the form for it to be editable.
  • Editable Wider Community Gift form: this can be emailed, edited within the PDF, then printed, signed and posted to the PGS. You need to download the form for it to be editable.
  • Editable annual increase form : please ensure that the PGS number for your church is added to this form before sharing it with givers.

Hard copies of both Gift forms are available from the Diocesan Office. Simply email Clare Fussell (address above) with the number you'd like to order.

Supporting materials for your congregation:

  1. Introduction to the Parish Giving Scheme (A5, 4-side booklet)

  2. How is the church funded? (A5, 4-side booklet)

  3. Why do we give to church? (Including giving guide)

Template letters to introduce the Parish Giving Scheme to...

 

Telephone donations via the PGS

The PGS also offers a telephone service to enable prospective givers to set up a regular Direct Debit donation to your parish over the phone.

The dedicated telephone service operates weekdays between 9 - 5pm on 0333 002 1271

The sign up process normally takes around 15 minutes. Prospective donors will need to have the following information to hand:

• Personal bank account details

• The name of the parish they wish to donate to

• Whether they want to increase their gift in line with inflation each year

• If they are eligible for Gift Aid

• The PGS code for their parish (usually 9 digits in length) *

*Note: This is the one piece of information that the giver will not have. Please ensure they have this information to guarantee the gift goes to the correct parish.

What if the donor wants to change their donation?

If donors wish to make any changes to their Direct Debit, they should notify a member of the PGS team by phone 0333 002 1260, email info@parishgiving.org.uk or in writing.

Praise for this service:

“I found the ease of using the new telephone service very satisfactory. The whole process was efficient and only took 15 minutes. The staff were very helpful and I would thoroughly recommend this service.”

Dr Simon Thorp, Eastbourne St Saviour

If your parish is not yet registered with the PGS,  you can download and fill in the 'Parish Registration Form' above and send electronically to Clare Fussell, along with a scan or photo of a paying-in slip from the PCC bank account into which you wish to receive funds.