- Are you planning a fundraising appeal? This days training In London may be of interest: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fico-spring-conference-different-ways-of-fundraising-for-an-appeal-tickets-57694619159
- Write a Winning Funding Bid - a free online course on everything you need to put together a winning funding bid
Church Roof Solar Panels
At the recent Diocesan Synod, we considered ways that we could be an eco-diocesem so you may be considering solar panels on your church. The previous Feed-in Tariff scheme has now been brought to an end, but the Government is currently consulting on a replacement Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) scheme. Well let you know as and when this comes available. Were also keeping our eyes open for grants to help pay for solar panels on your church, so if you come across some, let us know, as were sure there will be several parishes interested.
GASDS increased limit reminder
The government has approved plans to increase the individual donation limit on the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme. Announced in the Budget last November, the change will increase the individual donation limit to 30, which applies to small collections where it is impractical to obtain a Gift Aid declaration. This will apply to gifts made on or after 6 April 2019.
JustTextGiving closing from 1 April
If you are currently fundraising using JustTextGiving youll need to switch before 1 April as they are closing the service. Other services are available but charge a fee. Two options are Donr and DONATE. You may need to be a registered charity to use these services. Dont forget that Parish Buying has negotiated great rates on contactless card readers, so check those out too.
National Lottery Heritage Fund Relaunches
With special interest in nature, landscapes and community heritage, the full breadth of heritage will continue to be funded by the Heritage Fund. It is vital that all schemes show how the local community will benefit from the grant. The grants schemes have been simplified and fall within 3 main blocks - 3k to 10k, 10k to 250k and 250k to 5 million. Although the ringfenced Places of Worship Scheme closed a while ago, more funding has actually been given to churches since this became part of the main scheme. A section of their new website has been dedicated to places of worship, including past project examples, blogs and tips on how to access their support.