Parish Giving Scheme
The Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) is a free resource to help your church members plan their giving and, where appropriate, do so tax efficiently.
What is PGS?
Parish Giving Scheme is a non-profit charity owned by the Church of England, which was set up with the aim of supporting churches for free. Donations through this Scheme are made by Direct Debit. Each donation is directed to that individual’s parish church, and PGS claims the Gift Aid on your behalf.
To put it simply, PGS is a mechanism for anyone to give to their chosen church safely and efficiently.
How does PGS work?
At the heart of the PGS service is a secure and simple way for people to give regularly to their chosen church by Direct Debit. To provide churches, their communities and visitors with flexibility, it is also possible to make a one-off gift using a debit or credit card, or by using Apple or Google Pay.
Regular gifts through Direct Debit are received initially by PGS, who then claims the Gift Aid, where eligible, on the church’s behalf. The entirety of the gifts for every person who is giving to your church through PGS is sent directly into your parish bank account in a single transaction on to PGS the 10th of the month. All of the Gift Aid contributions arrive in a separate single transaction as soon as they’ve been processed by HMRC.
Why should our church join the Parish Giving Scheme?
PGS provides a safe way for people to give to their church, as well as offering benefits for everyone involved.
Benefits to the giver:
- Retaining control of how much they give, how often and to which church.
- Using a simple giving method helping their church to receive regular financial support.
- The option to increase a regular gift annually to protect their gift against inflation.
- Anonymity, if preferred.
- Peace of mind that the Direct Debit Guarantee Scheme protects their regular gifts.
Benefits to the treasurer:
- Reduced administration and paperwork.
- Easy access to monthly and annual statements.
- Saving time for themselves, bookkeepers and those who count cash gifts.
- One trusted provider for regular and one-off giving, instead of managing multiple platforms.
Benefits to the church:
- Stable and often increased regular giving.
- Providing a platform to encourage generosity when launching PGS alongside a Giving Programme or review.
- Protection against static giving, by offering givers the option to index-link their gift.
- Managing multiple gifts in just a couple of transactions, reducing bank charges.
- The administrative cost of operating the Scheme is covered by the National Church Institutions of the Church of England, making the regular giving service free to use for churches and givers, and a very low charge for one-off gifts
How does our church sign up for PGS?
Your PCC must pass a resolution to join the Parish Giving Scheme, securing a legal agreement between your parish and PGS, enabling the scheme to handle giving on your behalf.
Click here to read a guide to PGS for PCC’s.
Resources
- Diocese to Parish leaflet
- Guide for PCC’s
- Guide for Givers
- PGS website