This Spring, the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) has introduced a digital service that’s simple and secure for donors to support their church with a regular gift and eases the admin burden among parish staff and volunteers.

Available to all parishes within its 30 member dioceses, the online service received more than a thousand sign-ups and new donations in its first few weeks.

Giving online

The introduction of online services means there are now three ways to give regularly through the PGS; by post, by phone and via the website.

Every church in the scheme has its own page on the PGS website, where the donor journey begins. Donors simply activate their online PGS account, then set up a Direct Debit instruction choosing their church, the frequency and value of their gift. Crucially, donors have an option to increase their giving annually by the rate of inflation. If eligible, they can also opt to add Gift Aid, which PGS collects and forwards to the church.

All donors – whichever method they used to set up their gift – can manage their giving online, adding a new gift, updating their personal details or changing their existing donation.

Parish Giving Scheme Digital Service

 

Easy to administer

The Direct Debit scheme provided by PGS makes the whole process simple and the introduction of its digital services is a further step in reducing paperwork.

Every parish has authorised individuals who can log-in securely to view their monthly statement, including receipt of Gift Aid. 

In addition, church administrators can access a range of resources when they are logged in. These include practical guides for updating their parish landing page, sample social media posts and editable posters, all designed to help introduce the PGS to donors.

Support available

As well as comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the website, the PGS team is available via phone and email to support donors and churches.

The PGS team is also joining the National Giving Team to co-host two webinars. If your church is considering joining the scheme, you may like to attend ‘An introduction to PGS’, on Wednesday 28 April, 1-1.45pm. Book a place here.

For parishes who are already using PGS, ‘The PGS Digital Service’ session on Wednesday 12 May, 2-2.45pm, will guide you through the new online offer as well as how to make the most of the service as part of a giving review. Book a place here.


Source URL: https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/building-generous-church/generous-church-blog/parish-giving-scheme-makes-regular-online