One-off online giving

Audience: Mainly wider community, but also the congregation (especially during online services).
Use: Remote giving, parish magazines, social media platforms, email campaigns, letters to wider community, online services, A Church Near You, QR code displayed in the church. 

Many people give regularly to their church by standing order or direct debit (such as the Parish Giving Scheme) but some prefer to give one-off cash or digital gifts, especially those in the wider community. It is not uncommon that someone wishing to support a local church comes up against barriers to do so, for example only accepting in person cash gifts or needing to contact the treasurer for bank details.   

Online giving provides a quick and easy way for donors to give to a church, enabling gifts to be received remotely and at the moment when someone feels inspired to give, including during online services. Donations can be received irrespective of whether our churches are open or closed. A full list of online giving suppliers (most relevant and affordable providers for churches in the UK) is available here.

Parish Buying, the procurement arm of the Church of England, recommend Give A Little who have partnered with SumUp. Donations received through Give A Little come with a transaction rate of just 1.95% per donation, as well as providing the opportunity for donors to sign a Gift Aid declaration. There is no monthly fee. An example link can be seen here. 

To get setup with Give A Little for free, please download this step-by-step guide, which will take about an hour to go through Give A Little Step by Step Guide. There are also helpful videos on how do this which can be accessed here.

How can I encourage online giving?

A link to give can be shared online via social media, emails, or any other relevant platform. A QR code can also be shared on digital and non-digital spaces, for instance a QR code could be printed off and displayed in a parish magazine, or at various points within the church along with an appeal to give. You can also host the link to give on your A Church Near You page. To do this follow the guidance here.

For further information please contact:
Julie Podd – Parish Finance & Resources Advisor | 01473 298555 | 07826 556186

Online Giving FAQ | PDF