Digital Giving – Online giving – getting started

Digital Giving

Digital Giving is both contactless donation devices and online giving (including QR codes).  This page is about Online Giving.

Many churches are now recognising that they should offer their congregation, wider community, and visitors a variety of ways to support their church. 

It’s essential that churches remove the barriers to giving by setting up easily accessible giving options allowing supporters a quick and easy way to give both in person when visiting a church and online.  Common barriers are churches only accepting in-person cash gifts or need to contact the treasurer for bank details. Churches must recognise that they need to offer a variety of ways for people to give: giving via the Parish Giving Scheme (best for regular givers but one-off giving also offered) using cash in person, using a contactless machine (if available), or by standing order, but others will be happy using their phones to access your giving site (via a QR code), by clicking a link on the church/benefice website or via a donate button on a A Church Near You page. An online giving facility is also ideal for those attending Zoom/Facebook services and is free and easy to set up.

Advantages

• It is easy to set up and manage.
• Givers can give a one-off donation or set up a monthly donation.
• No need to contact a Treasurer or visit a church to donate.
• Premium membership of Give A Little (free through Parish Buying) allows givers to fill in a Gift Aid declaration when they are making their donation and comes with lots of other features like reporting and the ability to customise campaigns with images and videos. 

Getting started

• The first step to set up online giving is to create a Parish Buying account (Church of England procurement arm).
• Once you have set up your Parish Buying account, you can sign up for a Give A Little Premium account for free. Give A Little (GAL) is a platform for receiving online (and contactless) donations. It works by partnering with a payment processor to accept donations on your behalf and deposits them into your church’s bank account.
• Follow the instructions on setting up a GAL account on Parish Buying using the same email address you used to set up your Parish Buying account. 
• Once you have set up a GAL account, you need to choose a payment processor. There are two options available: Sum Up or Stripe Express. Both are payment providers and, together with Give A Little, they make up the online giving service. 

Further advice

• Promote your online giving link and QR code in the following ways: service sheets, parish magazines, newsletters, social media platforms, email campaigns, letters to wider community, online services, A Church Near You, QR code displayed in the church. 
• Integrate your Give A Little account with your ‘A Church Near You’ page.

Resources

For further information

You might be interested in

Digital Giving – Contactless giving – getting started

Getting started with Contactless giving

• Link

How the Parish Giving Scheme grows the Kingdom of God

Watch this video to see how the PGS will empower your church to become more financially sustainable.

• Video

Generosity Week

You are invited to hold services, run group sessions and distribute readings on the theme of generosity.

• Link