Parish Organisers - if you require Gift Aid Declarations, forms to submit amendments, copies of Newsletters or you wish to Order supplies, please click Information for Parish Organisers

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The role of the Director of the Planned Giving and Gift Aid Service is to provide a service to the Parishes, Schools and Organisations of the Diocese to assist them in obtaining the income necessary for them to carry out their work.  

Our task, as the Church of Shrewsbury Diocese, is to bring God’s healing love to the world in which we live, to be the Word of God to all around us. This vision has to be more than words - how do we translate our shared vision into action?  

To do this we require resources:-  

a) people willing to share in the work of the Church;
b) property i.e. church buildings, parish halls & meeting rooms and, very importantly our Schools;
c) money to meet the costs of the work.  

The normal running costs and the day-to-day work taking place in our parishes by dedicated parishioners incur considerable costs. The maintenance of existing buildings and the provision of new facilities and the contribution we have to make to our Voluntary Aided Status Schools has to be financed.

Stewardship is the word that can be used described this; it asks of us all “are we good Stewards of our Time, our Talents and our Treasure?” All three aspects of Stewardship are essential and inter-dependant.  

The Planned Giving and Gift Aid Service is primarily involved in the stewardship of Treasure as the two main sources of our income are the Offertory gifts made at weekly Mass and the Tax Refunds that we can claim through Gift Aid.

PLANNED GIVING

Recent years have seen all costs rising but a falling in numbers and fewer young families attending Mass. This inevitably places a greater responsibility on those still practising their Faith to be generous in supporting their parishes - and on those using our Schools to make some financial contribution to both their local School Fund and the Diocesan School Buildings Fund.

The work of our Parishes and the Diocese depends on having the necessary resources of people and finance. What is needed is not just people willing to give of their time and efforts in carrying out the work of the Church.

Thus it is essential that regular and realistic giving is maintained and to this end the concept of “Planned Giving” (or “Christian Stewardship”) is actively promoted by the Planned Giving and Gift Aid Service through the medium of “Planned Giving Renewals”. Parishes are encouraged to have such a renewal at least every three or four years to keep pace with the floating population, the effects of inflation and the growing costs of running a parish. In a “Renewal” all parishioners are urged to see their Offertory Giving as more than just providing the necessary income to meet to bills.  The message of a “Renewal” is that the gifts presented at the Offertory of the Mass are an offering of oneself and an active way of participating in the communal effort to fulfil the Mission of the Church more effectively.

The concern for and committment to the Church of the people of Shrewsbury Diocese is evident - despite a fall in Mass Attendance, Offertory Giving has continued to increase.

GIFT AID

The Diocese of Shrewsbury is a Registered Charity and as such can take advantage of its charitable status by encouraging the use of Gift Aid. There are currently over 11,600 people in parishes and 6,000 people in our Schools who helped reclaim nearly £800,000 in Gift Aid in 2008/09 for their Parish, School or one of various Diocesan Funds and Organisations, an increase of around 3% on 2007/08. 

The Budget in March 2008 saw the Chancellor of the Exchequer announce special arrangements for the next 3 years to reimburse the loss of Gift Aid caused by the 2% reduction in the basic rate of income tax from 22% to 20%.  Without this the Diocese would lose around £90,000 in Gift Aid refunds in each of the next 3 years.  Whilst welcome, there is clearly work to be done in encouraging the use of Planned Giving Renewals and Gift Aid Appeals NOW as a way of beginning to increase income to help offset the loss of Gift Aid refund that will occur from April 2011.   

1. PARISH GIFT AID SCHEMES

Gift Aid enables parishes to reclaim tax on donations that are ALREADY being made at the Offertory and in many other ways - i.e. donations for special purposes and Retiring Collections.

Donors simply make a declaration that they wish their donations to qualify for a tax refund under the Gift Aid Scheme. This declaration may be made on a written Gift Aid Declaration Form (available in parishes or from the Diocesan office) or it can be made over the telephone, fax or by email to the Diocesan Office.  

The donor only has to give their name and address and to confirm that they are paying sufficient income tax and that they wish to be part of the Gift Aid Scheme.

Gift Aid involves no commitment to give any particular amount and no long-term commitment. The donor may cancel their membership of the scheme at any time.  

There are only two conditions with which donors must comply:

i) they must be paying at least as much tax as the parish will reclaim; and

ii) all donations on which a tax refund is to be claimed will be given either by Offertory Envelopes, by Cheque or by Banker’s Standing Order.  It does not matter which rate of income tax the donor pays.

Tax may be reclaimed on any donation(s) given in the above ways.  These may consist of Offertory Donations at Mass, Christmas and Easter Offerings, special Retiring Collections that are taken from time-to-time, Mass Offerings, or any “one-off” donation(s) made in response to an appeal for a specific purpose (i.e. for a new heating system, church re-decoration, etc).  

Most parishes have a lay person who acts as Gift Aid Organiser who can explain further and advise you on how to join the Gift Aid Scheme. The Director is available to carry out weekend Gift Aid appeals in Parishes, and Parishes are encouraged to have an appeal every 3 to 4 years to keep pace with the floating population and the tax status of Parishioners.

Your Parish needs the extra funds that the Gift Aid scheme provides.   

2. GIFT AID DONATIONS TO THE DIOCESE, SPECIAL FUNDS & ORGANISATIONS AND SCHOOLS

As well as benefiting Parishes, Gift Aid can be used to enhance the value of donations to the Diocese through the General Diocesan Fund and other Diocesan Funds and Organisations - for example the Priests’ Retirement Fund, the Clergy Training Fund, the Justice & Peace Commission.  Many parents also use Gift Aid for their donations to individual Parish School Funds and to the Diocesan School Buildings Fund (the Director is available to speak to parents to encourage this).

The appropriate Gift Aid Declaration Form can be obtained from the Director (see above). Cheques should be made payable to “Diocese of Shrewsbury” and a note should accompany the donation specifying which fund is to benefit.  

You are welcome to write to the Director if you require further information on Planned Giving, Gift Aid, Diocesan or Parish Finances.  

STEWARDSHIP  

In the last few years a process has begun of introducing Planned Giving and Gift Aid as part of the overall concept of Stewardship.

What do we mean by Stewardship?  Stewardship is a “one-word” description of the Christian way of life. It is not something that we do; it is a way of living out our discipleship. It has to come from a very mature faith, an attitude of mind and of living that is driven by the acknowledgement that all things in life, indeed life itself, do not belong to me, but that they belong to God. Nothing is mine, everything is God’s. All my gifts, skills and talents belong to Him: I am merely here for a while to care for them, to use them wisely, to nurture and develop them, and then to return them. I come with nothing, and I shall leave with nothing. But in between times I am called to do many things.

By our baptism we are called to be Disciples of Christ. Stewardship is an expression of discipleship with a power to change how we understand and live out our lives.

Disciples who practice stewardship recognise God as the origin of life, the giver of freedom, the source of all they have and will be. However small you may feel your gift is, it will be multiplied as it is shared. Jesus calls us to share our time, talents and treasure as he compares them to a light created to illuminate all in the house not to be hidden under a bushel. (Matthew 5 14-16)  

The promotion of the practice of stewardship is important for the mission of the Church and for the spiritual well-being of each individual Christian. Everyone benefits from the sacrificial gift one makes of his time, talent and treasure.   Pope Benedict XVI

Please contact me if you would like more information on Planned Giving, Gift Aid, Diocesan or Parish Finances or developing Stewardship in your Parish.

Mike Russell -  Director

A. GIFT AID DECLARATIONS

Immediately below is the Gift Aid Declaration currently to be used by Parishioners wanting to make regular donations to their Parish.  This can be downloaded and printed off for you to give to Parishioners wishing to join the Gift Aid scheme.  Please ensure that Parishioners complete the form in full, and that you write in the name of the Church and Town on the Gift Aid Declaration. 

Gift Aid Declaration for Regular/Periodic Donations - please click here

If Parishioners wish to make a "one-off" donation to their Parish, the Gift Aid Declaration to be used is available to be downloaded and printed off below.  Please ensure that Parishioners complete the form in full and that you enter the name of the Parish (or Fund) and the Town on the Gift Aid Declaration.

Gift Aid Declaration for "One-Off" Donations - please click here

Please return completed Gift Aid Declarations to the address below.  In the case of "One-Off" donations, the attention of Parish Organisers is also drawn to the "audit trail" requirements set down in the August 2008 Newsletter (this is available in the Newsletters section below):

Planned Giving & Gift Aid Service
Diocese of Shrewsbury
Curial Offices
2 Park Road South
PRENTON
CH43 4UX  

B. GENERAL

The sections below set out other forms that are available for download.  These can then be saved to your pc as an Excel spreadsheet, completed and then sent via e-mail to mike.russell@dioceseofshrewsbury.org.  Alternatively, they can be printed and completed, then posted to:

Planned Giving & Gift Aid Service
Diocese of Shrewsbury
Curial Offices
2 Park Road South
PRENTON
CH43 4UX

i) GIFT AID DATABASE

Gift Aid Termination Sheet - please click here 
Gift Aid Name and Address Amendment Sheet - please click here
Gift Aid Method of Payment Amendment Sheet - please click here

ii) ENVELOPE USERS DATABASE

Parishioners who use envelopes to make their Offertory giving do so because they wish to make regular and realistic giving to their Parish as part of the concept of "Planned Giving".  Thus, parishioners who use envelopes to make their giving are not necessarily also in the Gift Aid scheme.  A database of envelope users (called the Register of Envelope Users) is maintained by the Planned Giving & Gift Aid Service for many (but not all) Parishes in the Diocese.  This is used by the Planned Giving & Gift Aid Service to produce name and address labels of envelope users for Parish Organisers in these Parishes to put on the lids of envelope boxes prior to the distribution of the boxes before the start of the new tax year.

Where Parish Organisers order name and address labels from the Planned Giving & Gift Aid Service to put on the lids of envelope boxes, the forms below are available to make alterations to the Register of Envelope Users used to produce the labels.

Will Parish Organisers using these forms to supply alterations please note that any alterations to the Register of Envelope Users are NOT automatically made to the Gift Aid Database.  Organisers wishing to make alterations to the Gift Aid Database must submit the relevant form from those listed in section i) above.

Register of Envelope Users - Add New People Sheet: please click here
Register of Envelope Users - Amendment Sheet: please click here
Register of Envelope Users - Remove People Sheet: please click here

iii) ORDER FORM FOR SUPPLIES

Leaflets, Gift Aid Master Lists, Offertory Envelope Ledgers etc... together with the Gift Aid Declarations and other forms available above can also be ordered from the Planned Giving & Gift Aid Service for delivery by post or e-mail.

Order Form for Supplies - please click here

iv) NEWSLETTERS

The current and previous issue of the Planned Giving & Gift Aid Service Newsletter are available below

August 2010 Newsletter - please click here
April 2010 Newsletter - please click here

  THE PLANNED GIVING AND GIFT AID SERVICE