Why did you decide to adopt digital tools like online and contactless giving? How did you decide which provider and machine to use?
We had been thinking about contactless and giving for a while as we could see that people are not really carrying cash anymore. The Covid pandemic was the trigger that made us decide now was the time to change. We decided on the provider and tools by looking at the research done by the Southwark Giving Team.
Our main criteria were:
- Lowest possible transaction processing cost and on-going costs
- Easy to use, both for the donor and for the Parish
- Good looking machines that would enhance the welcome area in the church
- Reasonably priced machine
“The Covid pandemic was the trigger that made us decide now was the time to change.”
St Barnabas purchased the Payaz Giving Station a few months ago, which they located alongside some QR code posters to enable more people to give at once and avoid queues.
How have people responded to the “donation station” you have set up in the church? What would you recommend to other parishes from your experience so far?
The response to the donation station has been terrific. I was a little worried at first because we had to invest quite a bit in buying the machine, but we have had much in more in donations than we spent on the machine, and I don’t think we would have had those donations without it. It has been especially useful at baptisms and services where we have visitors from outside our congregation.
I would recommend talking to the Southwark Giving Team who have researched all the providers and can give helpful advice. We also put together a small team to work on the project together, so that it doesn’t become too much of a burden on one individual.
“Don’t be afraid to try out new methods. Contactless in particular is very easy to do.”
As well as adopting these tools for one-off gifts, the PCC at St Barnabas also decide to join the Parish Giving Scheme for regular giving. What about the scheme appealed to you?
PGS appealed to me because it gave the option of linking donations to inflation. Most of our regular donors stick with the same donation for years and years. I also liked the fact that there were no processing fees, and that PGS also offered us automated Gift Aid collection.
What has been your strategy for inviting the church community to join PGS?
We have promoted PGS on multiple fronts:
- First, we made sure our PCC supported the scheme and asked them to join. That way we got practical feedback on the process
- Then we asked our existing regular givers – particularly those using envelopes – to switch over. We used email where we had it, letters where we didn’t have email and we have followed up with a personal approach where needed
- Finally, we asked everyone we knew, even if they weren’t regular givers. As with regular givers, we used email and letters
- We promote our giving initiative each Sunday at the Offertory
- From time to time, we give a special notice to thank people for the progress we have made so far and to remind others to join
- We post our giving scheme details during our service on our live Facebook stream
- We post our giving scheme details in our weekly “Connect” email to all congregation members
As a donor who is yourself giving through the Parish Giving Scheme, how would you review the service?
I would say it is very simple and straightforward to use. That is all you need from this service.
Moving forward, how will you continue to foster generosity with these new ways of giving?
We still have a fair way to go working through the existing congregation to convert to PGS. This is our main focus for now. Looking forward, I would like to widen the giving team and bring in donations from groups who attend activities at the church but are not part of our congregation.
Do you have any advice for other churches on making the most of these methods?
Don’t be afraid to try out new methods. Contactless in particular is very easy to do. Converting people to PGS is quite a long process – treat it as a marathon not a sprint.
To find out more about the Parish Giving Scheme, online giving, or contactless giving, please contact a member of our Giving Team.
