Gift Aid proving invaluable
In these difficult financial times a close eye is being kept on diocesan and parish finances. That’s why, last summer a hiccup in share payments from the parishes led the Chief Executive to write encouraging parishes and congregations to maintain their giving levels as far as possible. The immediate response from the parishes was gratifying and has been maintained into 2009. Four months into this year share payments, in cash terms, are running 7% ahead of 2008. This is reassuring and results from an increase in the number of parishes making regular payments as well as earlier payments being made by those parishes paying less regularly.
The summary financial returns for 2008 coming in now from parish treasurers suggest that giving through Gift Aid continues to improve. With 39% of the forms now in, and comparing these with forms from the same parishes for 2007, we estimate that regular giving through Gift Aid has increased by a further 5%.
Gift Aid income is a hugely significant component of PCC income and has improved much since 1998. The number of members now using Gift Aid is around 18,000. The graph illustrates the changes since 1998 in three crucial components of PCC income through regular giving. Whilst collections have remained more-or-less static over the period at an average of £2.19 million (and thus have gone down in real terms), giving through Gift Aid, along with the tax recovered, has increased by 75%. Whilst, in 1998, collections made up 25% of the total amounts shown, this has declined to just 16% as more and more members have switched to Gift Aid. The Parish Finance Office (01245 294430) is able to advise on the finer points of Gift Aid, including the computer systems available now to help with its administration.
Canon Don Cardy
27th May 2009
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