The Parish Giving Scheme (or PGS for short) is an established planned giving scheme for churches that was launched across the Diocese of Leeds in January 2020.

Developed in 2009 by the Diocese of Gloucester, the PGS is a proven way to boost levels of parish income but also offers a myriad of other benefits for parishes and givers alike. More than 70% of dioceses have now signed up to the scheme. It processes annual donations in excess of £55 million and claims around £11 million each year in Gift Aid on behalf of the churches it supports. The Parish Giving Scheme is recommended by the National Church and is the preferred way of receiving planned giving at a parish level. 

 

The PGS helps regular givers donate safely to their church by direct debit either monthly, quarterly or  annually. Once a parish has registered with the PGS, members of its congregation now have 3 simple and secure ways to set up regular giving to their church using the PGS:

• By Post -  completing a PGS Gift Form  (available from your PGS registered parish) and posting it directly to the PGS team in Gloucester.
• By Telephone -  using the PGS' dedicated telephone service  allowing donors to set up their direct debits quickly and easily over the telephone.
• Online  -  using the PGS Digital Service via the PGS website.  Launched nationally in March 2021 the Digital Service is fast becoming the most popular way to set up regular giving via the PGS. To find out more about the benefits of the Digital Service visit our page here. To use the Digital Service please visit the PGS website 

 

 

The PGS team set up direct debits to come out of donor accounts on the 1st day of the month and also automatically claim eligible Gift Aid before transferring donations to the church's bank account on the 10th of every month. The Gift Aid amount is then transferred later the same month once released by HMRC. This not only reduces the administration burden on church volunteers but also helps parishes resolve their cash flow problems. 

 

 

The  PGS wheel diagram below also explains how the PGS works on a monthly basis. Please also see our helpful Frequently Asked Questions  page for answers to your most common questions.