Generosity exists in many places - individual members of our congregations and communities, community organisations, charitable bodies and statutory sources. These are some of the more important sources of funding you may want to consider:
Your local Parish Council is the civic organisation that has some statutory responsibilities for the local area. This is not the same as the Parochial Church Council or PCC. Many Parish Councils make grants to local organisations for the benefit of the community, including to PCCs for the upkeep of the churchyard, church buildings or other amenities and activities associated with the church:
There are many charitable trusts and foundations, and some statutory bodies, which make grants for the repair, upkeep and improvement of church buildings. Our Property Team keeps a list of these and in many cases can advise on how to apply for funding:
Cornerstone is a powerful, free research tool from the Church of England which can help you find funding for your church's mission and buildings. The Church of England describes it as an 'online generosity tool':
Your PCC can reclaim the basic rate of tax on every donation from UK basic and higher rate tax-payers, simply by using the Gift Aid process; this is made much easier by channeling donations through the Parish Giving Scheme (PGS) but even other, one-off and small cash donations are eligible through the Gift Aid scheme:
The easiest way to raise funds is simply to spend less! The Parish Buying sevice is run by the Church of England and offers value for money purchases for all sorts of useful items, from energy contracts to paperclips: