1. Welcome
Last year saw parishioners returning to parishes in even greater numbers. Our estimates suggest Mass attendance has returned to about 80% of pre-Covid numbers, with a number of parishes exceeding their pre-pandemic Mass attendance.
Fundraising activity grew quickly too, with Contactless Giving and Planned Giving Drives seeing the largest spikes in activity. We also saw a number of special parish appeals recording tremendous results.
Rather than sending separate emails about the many ways our team can support your fundraising, please enjoy the first of what will be three newsletters each year. Here, we hope you will find everything you need.
2. Highlights from 2023
- £4.3 million – received from 76 Legacies across the Diocese
- £3.1 million - claimed and disbursed in Gift Aid to parishes and schools
- £2 million – raised via contactless giving
- 66 parishes – registered for a Planned Giving Drive in 2024
- £415,000 – raised by parishioners in St Albans for their parish project
- £195,000 – received from parishioners toward the new roof project in Teddington
- 60+ parishes interested in applying for a £20,000 Awards for All grant, with the first two grants already banked
- 2 parishes – already planning special appeals over the coming months
3. Planned Giving Drives
Want to see existing parishioners increase their offertory by as much as 50%? Many parishes have not conducted a Planned Giving Drive since before the pandemic. This means that 2024 will be a record year. Sixty-six parishes have indicated they would like our help.
Our work in supporting and enabling parishes to run successful Planned Giving Drives is delivering some great results – at one parish alone we have seen an increase in offertory giving by existing parishioners over 50%! 2024 promises to be a busy year, and we are excited to be rolling out brand new materials which will make things even more engaging and successful!
We have been amazed at the response and demand from parishes wishing to undertake a Planned Giving Drive in 2024, we are fully booked for Spring and Summer of 2024 and parishes are already booking in dates for 2025!
If you are considering running a campaign in 2024 or in 2025 please email plannedgiving@rcdow.org.uk or call George Reynolds on 075 681 08879 to ensure that you don’t miss out on the opportunity to run yours in 2024 and be fully supported by our team.
4. Legacies
Legacy income reached new heights in 2023 seeing more than £4 million channelled into projects across our Diocese. This support reached far and wide, to include enabling new parish projects, support for Sick and Retired Clergy, Caritas initiatives, and Priest Training.
We are excited to announce the revitalisation of our Legacy materials. To kickstart this, we have scheduled a webinar on 19 March 2024 at 11am. This session promises to showcase the many opportunities awaiting your parish and the new materials we have prepared to support your fundraising. Click here to join - https://bit.ly/42NibxL
But our commitment to you extends beyond just inspiration. We understand that navigating the intricacies of legacy administration processes can be daunting. Fear not! Our dedicated legacy officer is here to offer expert legal advice, guiding your parish every step of the way. This invaluable service comes with no charge and is here to support you in dealing with every legacy your parish benefits from.
For more information, or to explore the possibilities of legacy fundraising, reach out to us at legacies@rcdow.org.uk.
5. Contactless
In 2023 we saw more than 200,000 individual contactless donations, which generated £2 million for parishes. Over the coming year we will be announcing some exciting new developments that will enable parishes to maximise their contactless income and make best use of new technologies. We look forward to keeping you posted.
We often get asked by parishes who they should contact in the event that something goes wrong with their device. We hope the below information is helpful:
Dona
If there is an issue with the tablet screen, e.g. it does not turn on, gives an error message or asks or seems to lose Wi-Fi connection repeatedly, please contact support@donadonations.com
If you as a parish have lost login details to access the Dona portal, or need to assign new users, please contact support@donadonations.com
If the SumUp device is not working, or if there are errors or issues when taking payment, please contact SumUp at +44 (0) 20 3510 0160 / support@sumup.com
CollecTin
If the SumUp device isn’t working, or if there are errors or issues when taking payment, please contact SumUp at +44 (0) 20 3510 0160 / support@sumup.com
If the screen of the CollecTin device is malfunctioning or there are issues with the display, please contact CollecTin on +44 20 4538 8855 / chris@collectin.com
If you are unable to access reports, please contact hello@givealittle.com
If you do not hear back from the above, or they are unable to help, please then please email us at Contactless@rcdow.org.uk.
6. Trusts and Foundations
We are expecting a lot of activity from parishes over the coming weeks. Enquiries about Awards for All grants are particularly high, but many are also exploring if there are grants available toward capital and other projects.
Secure £20,000 for Your Community Project: National Lottery Awards for All Grant Still Available!
With increased funding and project delivery time extended to 24 months, the application process is swift. Of 60+ interested parishes, five applied before Christmas, and two received positive decisions within just 4 weeks. This ensures funds for the renovation of their community spaces can move forward immediately. Sixteen parishes are currently developing creative and practical projects, from outdoor spaces and facility renovations to community support roles and car park resurfacing. To access the grant, email: trusts@rcdow.org.uk to confirm your intent and request application details. Explore more opportunities on the Grants Fundraising page at the Resource Centre, here: https://inside.rcdow.org.uk/agencies-teams/fundraising/grant-fundraising/. Don't miss this chance for community project support!
Introducing the Parish Fundraising Pre-Application Form for Tailored Funding Support!
We are introducing the Parish Fundraising Pre-Application Form to streamline information collection for approaching trusts, foundations, and grant funders. This one-stop form helps prepare you for grant applications to direct you to suitable funding sources. Fill out the form for each fundraising request to receive tailored support, including exploring funding options, assessing links to Diocese resources, identifying external opportunities, and guiding you through the application process. Contact Jamie Holyland, Trusts Fundraising Manager, at trusts@rcdow.org.uk or 073 9579 8390 to register a project, request a copy of the Parish Fundraising Pre-Application Form or seek fundraising advice.
7. Gift Aid
We know you are in regular contact with our colleagues in Supporter Care. A copy of their recent Gift Aid newsletter was shared before Christmas, and is available here: https://inside.rcdow.org.uk/agencies-teams/fundraising/gift-aid/.
The team will also pilot Quarterly Gift Aid Claims trial over the coming months. We are aiming to support one parish in every Deanery and expand the pilot as soon as we can.
The team also looks forward to making more video resources available online. Links to these videos will be in the next edition of our newsletter. With any queries, please email: giftaid@rcdow.org.uk.
8. Contact Us
- supportercare@rcdow.org.uk 020 7798 9025 / 020 7798 9088 / 0207 798 9351
- legacies@rcdow.org.uk
- plannedgiving@rcdow.org.uk
- contactless@rcdow.org.uk
- giftaid@rcdow.org.uk
- trusts@rcdow.org.uk
If you have not found what you are looking or would like to explore a special appeal, call Harvey Duthie’s mobile on 075 811 04709, or email harveyduthie@rcdow.org.uk.
https://rcdow.org.uk/donations/