Giving Financially

Credit Card Donation Direct Debit Donation

Purpose

Any money given to St Mark's Church goes towards building the vision of this church: growing Deeper in intimacy with God, Closer to one another in Fellowship and reaching out Further in society.

General giving supports mission and ministry costs, staff salaries, running costs, building upkeep and maintenance. 10% of all voluntary income is given away to mission partners and mission organisations both at home and abroad.

Any money given to the church is accounted for diligently and is only spent on items which further the church's objectives. We are grateful for gifts of any size, and irrespective of whether you are a tax payer or not. We have outlined how every penny you give will be spent in this year's budget, which you can download. If you wish to compare last year's budget against this year's please contact Samson.

For an interesting explanation on Biblical principles for Christian giving and finance, download the document, "Opening the Floodgates of Heaven", by Rev Stuart Lees at Christ Church Fulham.

Opening the Floodgates of Heaven

Make a financial pledge to St Mark's for 2010

Pledge using the online form

Plege Form & Financial Plan 2010

Methods

There are many ways to give at St Mark's:

Direct Debit - If you intend to give the same amount regularly then you can use the direct debit facility to give to the general fund. Click on the direct debit donation button above. Please ensure that you give the appropriate Gift Aid response.

If you prefer, download the form below, complete it and return it to the church and we will pass it onto the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) who reclaim the tax on our behalf. Remember to sign the Gift Aid declaration if you are a tax payer.

Direct Debit Form:

Cash - Money can be given to the church in the offering bag which is kept at the back of the church. Tax can only be claimed on gifts which are in completed Gift Aid Envelopes.

Credit/Debit Card - Money can be given to the church using your Credit or debit card by clicking the online credit or debit card donation button above. Again if you are a UK tax payer please gift aid it by clicking appropraite Gift Aid radio button.

Cheque - You can give cheques on a one off or regular basis by sending them payable to St Mark's church, to the Finance Manager at the church address. If you are a tax payer and have completed a Gift Aid declaration, then we can reclaim 28p in every £1 you give from the Inland Revenue. You can download a gift aid form from this page, obtain one from the leaflet stand in the hall, or ask the Finance Manager to send one to you.

GAYE - Give As You Earn can be set up through your company's payroll. Your gift comes directly off your pay before tax so we get exactly the amount you give and no further tax can be reclaimed. Some employers will pay the administration charge of 4% to the Charities Aid Foundation, (CAF). If your employer doesn't offer this scheme, encourage them to do so. It is easy to set up and administer. Some employers even match your giving, making this a very effective method of giving, especially if your employer pays the administration charge.

The reference you will need to set this up for the church and building project are respectively:

St Mark's Church:	GYE 71000197988	-	Charity ref X66615
St Mark's Church Building Fund:	GYE 61000132300	-	Charity ref X66615

Online - To give online to St Mark's General Funds, you can use the Charities Aid Foundation website to give securely using the links at the top-right of the page. Remember to tick the tax payer box.

Alternative Methods of Giving

Giving through your Tax Return

If you are a higher rate tax payer (40%) the church can only claim back 22% on your gift. You can then reclaim the remaining 18% of the tax paid on any gifts in your annual tax return. You should do this in the year of the gift wherever possible.

If you wish this part of your tax relief to be given to St Marks, you can request on your tax return that the Inland Revenue does this. You will need to quote reference number GAQ81LG in your return.

Other methods of Giving

The Government has opened up lots of possibilities for tax effective giving.

For example:

The tax advantages for donating shares to the church are amazing (up to 80% tax relief).
If you were working last year but not this year, you could treat a Gift Aid payment as if it was made last year and therefore claim the tax back.

Please call the Finance Manager if you wish to discuss the most effective method of giving.