You can call upon supporters to nominate your charity or church to win a £1,000 festive financial boost as part of Benefact Group’s annual 12 days of giving Christmas campaign.
Now into its sixth year, the campaign sees the specialist insurer giving 120 different charities an early Christmas gift of a £1,000 donation, with 10 winners announced each weekday from 1 to 16 December.
It’s quick and easy to nominate your charity online. Nominations are open now until 15 December and you can vote for your charity at www.movementforgood.com.
Winners will be drawn at random and the more times your charity is nominated the more chance it has of being selected. Last year almost 220,000 nominations were made, giving charities a chance to receive their share of the award money.
Make sure you share how you would spend the £1000
Your charity should be encouraging everyone to use their social media channels to ask people to vote for them to give the charity the best possible chance of winning.
To help encourage supporters, Benefact Group has created a special Christmas messaging tool to create a bespoke message to share with supporters.
Mark Hews, Group CEO of Ecclesiastical, said: “Benefact Group is the fourth largest corporate donor in the UK* and has an ambition to be the biggest. Owned by a charity, all of its available profits go to good causes, and the more the group grows, the more the group can give. As a company whose purpose is to contribute to the greater good of society, charitable giving is at the heart of what we do.
“Our Movement for Good Awards has helped thousands of charities across the UK and we’re asking people to volunteer a few minutes of their time to nominate a cause they care about. We know that for many charities, £1,000 can make a real difference. We’re encouraging everyone to nominate a cause close to their hearts this Christmas to be in for a chance to win a festive financial boost.”
To learn more about Benefact Group’s unique purpose and the causes it helps visit: www.benefactgroup.com
In a recent article, “Using AI in funding applications,” we explored how AI can be used in funding applications, reflecting on guidance from the National Lottery Community Fund. Since then, the Community Fund has produced a new document, AI principles — Our 10 principles of AI.
They’re also inviting charities, funders, and community groups to a free online event on 11 March (In Conversation: Introducing our 10 AI Principles for the benefit of people and communities) to discuss AI’s role in the sector. So, what does this all mean for those of us using AI in funding applications?
AI is already transforming how charities work, helping with everything from writing funding applications to improving accessibility. According to the 2024 Charity Digital Skills Report, 61% of charities already use AI. However, another report—The Status of UK Fundraising 2024 Benchmark Report—found that nearly 70% of charity professionals feel they lack the resources to explore AI properly.
This highlights a real gap in skills, confidence, and capacity—and it’s precisely why The National Lottery Community Fund is stepping in with guidance, principles, and an open conversation about AI’s role in the sector.
As AI becomes more part of our daily lives, The National Lottery Community Fund has 10 principles to guide responsible and ethical AI use:
These principles mean AI should support, not replace, human work.
AI is here to stay and when used well it’s a great tool for charities and community groups. The National Lottery Community Fund’s new guidance and AI principles give a clear direction for making the most of AI while keeping ethics, transparency, human expertise at the top.
If you want to find out more, I’d recommend attending the free online event on 11th March and checking out The National Lottery Community Fund website . Let’s keep the conversation going and make sure AI is used for the good of our communities and churches.
Read the full guidance and register for the event on The National Lottery Community Fund website.
ACAT is urging church treasurers to book places for our 2020 Virtual Conference “at the earliest opportunity” to avoid disappointment following the great success of our first online courses.
These online courses are now practically fully booked – a little over a fortnight after they were launched.
ACAT’s Executive Officer Ashley Ellis is calling on members to book places on those webinars that form part of this year’s conference, entitled: “The Challenge of Change – Securing Your Church’s Financial Future” as early as possible due to limited spaces being available.
The event will take place entirely online between Monday, October 5, and Thursday, October 15.
Ashley explained: “The entire ACAT team has been absolutely delighted that so many of you have booked a place on our first ever online training courses.
“We’re now asking you to book your places at this year’s virtual conference at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment, as we’re only able to make limited places available.
“We’ve arranged for a host of truly outstanding speakers from the worlds of faith, finance, law and digital to lend church treasurers their expertise – and we don’t want you to miss out.”
The events which form part of this year’s conference are:
Monday, October 5, 2020 at 7.30pm – The Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR): “Money Makes Change – How do we connect our faith and finances to create a fairer, more sustainable world?“ Tuesday, October 6, 2020 at 7.30pm – Diocese of York Generous Giving Team: “Communication – Top Tips for Encouraging Generosity.” Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 7.30pm – The Association of Charity Independent Examiners (ACIE): “Independent Examination – The Independent Examiner Calls” Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 4pm – easyfundraising: “A guide to generating free income online using easyfundraising” Thursday, October 8, 2020 at 7.30pm – Giving in Grace: “The Heart and the How of a Stewardship Programme” Monday, October 12, 2020 at 7.30pm – CCLA: “Investing, before during and after a pandemic – CCLA’s Response to Covid-19” Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at 7.30pm – The Charity Commission: “Treasurers – Making a Difference“ Wednesday, October 14, 2020 at 7.30pm – Data Developments: “Re-defining accounts and giving in a digital world” Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 4pm – Creative Stream: “WWW: Which Websites Work – A snapshot of what works for Churches today“ Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 7.30pm – Anthony Collins: “Employment Law, the Treasurer and the post-pandemic environment“ To discover more – or to book places – please click on the above links. Alternatively, if you wish to book all 10 webinars at the reduced price of £75 please click here.ACAT is truly delighted that CCLA has returned as our headline sponsor for this year’s conference. CCLA is the UK’s leading fund manager for Christian churches and charities with 60 years’ experience providing competitive and attractive investment management services.”
We are offering a FREE webinar in conjunction with easyfundrasing.
Wanting to access a new funding stream for your church?
easyfundraising is a free to use fundraising platform which your church can use to receive unrestricted funding on an ongoing basis. We want to help your church access this exciting opportunity to grow your churches finances.
What: Meet the Funder: easyfundraising. Free unrestricted funding for your church
When: Wednesday 20th September 2023, 12.30pm
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEscumurTwpE9Teo-QY_YGhNr2hfxNIFm0v
easyfundraising is a free to use fundraising platform which your church can use to receive unrestricted funding on an ongoing basis. easyfundraising is trusted by 100,000+ churches, community groups, charities and voluntary organisations already and over £47m has been raised to date. This is an easy and effective way to boost your funds so do come along to find out more.
easyfundraising’s Fundraising Manager Becky Coleman will:
To find out more about easyfundraising and set up a free easyfundraising page for your church ahead of the session, visit https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/acat
or contact becky@easyfundraising.org.uk
What are your fundraising goals this year? Improving facilities, getting repairs done, more mission projects?
Maybe just building up your funds again after some difficult times.
Whatever you’re fundraising for, make sure easyfundraising is a part of your strategy.
As the UK’s largest fundraising cashback platform, easyfundraising allows your church to earn free cashback when you and your fellow clergy, congregation and wider community shop online with over 6,000 leading retailers.
Free to register and use, signing up to easyfundraising is a great way of activating generosity within your church and diversifying your income.
So, what shops can we earn free funding from?
At present, there are over 6,000 online retailers your supporters can shop with to earn free funding from and this number is increasing daily.
easyfundraising works with everyday favourites like Amazon, Sainsbury’s, Boots, and Holland and Barrett.
Big department stores like John Lewis, M&S, Debenhams, and House of Fraser. Home improvement retailers, B&Q, Dunelm, Wickes, Argos, and fashion brands like ASOS, North Face, H&M, Boden, Clarks, and Pretty Green.
Your church can even earn free funding from the likes of TUI, Thomas Cook, lastminute.com, Compare the Market, NOW, SKY, Virgin Media, and many, many more.
How easyfundraising can keep funds coming into your church this year.
Download easyfundraising’s latest guide to New Year fundraising and share with the rest of your team to give them an overview of how this fundraiser works.
We’re ready to get started – what now?
Register your church – it only takes a couple of minutes to complete.
Then, book a 15-minute coaching call with the easyfundraising team.
The team will give you a demo of the site, answer any questions, and will share advice on how to raise as much as possible, this year.
Whilst Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations have become part of the established lexicon in the corporate world, it’s only relatively recently they have been discussed by charities. Against a backdrop of increased scrutiny by the public and the media, a greater acknowledgement of reputational risk, and pressure from stakeholders for charities to live by their values, there is a renewed focus on ESG investing in the third sector.
Charities and churches consider doing the right thing and making a difference to be at the core of their purpose. The social strand of ESG is central to what they do every day. Several charities pursue ethical investing, for instance, choosing not to invest in companies where their activities conflict with the charity’s values, without even acknowledging it as an investment strategy. Charities and churches alike are becoming more aware of the role they want to play in preventing any further damage to the environment. This means taking steps to avoid certain investments and considering how they can have a positive impact on people and the planet. Trustees and church leaders recognise a need to balance this with their duty to manage their charity’s resources with care, skill, and prudence.
The legal aspects of charities adopting ESG-focused investment policies are complex and centred around the 1992 Bishop of Oxford case. This case was perceived to have established a false distinction between responsible investment and financial return, but a landmark ruling on 29 April 2022 has changed the landscape. It approved the proposed investment policies of two charitable trusts which were designed specifically to align with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, even where this involves financial risk by excluding investments in a large part of the market. This judgement effectively clarified that trustees can prioritise ESG credentials over financial returns. The Charity Commission is due to publish updated guidance on this matter in the near future.
At the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), we recognise that ESG issues are critical to the charities and communities we serve. Our aim is to ensure that charities and social purpose enterprises have a choice of financial services that meet their needs. Through CAF’s subsidiary, CAF Financial Solutions Limited (CFSL), we offer access to an investment service designed specifically for UK-based charities and not-for-profit organisations. CFSL has recently launched a new range of ESG-focused funds in partnership with global investment firm abrdn and Investment Fund Services Limited (IFSL).
Neil Poynton, Head of Charities, Charities Aid Foundation, explains
“The launch of these funds reflects our commitment to helping our clients achieve their social and sustainable objectives. Hard work has gone into making sure this group of products meets the requirements of the charity sector. This means balancing the sometimes competing needs for robust investment returns, cost efficiency and investing integrity. Charities are at the heart of what we do, so we wanted to make sure we got these products right. These new funds align with CAF’s wider purpose: to accelerate progress in society towards a fair and sustainable future for all.”
Find out more about the IFSL CAF ESG Fund range at www.abrdn.com/ifsl-caf-esg
THE Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme has been extended for three years until March 31, 2025.
The Department for Culture Media and Sport confirmed earlier this month that the scheme – which was due to finish at the end of March 2022 – will now continue.
Through the government scheme representatives of listed places of worship can apply for a grant to cover the VAT costs incurred when carrying out urgent building repairs.
The scheme covers repairs to the fabric of buildings, along with associated professional fees, plus repairs to turret clocks, pews, bells and pipe organs.
Since its inception in 2001, the scheme has paid out more than £317 million to support 13,000 buildings.
Further details are expected to be posted in due course on the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme website HERE.
With the onset of autumn, many Churches are entering the season of light nights and firework events – and many of us might even be starting to think about Christmas…
Whilst these events may take a slightly different form this year as we navigate the lifting of pandemic restrictions, a church still has a duty of care to protect everyone that may be affected by its activities.
Here, Kingdom Bank – who are one of our guest speakers at the ACAT Conference 2021 – suggests nine insurance considerations which all need to be borne in mind prior to planning an event:
1 Contact your insurance provider
You should contact your insurance provider and outline details of any activities that could be classed as safety-critical or hazardous. They will advise whether your liability cover will extend accordingly. You may not need to arrange a separate event policy.
2. Seek the necessary permissions
If the event is located on any land that is owned by the Local Authority, permission will be needed. If it necessitates a road closure, you should contact the authorities and allow at least 12 weeks’ notice.
3. Risk assessments
Complete a detailed written risk assessment. This will identify any hazards and safety issues whilst setting out how you can manage the risks.
4. Safeguarding
You should ensure your safeguarding policy is up-to-date, relevant for the event activities and strictly adhered to.
5. Insurance for third-party suppliers
If you are using any third-party organisers such as a caterer or inflatables company, ensure they have adequate insurance cover and agree responsibilities between you. This will ensure that each party knows who is responsible for what.
6. Check caterers’ credentials
If you are using any professional caterers at the event, check they are registered under the Food Safety Act and with their Local Authority Environmental Health Department. You should also check they are health and safety compliant.
7. Alcohol licencing
If you are planning on selling alcohol at your event, you must organise a licence for this.
8. Evacuation procedures
You should have an evacuation procedure in the event of a fire occurring, even if the event is outside. If you expect a large number of attendees, you should inform the police and fire brigade in advance.
9. Event supervision
It’s important to ensure the event is fully supervised, helping to keep attendees safe. Having marshals at areas such as the car park, entrance and each activity can help with this.
If you are planning an event and would like to discuss your specific requirements, you can get in touch with Kingdom Bank here.
For more government guidance on events, click HERE.
To book your place on Kingdom Bank’s webinar entitled ‘Practical banking, Kingdom purpose – How best to support your church in a post-Covid world’ which takes place on Tuesday, October 12, please click HERE.
This article was kindly written for us by Kingdom Bank.
For many church treasurers and trustees, securing funding for church projects can be one of the most challenging aspects of ministry. Whether it’s acquiring a new building, renovating an existing space, or expanding ministry outreach, raising finances can often feel like a burden—and let’s face it, us Brits hate asking for money. Even when it’s for a good cause like gospel ministry.
So how can churches think more creatively about their funding needs? The good news is that there is another way, but it requires a mindset shift.
Relationships not fundraising
I remember, many years ago, I met a chap called Jerry Twombly. Jerry was a dear Christian brother and an experienced fundraiser. He challenged me to move away from thinking about ‘fundraising’ and to think instead about relationship development. He shared three important lessons:
Lead with vision
Your ‘mission’ is what you do. It appeals to the intellect, providing necessary information. But ‘vision’ speaks to the heart and is far more compelling. Vision is about painting a picture of what the world will look like when your mission is successful.
For example, at Kingdom Bank, our mission is to provide financial services for churches, Christian charities, and ministry workers. But our vision is to help churches secure a gospel witness in their local communities for generations to come by enabling them to own their own, permanent home. Which one sounds more exciting?
Go on dates
People may not be willing to set up a regular monthly gift the first time they hear about you. They may want to travel with you for a bit first. As my dear friend Jerry Twombly would say, ‘you’ve got to take them out on a few dates before they agree to ‘go steady’ (he was American).
What does that look like for you? Ask them to sign up for a newsletter, join the Facebook or WhatsApp group. Or better yet, invite them to an event—a vision evening dinner, or a vision-casting prayer event. Whatever you do, provide food! Fill their hearts with a vision for what could be. And, fill their bellies with some treats. It doesn’t have to be a three-course dinner, but sweet treats at vision-casting events are like motherhood and apple pie—everyone loves them. Remember, ‘the Son of Man came eating and drinking’ (Luke 7:34), so don’t be a bad host.
Make the ask
Churches have historically relied on tithes and offerings to support their financial needs. While these remain essential, a broader perspective on funding can unlock new opportunities:
Partnering with a bank that shares your vision
One of the biggest hurdles churches face when seeking funding is the reluctance of mainstream banks to provide support. Many churches struggle to secure mortgages or loans due to financial models that don’t fit conventional banking criteria.
This is where Kingdom Bank stands apart. We specialise in providing tailored mortgage solutions designed specifically for churches, Christian charities and ministry workers. With a deep understanding of church finances and a shared commitment to the gospel, we offer:
Thinking Differently About Stewardship
In 2020, Kingdom Bank lent £5 million to churches, charities, and ministry workers. By 2024, that figure has grown to over £26 million.
This demand for lending is being driven by:
Our pledge to savers
To meet this demand, we need more savings customers—both Christian organisations and individuals —to partner with us and help strengthen and secure gospel witness in local communities for generations to come.
When our customers deposit with us, they are not just earning a return but are actively participating in gospel growth. Here are some reasons we’re different to other banks:
To find out more about how Kingdom Bank can support your church, visit www.kingdom.bank or get in touch with our team today.
Pod Bhogal
Chief Market Officer, Kingdom Bank
This article was kindly written for us by Kingdom Bank.
easyfundraising is turning Black Friday into Give Back Friday this year.
More than 3,000 churches nationally are now using easyfundraising to keep money coming in during these unprecedented times.
With easyfundraising, your congregation can raise money either by generating donations through shopping online or by sending a donation via their credit or debit card.
easyfundraising is completely free to use for everyone and provides a valuable income source for churches.
easyfundrasing’s spokesperson Roisin Lyons said: “Our Give Back Friday initiative is intended to ensure that everyone’s increased online spending can really mean more for your church this year.”
“I’d encourage any church that hasn’t already registered with us to do so at the earliest opportunity.
“It really is the best time of the year to collect free funding when people are shopping online with leading retailers like John Lewis, Argos, eBay and more than 6,000 other retailers.”
Find out more HERE.
AI is becoming more and more accessible and increasingly part of our daily lives. Many of you may use it on purpose to increase productivity, answer questions, or even use it without realising when searching on the internet.
As the use of AI grows and more tools become available, the National Lottery has provided some advice about how AI tools should be used in funding applications. Importantly, they do not ban the use of AI and, at times, even encourage its use. However, they provide some valuable tips about how they could and should be used.
AI tools can be invaluable, especially for those who struggle with the English language, maybe because of a disability or not having English as their first language. Here at ACAT, we have used AI for all sorts of tasks, from improving our writing to developing creative ideas.
The trick with AI is understanding where it can help and where it might fall short.
AI tools often produce generic content, so it’s important to personalise and adapt what they generate. Your application should reflect your community’s unique story, needs, and goals. Include real examples, consultation feedback, or data to explain why your project matters and how it will make a difference.
Clear, detailed information makes your application stand out. Describe exactly what you’ll do, why, when, and where. Avoid relying on generic AI-generated content or buzzwords that don’t capture your community’s voice.
Applications are assessed on budget planning and value for money. AI can suggest budgets, but always review them to ensure they align with your project’s needs and meet funding rules. Confirm that costs are eligible and reasonable and provide good value for money.
AI can sometimes generate inaccurate or misleading information. Always verify facts and use trusted sources for data and research. Additionally, keep in mind that free AI tools may store the data you input, which could compromise confidentiality. Make sure your use of AI complies with data protection laws.
AI tools consume significant energy and water, creating an environmental impact. Use AI only when it genuinely adds value or improves your application.
The National Lottery’s guidance is a great starting point for understanding how to use AI effectively in funding applications. By combining AI’s strengths with your own expertise and knowledge of your community, you can create a compelling and unique application. Read the full guide from The National Lottery Community Fund.
Being a key decision maker in wisely stewarding your church’s reserves is a great responsibility. Whether you have a few hundred pounds or tens of thousands, your role is most likely to assist your fellow elders or trustees in shaping a policy which demonstrates that you’ve given the matter appropriate, careful thought. We asked the head of the Kingdom Bank savings team, Garry Chulan, for his two-step advice on how to make wise decisions about the use of your church’s finances...
Whatever your church funds currently look like, having a cash deposits policy is really important.
At times a church will have more money than it needs simply to run its day-to-day activities, for example when it receives a legacy.
So, even if you currently feel you’re just living hand-to-mouth, it’s good stewardship to be prepared.
Step 1 – Plan ahead…
Having ‘a policy’ sounds very formal, but in reality simply means having a plan which sets out what you will do in different situations. For most churches this is quite simple, for example:
So, for a church with annual expenditure of £60,000, you might expect to have a base reserves level of £12,000, a reserves policy threshold of £30,000, and so running reserves of £18,000.
The numbers above are indicative and you should determine your own thresholds. You may also want the policy to cover ‘project reserves’ – money set aside, often in a restricted fund, for a specific, future project such as building development.
Step 2: Consider Access, Interest, Risk and Ethics
Having broken down your cash reserves into their constituent elements, you now need to consider your priorities for where these reserves should be kept.
Balancing Access and Interest
Cash accessibility is vitally important for day-to-day running of the church, and this is almost always achieved via the church’s current account, typically with a high street bank.
No notice will be required to pay bills, but it’s unlikely that you will receive any interest.
You will need your base level reserves in this current account, but leaving your running reserves and excess reserves in an account providing no interest is not great stewardship.
By tying up your funds in an account with a longer notice period, you are enabling a bank to use that money for other purposes and so, in return, the bank will pay you interest.
You clearly need to consider how much notice you might need to withdraw the funds.
Typically, you might decide that you can tie up the church’s running reserves with a notice period of a month, and your excess reserves with a notice period of three months.
For this reason, at Kingdom Bank we offer a ‘Gospel Partner’ account with 32 days’ notice and a ‘Church & Charity Reserve’ account with 90 days’ notice.
Each is designed to receive money from and return money to your regular bank current account.
For your project reserves you may be in a position to tie up the funds for longer – at Kingdom Bank we find that churches often use our ‘Church & Charity Reserve’ account or a ‘Savings Bond’ – our bonds have fixed terms of 6, 12, 24 or 36 months.
Risk
Most UK churches do not need to be overly concerned about the risk of holding cash in a bank.
The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (‘FSCS’) guarantees deposits for individuals and small organisations up to £85k each, paying out should the bank fail.
However, if you have more than £85k in a single bank, you should consider reducing your risk exposure by spreading the cash to other banks, benefitting from the guarantee provided on each account.
Some churches with long-term substantial reserves consider non-cash investments, however this enters a whole different area of risk and should be given careful thought.
Ethics
Finally, as a decision maker with regards to funds, you will need to consider the ethics of the institution holding your money.
Much has been written over the past few years on the ethics of various banks, and at the heart of this is where a bank will invest the cash you place with them on deposit.
This is often neglected by churches, and a number of treasurers have been caught out by challenges raised by astute members at the annual church meeting!
The Bible speaks of wisdom and generosity when stewarding finances, and at Kingdom Bank the concept of ethical banking and gospel partnership is at the heart of our vision.
The vast majority of the money placed with us provides churches and Christian ministers with mortgages for property projects.
Our aim is to be facilitating gospel partnership as the deposits entrusted to us help churches grow and develop at the heart of their communities.
Indeed, we’re so committed to this concept that our Gospel Partner account explicitly sets out to offer a slightly lower interest rate than similar notice accounts in order that we can lend as affordably as we can to local churches, helping them plant, refurbish and provide housing for their ministers.
For more information about Kingdom Bank’s deposit accounts click HERE.
This article was kindly written and provided to us by easyfundrasing
Tesco and easyfundraising have come together to give a helping hand to good causes working tirelessly to keep up with spiraling costs and rising demand. They will donate £1000 funding pots to 5 good causes this October – and your church could be one of them.
For a chance to receive £1000 for your church, follow these simple steps:
Plus, each time someone shops with Tesco, your church will receive £1.75. That’s £1.75 for free every time a supporter shops!
Free marketing tools
easyfundraising will help you ask your church community to get involved, with free downloadable ready-made images and messaging to share across your social media channels and newsletters.
Opportunities to receive free funding are few and far between. Let Tesco and easyfundraising support your church through these difficult times.
Signing up to easyfundraising is your first step; it only takes 2 minutes so get started today: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/acat
