Cashless giving: 50 free devices offered to churches across the Diocese

The Church of England’s National Giving Team has initiated a three-year project to help thousands more churches access digital mechanisms for receiving donations. As part of this project, 50 devices are being offered free of charge across the Diocese of Gloucester.

People like to give in different ways and for different reasons to churches across the country, and many churches are indebted to the generosity of those who have chosen to support its presence in a local community. As we increasingly move towards being a cashless society, it is important that churches can receive gifts in the way people find it easiest to give.

Cards overtook cash as the preferred form of payment in 2017, so we know that having the ability to accept digital donations is going to be key for many churches in the years to come. In 2022 alone, churches across the country received digital donations of more than £6.5m. That’s why the Church of England’s National Giving Team has embarked on a three-year project to help thousands more churches access digital mechanisms for receiving donations.

We’re really thrilled to be working with the National Giving Team to boost online and contactless giving across the Diocese of Gloucester. With this project, we hope to open up contactless and online giving as an option for churches that might have been put off by the cost, lack of technical expertise, or knowing which device to choose. In this project, we will be offering 50 free devices across the Diocese. During the rollout, and beyond, we will be available to support, guide and encourage you as you seek to introduce or improve online and contactless giving in your church.

St Peter’s Martindale is a rural church in Cumbria that has a small congregation but is popular as a stop-off for walkers exploring nearby fells in the Lake District. Despite being in a remote location, they were able to set up a high-gain antenna to access mobile signal which connects their contactless donation device to the internet but also enables visitors to the church to access signal too. As of July 2023, they’ve raised over £3,200 through contactless giving, which has been a valuable stream of income for the church. Janet Hornby, from St Peter’s, said that the device has “proved to be a lifeline. With such a small congregation, keeping going during the pandemic has been tough, but having this device has meant that we’ve been able to continue … From my home, with the daily reports I receive, I know that it is up there, in the hills, working away for us in our beloved church”.

The Diocese of Gloucester has 50 free contactless donation devices to allocate to churches thanks to its partnership with the National Giving Team.

To find out more and begin your application, please take a look at the Gloucester Project Pack (pdf) or visit the website: Parish Buying – Gloucester Digital Giving Rollout. Applications are open until the end of Tuesday 23 April, and devices will be distributed in July to the successful churches.