Fundraising & Grants

In ‘the spirituality of fundraising’, Henri Nouwen said the following; ‘Fund-raising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. It is a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission.’ The way in which we ask for donations is incredibly varied and you can find our A-Z fundraising ideas.  If you are looking for a fundraising strategy guidance  for your church project, which includes information on the various streams of income that you can explore (e.g. major donors, trusts & foundations, businesses). This document works alongside an Excel sheet, which has budget templates, gift charts etc., and please click here to access these.

Please click here to find more information about the Code of Fundraising Practice. All churches will need to abide by this. Although the Code is non-binding, it sets out in practical terms many aspects of formal charity trustee law.

   

   

Code of Fundraising Practice

Information about the new Code of Fundraising Practise and resources for churches can be found here. For church specific guidance, please click here.

An addition relevant to churches is a section on ‘unstaffed collections’, applicable to e.g. online and contactless giving. The general standard for such collections is that ‘donors can see clear, accurate and up-to-date information about the collection’. For more information please see section 7 ‘Public fundraising’ on this webpage. A Canva template is provided should churches wish to use this.

Cornerstone

Cornerstone is a platform that supports churches in understanding their financial position more clearly by using data from Parish Returns and helps them promote a culture of generous giving within their church communities. It presents a detailed breakdown of giving and helps churches identify areas of strength and opportunity, including a comprehensive grants database.  Equipped with detailed information, churches can then pursue two different ways of changing or enhancing the picture – Pathways and Grants. Click here to find out more.

We have now moved to using the free Cornerstone grants database which has been created by the National Giving Team rather than the Church Grants database (though we still partner with Church Grants for consultancy sessions, please see below). Cornerstone likewise has an extensive selection of grants. If you would like to register for your church, please sign up here.

Church Grants

The Church Grants team, who have extensive experience in supporting churches with their grant applications, offer a limited number of 30 minute consultancy session to churches in the Diocese of Exeter. If you would like to take this up, please contact: mission.resources@exeter.anglican.org

The Powerpoint for the Church Grants Webinar for Children’s and Families Workers is available here.

Click on the image below to watch our Vimeo page with the recordings of the Church Grants Webinars about Children and Families Workers as well as the planning a capital appeal series: