Meet the Funders and Inspiring Legacy Giving

The Diocese of Manchester is holding a training day on Friday 25th October, inviting the Diocese of Leeds to join them in exploring legacy giving and fundraising. Some fantastic speakers have been recruited to deliver sessions that will support churches with the aim of increasing legacy giving from their congregations, and how to successfully apply for financial support from two grant funders who specialise in working with churches and Christian charities.  

For more information about this event, and to sign up to join virtually please click the link below.

How To Write A Successful Application for External Funding - Webinar, 17th October at 7pm.

This webinar will outline how your church can write applications for consideration by external funders, including organisations such as charitable trusts and foundations. It is available to access through our online grants portal, Open 4 Community, you can register at the link below.

The webinar will cover the preparatory work required to gather the necessary information before the writing process can start. Hints and tips will also be shared to enable your church to draft and submit funding proposals the recipient organisations will be interested in supporting. The training will be delivered by Revd Paul Monk, Incumbent, Benefice of Clarksfield and Waterhead; Heather Ford, Church Support Manager, Ecclesiastical; and Paul Bailey, Diocesan Giving Advisor, Diocese of Manchester.

Making the Most of Digital Giving This Christmas

It's never too early to plan for Christmas! This webinar, hosted by the National Digital Giving Team and the Digital Labs team, will dive into Digital Giving and how it can help your church, whether it's online donations or contactless and in-person. In the webinar the team will introduce templates for promoting donation QR codes, and explain how to edit those on Canva. They will explore how you can maximise opportunities for giving over the Advent and Christmas period.

Christmas Digital Clinics with the Stewardship Team

Book in for a 1-2-1 Digital Clinic with the Stewardship team to ask any questions you might have about digital giving, setting up online giving or contactless giving, using QR codes, or advice on how to maximise these methods in time for Christmas.

We can support you in setting up all the accounts needed in time for Christmas, to ensure all attending your church during this period have every opportunity to give. Click the link below to book in a meeting with us in November.

Generosity Week Stories

This year's national Generosity Week ran from the 29th September to the 6th of October, and we would love to hear from parishes who have taken part with their community.

Please get in touch with the Stewardship team at resourcingparishes@leeds.anglican.org to share your Generosity Week stories.

New Stripe Verification Process & Guide

If you use Stripe as a payment processor for your Give A Little account, there is new guidance to help you with verifying your account. Stripe could request additional verification checks at any time so use the guide below for recommended steps.

Following set-up of a Stripe account, churches need to be prepared for further verification checks. The main thing we see preventing churches from passing the checks is the address on their documentation not matching the one in their Stripe account. 

Guidance is at the end of the onboarding guide attached below.

Waitrose Together for Good Fundraising

Waitrose and easyfundraising have come Together for Good to give a funding boost to churches and other community organisations. For one month only, they will donate five £1,000 funding pots. Follow these steps for a chance to receive a share for your church: 

1. Register your church with easyfundraising. 

2. Encourage your church community to use easyfundraising’s platform to shop with Waitrose. 

🔑Key information: Every online shop at Waitrose is an entry into the prize draw. Plus, every shop will generate a donation for your church - £10 if it’s someone’s first shop at Waitrose and £1.50 for every subsequent shop throughout October. 

Take your first step by registering your church with easyfundraising today on the link below.

Data Developments - Free Treasurer and Gift Aid Secretary Training Continues in October & November

Data Developments provides software, services and training for churches to support church administration, accounts and finances.

In October, Data Developments are running two free training courses:

• Treasurer Training: A 4-week course taking place each Monday evening (5-6pm), starting on the Monday 18th November. This training course introduces and explains a variety of topics around church finances and accounts.
• Gift Aid Secretary Training: A 3-week course taking place each Monday lunchtime (1-2pm), starting on the 7th October. This course introduces Gift Aid, GASDS and best practice.

Parish Share Update

The 2025 Parish Share requests are currently being prepared and will be circulated to PCC treasurers by email towards the end of October.

As of September 2024, the overall parish share payments stand at 51%, showing a slight increase compared to the same period in 2023, which was at 49%.

The total amount requested for 2024 is £15.29 million, with £7.82 million paid so far.

This reflects a small but positive variance compared to last year’s payments by the same date. Despite some fluctuations across different areas, the overall payment percentage has slightly improved.

You can find the latest Parish Share report on the website here.

Treasurer Forum Update

The second Treasurer Forum meeting took place online on the evening of 17th September and was attended by 50 of our treasurers from across the diocese. Topics covered included: Gift Aid, Digital Giving and the Parish Giving Scheme. Details of the Treasurer Ambassador role were also discussed and an invitation has been sent to treasurers across the diocese offering the opportunity to become a Treasurer Ambassador within their Deanery, Episcopal area and/or across the diocese. The presentation slides delivered at the Forum are now available to download from the Treasurer Forum webpage via the link below. The next Treasurer Forum meeting will take place early in 2025 and all treasurers will receive a direct email invitation.

Diocese Funding available for Net Zero Carbon Projects.

The deadline is fast approaching for the current round of funding from the Diocese of Leeds. This round, the new Net Zero Carbon Quick Wins Fund has been added to the existing building funds. Designed to help Parishes fund small scale decarbonisation projects, churches are invited to apply for up to £10,000 to improve their buildings. Be it LED lighting, under-pew heating, draughtproofing or insulation, this fund will help you get on your way to net zero.

This grant is administered with the Buildings for Mission and Diocese Buildings Fund in one easy application form. The deadline for all funds is 31st October and full details and application form can be found at the link below.

National Lottery Awards For All- England

National Lottery Awards for All is a small grants programme provided by the National Lottery Community Fund. Grants are available for charities, voluntary groups, schools and local authorities in England to carry out projects that will improve their local community. Grants of between £300 and £20,000 are available for up to two years.

Funding available from Northern Powergrid to support energy resilience initiatives

The Northern Powergrid Foundation is currently taking application for their Community Grants Fund, which will award up to £20,000 to charities and organisations in the region. The Foundation is committed to funding projects that support energy resilience initiatives and helps those located in local communities who are most affected by changes in the economy, environment and society because of the shifting energy landscape.



If your Church or Church Hall needs funding to be a place of sanctuary during adverse weather conditions, this fund is for you. In the past, Northern Powergrid have funded green initiatives such as insulation, double glazing, and solar panels and batteries to allow halls to be crisis hubs. The deadline for this fund is 14th October. Full details and eligibility quiz is at the link below.

Miller Homes Community Fund

The Miller Homes Community Fund gives you the chance to apply for a donation towards improving your community. Groups can apply for a donation ranging between a minimum of £250 up to a maximum of £2,000 to help enhance the lives of individuals and the areas in which they live.

The fund focuses on causes that:

-      are linked to education

-      promote wellbeing

-      promote the environment

-      encourage participation in sport



The deadline for applications is 28th October and full details and application form can be found at the link below.

Funding Available for Community Garden Projects

Celebrate and create biodiversity with a grant from the National Garden Scheme’s Community Garden Grant Scheme! Grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 are up for grabs for groups and organisations to create and run projects in community garden spaces. Priority will be given to ventures that are sustainable and promote biodiversity; perfect for helping your Church on its Eco Church journey!

Full details are available below and the deadline for applications is 28th October.