Your support helps us to continue the important work and mission of the Church, spreading the Good News of the Gospel to people across our Diocese and beyond.
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Gift Aid
Helpful information about Gift Aid
If you pay enough/sufficient UK tax on income or capital gains, or on a pension, then please consider Gift Aiding your donations.
Gift Aid is a reclaim against your donation from HMRC on the tax that you have already paid. For every £1 that you donate, we can reclaim 25p, and it doesn’t cost you a penny!
Here are some examples of how much extra money your parish and preferred appeals could get:
You have nothing to lose and everything to gain for the benefit of your parish and our fundraising appeals!
There are many misconceptions about Gift aid. But did you know that:
– If you pay enough/sufficient UK tax on a pension then you can Gift Aid your donations.
– Your taxes will not go up if you Gift Aid; your records will not be scrutinised and you won’t have to pay anything or do anything further after signing a declaration form.
– Signing up to Gift Aid means your details are run through HMRC’s database simply to check you are on there. This does not trigger any further checks.
– Gift Aid is a wonderful means of boosting your giving at no extra cost on your part and makes a real difference to the financial wellbeing of your parish and our appeals.
– Gift Aid benefits higher rate tax payers too, as it allows you to reclaim the difference between the basic and higher rate of tax for yourself when you complete your tax return. Please have a look at the table below which gives examples of how higher and top rate tax payers can benefit by Gift Aiding your donations.
– Donations made by or for a company are not eligible for Gift Aid. Only personal donations are eligible for Gift Aid.
If you would like your donations to your parish or Diocesan appeals to be Gift Aided, there are a few ways you can let us know:
– If you make your donations using the online donation form, please make sure you tick Yes to Gift Aid
– If you make your donations using a contactless giving device in your parish, please complete your details (your Full Name, Full Address and Postcode) either on the device or on the corresponding webpage (your parish will have leaflet and posters with the QR code and/or web address)
– If you are completing a new Standing Order form, please tick yes and complete your details and return to your parish office, or for Diocesan appeals please send to the address on the form.
– If you give by standing order or bank transfer, but have not yet signed a Gift Aid declaration, please email giftaid@rcdow.org.uk with:
o Your parish name/The name of the appeal you are giving to
o Your title, first name and surname
o Your address and postcode
o The date of your gift, or start date of Standing Order
o The amount of your donation/s
o Please add the line: ‘Please Gift Aid my donations’
For your declaration to be eligible for us to claim the Gift Aid, we need your Full Name, your Full Address and postcode. We also need your email address (if you have one) so that we can email you confirmation of your Gift Aid Declaration.
Tax relief for higher and top rate tax donors – how to reduce the cost of your donations:
Legacies
Thank you for considering supporting the Diocese of Westminster, or your parish with a gift in your will. Besides offertory giving, legacies provided the largest share of the Diocese of Westminster’s fundraised income in 2023. Every day, an estimated 100 people across the UK write a charity into their Will.
Anyone can leave a legacy gift to us, sometimes to benefit your parish, our Cathedral, priests in the diocese, Caritas Westminster, or simply where the need is greatest. More information is available by clicking on our legacy leaflet below.
Once you have provided for your loved ones, you might like to remember us. As Catholics we have much to be grateful for, not least for the faith that has sustained us throughout our lives, and for our local parish. Many people generously want to play their part in making sure we have the resources for the priests and the buildings to be there for Catholics in the future.
“I thought that only really wealthy people left legacies, but I realise that’s not true. My gift is my way of showing how much I appreciate the Church being an important part of my life, and helping it to be there for people in years to come”.
Even a 1% gift will make a huge difference, and means those closest to you will inherit 99% of your estate.
All you need to do is give your solicitor our registered charity number 233699. That number covers all the diocese’s work and all our parishes. Your gift can be used to support the mission of the Church across the diocese. If you want to support specific work, you should give the full name and address of the parish or name the fund you want to support, e.g. Sick and Retired Priests Fund. It is as easy as that.
Leaving a gift in your will is a very personal decision and there is no need to tell us about it. However, if you felt able to let us know of your plans, we would welcome the opportunity to thank you and to keep you up to date with our work.
If you would like to ask questions about leaving a gift in your will, or would like sample wording you might consider using, please call us on 020 7798 9087 or email legacies@rcdow.org.uk.
Thank you. Every gift in every will makes a difference.
Resources
We accept Donor Advised Funds (DAFs)
You can support the Diocese of Westminster through your Donor Advised Fund. To donate simply recommend a grant to us using our Charity Registration Number: 233699
Compaints Policy and Procedure
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster is committed to excellent service. We believe that giving should be an enjoyable experience. We work hard to ensure that all of our interactions with current and potential donors are of the highest quality. However if you do have a comment or compaint about our Fundraising, please read our Fundraising Complaints Policy and Procedure to find out how to let us know about your concerns.