Scan the QR code below to make an online donation via the HelloAsso website (or click here for more details).
You too can join the Planned Giving Scheme!
Robert Manterfield, our Planned Giving Officer, explains how easy it is, and how your contribution makes a difference, no matter how small.
Planned Giving – or how to efficiently keep the Church operating successfully
As many of you will be aware, we are a totally self-financing church. This means that we can only continue to operate successfully if we – the congregation – can provide the donations needed to cover our operating costs, which are significantly in excess of 100,000€ per year – as per the annual accounts that Bob provides us.
The size of our congregation varies somewhat from year to year but we are approximately 120 – 140 stable potential contributors who can provide this support.
Please be reassured immediately that we only hope that people will give what they can afford – so no stress but just prayerful consideration – and every donation, however small, helps us to stay with “our head above water” and continue God’s work in the Maisons-Laffitte area.
There are globally several potential channels for us to make our donations to cover operating costs – Planned Giving, donations in the collection during the services, via the HelloAsso website (click here for more details), one-off donations made outside the services, others to be developed. Takings from the Summer and Christmas Fêtes currently go primarily to finance our Outreach giving, so we try and cover operating costs fully with our other giving.
The most efficient and effective way to give to the Church is through the Planned Giving Scheme. This has several advantages:
- Most people commit to giving a regular amount monthly or quarterly – which enables some degree of assurance and visibility to our financial planning – although annual and one-off donations are of course also very welcome– and thank you to those who have already made such one-off donations in 2022;
- We get regular cash flow which helps us to pay our regular costs;
- It enables you to give regularly whether or not you can come to church on a regular basis;
- The Planned Giving Scheme is a very tax-efficient and cost-effective way of giving – for every 100€ you give to the Church, you get a tax reduction of 66€ so the net cost of your giving 100€ to the Church is only 34€. We can all say thank you to the French taxman for this. This facility is also available when you give via the HelloAsso website (click here).
The Planned Giving Scheme works either through regular bank standing orders to the Church or by the envelope scheme where you put your monthly envelope with your cheque or cash in the collection whenever you can come to church.
Our congregation evolves permanently, so every year we have members leaving us to go elsewhere – who are often planned givers – and we welcome new members into our family who we hope will become planned givers. Of course, people’s financial situations sometimes change which also causes giving to fluctuate. Currently we have around 70 – 75 people in the Planned Giving Scheme.
For those of you who are not yet members of the Planned Giving Scheme, I would prayerfully encourage you to join – to increase the tax effectiveness and cost effectiveness of your giving – and I am at your disposal to discuss the Scheme in more detail with you and facilitate your joining.
Thank you in advance for any support you can give us!
Robert Manterfield
Click here to contact Robert Manterfield for more details.
Scan the QR code below to make an online donation via the HelloAsso website (or click here for more details).
