Planned Giving by Standing Orders

Standing Orders at heart are simply a medium or a mechanism for giving to the ministry of the church. Avoid giving the impression that agreeing to give by Standing Order is in and of itself an adequate response to the request to review giving. However, the decision to request information about giving by by Standing Order may indicate a new attitude to giving and as a form of giving has benefits both to the individual and the church.

• As with all planned giving a standing order makes giving a priority alongside all other financial obligations. It honours God with the first fruits of all that God has given. It makes giving less vulnerable to erratic attendance at church, it ensures against simple forgetfulness or domestic cash flow on a Sunday morning.
• The medium of giving says something about the importance I attach to the giving itself. If all my important financial decisions are made by Direct Debit and Standing Order then should not giving to God also be managed this way?
• The benefits of Standing Orders to the church are compelling. The default position is that the gift will be made unlike envelopes which depend upon the action of the giver. There are also advantages around stability of income, cash flow predictions, ease of administration and security around cash to the bank.
• Why do response forms for the fringe givers make no mention of standing orders? Fringe givers moving to planned giving should make an early and formative connection between giving and worship. Another reason is that it is important not to clutter the clarity of the request for planned giving by offering options.
• That said, the supporting brochure, The Planned Giving Scheme found at Managing Planned Giving refers to Standing Orders giving the option of raising the subject to the giver.
• As with all requests for additional information those who request information about Standing Orders should receive a personal visit from a trained visitor. They will of course need a Standing Order form for completion and each person should also receive a copy of the brochure Planned Giving by Standing Order available from the sidebar of this page.

The practical and theological advantages of giving by Standing Order are compelling. However, they are often outweighed in the minds of both planning groups and donors by one consideration: there is nothing to put on the collection plate when it comes around! For a simple solution to this problem see Giving cards for standing orders.