Ask Giving Services

Stephen Mathews Senior Consultant

Q: I’ve just started a new job and I’m now paying tax. What should I do to make sure I’m claiming Gift Aid correctly?

Gift Aid is an amazing gift from the UK government to the charity sector, allowing 25% tax to be recovered by a charity when a gift is made to it. This happens when the giver is a UK income or capital gains tax payer in the tax year the gift is made AND when they complete a Gift Aid declaration with the charity.

Because Stewardship is a charity in its own right, we’re able to claim Gift Aid on any giving into a Stewardship giving account. Once you have signed a Gift Aid declaration, we will ensure that Gift Aid is claimed in full, so that no one misses out.

Our Instant Gift Aid feature means that rather than you or your chosen charity having to wait weeks to receive the Gift Aid amount, we’ll instantly cover the value of the Gift Aid, adding it to your account balance, or if you prefer, giving it direct to the cause you want to support. Many of our givers love this flexibility, with lots choosing to build up a balance using Gift Aid, setting aside a pot of money for specific appeals, or when other needs arise.

Christian workers and Bible College students can also have their support (if they hold an individual partner account with us) increased in the same way: something that is unique to Stewardship.

Q. We currently give to Stewardship to support some friends in Christian ministry, but we’re thinking about moving the rest of our giving over. What advice would you give us?

With the thousands of churches, UK and overseas charities and individual partners we have registered with us already, there’s a high chance that the charities you wish to support are already registered with us, and so setting up giving to them can be done in a matter of seconds using your online account.

If you’re having trouble locating a charity or individual that you wish to support, do check in with the team and allow us to give you a helping hand. It’s simple to nominate a recipient to register with us and we can help to ensure things are set up smoothly for you, taking the load off your shoulders.

Having all your giving in one place can make it so much easier to track and manage your charitable donations - no more searching through endless bank statements (particularly when it comes to tax returns!)

Karis Nelson Ponnampalam

Senior Giving Steward

Why I give

Eva Onyeulo

Eva is one of our newest team members, joining our Events team to help us manage the growing amount of training and events for Churches, charities and Christian workers that we offer.

What causes are you particularly passionate about supporting and why?

There are two areas that I’m passionate about – one is helping ministers, ministries and churches to grow and the other is young adults finding and living for Jesus. I believe that leaders need help because people rely on them and expect so much from them, but they have challenges and struggles too.

“Who is going to support the ones who support us?”

I also believe in the next generation. There are things in my life that I wouldn’t have achieved if there wasn’t someone who saw the potential in me and gave me a chance to grow in it. Everyone should be given that opportunity. And when so many young people are searching in all the wrong places to fill that God-sized hole in their hearts, we need to be there to help lead them to Jesus.

What first got you interested in them?

During my time at university, I was part of the leadership team for a Christian society, and it was great because we saw many touched by God. It was also very difficult, trying to find the balance with our studies, having a healthy social life and working jobs as well. It gave me an insight into both aspects: being reached and doing the reaching, and seeing the level of support needed by leaders.

How has supporting these causes changed you?

I think if God has allowed you to see a problem or issue, he’s hoping that you will respond in prayer, but also in action. I love that I can serve not just in my local church, but allow God to use me in ways and capacities that are beyond me. I can do something that may seem small, like talk through plans and organisation structures with someone, but that can have a really big impact on their work and ministry. What were you taught about generosity when you were a child?

When I was small, my parents helped many, many people with somewhere to live, food to eat and wherever else they could. They didn’t have much money, but what they did have, they were willing to share. My parents also taught me how to budget and the value of money, so thankfully, I’ve almost always been in a position to help others financially, even if I don’t have a lot coming in. Because of that giving nature I was brought up with, I know to give without expecting back.

What’s the hardest thing about giving?

It’s hard sometimes to find the balance between being a cheerful and generous giver and being prudent with your resources. Also, when your heart burns for many things, deciding what you choose to support and for how long can be challenging too.

Sometimes it can be difficult to trust that the people receiving your resources are utilising them in the right way. But when you are of the mindset that ultimately you are giving back to God, any stress or worry about how it’s being used is lessened because it’s in his hands – that is no longer your concern, you’ve done your part.

What do you know now about giving that you didn’t know ten years ago?

I love to give, but for a long time I struggled to receive. One of my friends taught me that by not receiving generosity you are actually robbing that person of the opportunity to be blessed by God for giving. And you may also be blocking someone from being obedient to God.

This was strengthened as I learned about the idea of partnership between givers and those in Christian ministry at Stewardship. It’s the idea that by receiving gifts, you are creating opportunities for others to be blessed, to support your work, but also to serve God through what you’re doing.

Big or small. First or last.

We make every gift count. Given or received.

We’re a place where connection happens – where those called to give meet those called to go.

A community of generous stewards uniting to use all God has given us to love Him, love one another, and love our neighbours as ourselves.

We call this active generosity.

Join us.

stewardship.org.uk