Membership Frequently Asked Questions

• Why has WATCH moved to CAF Online? (Charities Aid Foundation)
  Now WATCH is a registered charity, we can claim Gift Aid - this is worth an extra 25p for each £1 donated by tax-paying members. CAF Online enables members to sign a Gift Aid declaration when they donate, and CAF will claim the 25% tax relief on WATCH’s behalf.
  With the new data protection regulations from May 2018, it’s also a good time to make sure that we have up-to-date details from those members who have had long-term standing orders and to do some housekeeping on the database and mailing list.
• How can I donate?
  CAF can take online payment via credit card and PayPal, or by CAF Bank for those who have an existing CAF account.
• How much do I need to give?
  There is a range of amounts to choose from, starting with a one-off £15 donation for those who are students, retired, unwaged, or part of a religious order, moving through one-off or regular donations of around £25 a year, to however much you feel able to give above this.
• How often do I need to donate?
  You can choose to make a regular or a one-off donation. Regular donations can be set up quarterly or annually and will be by Direct Debit so your support continues until you cancel the instruction. One-off donations won’t automatically renew, giving you the choice to review your giving when WATCH invites you to consider donating again in a year’s time.
• What has happened to the different membership categories?
  We have simplified the records so that all donors are members, with no need for different labels. In the past we had lots of categories, but there haven’t actually been any differences in the communication benefits these members receive.
• My partner and I used to have a Joint membership. What do we do now?
  You can both sign up as individual members, or just one person can register as a member, sharing WATCH e-news and the annual OUTLOOK magazine within their household.
• How will I know when my membership needs to be renewed?
  If you choose the ‘I’d like to give regularly’ option, this will be by Direct Debit which will keep your membership current until you choose to stop the instruction.
  If you select the ‘Just one donation’ option, WATCH will email you one month before the anniversary of the donation in order to invite you to continue your support by donating again.
• Can I give off-line, paying by cheque?
  For those supporters who don’t have an easy way to subscribe and pay online, there is the option of paying an annual subscription by cheque, completing a new paper form with contact details and preferences. Current ‘offline’ members will receive a form in the post, and forms can be requested on behalf of new ‘offline’ members, either by email to [email protected] or by post to WATCH, St John’s Church, Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8TY.
• What if I don’t want to give via CAF?
  CAF Online is the only option for credit card, PayPal and Direct Debit payments. Cheque payment is available to those who have no access to online payment.
• What if I have made a recent payment via my old method?
  WATCH will invite you to renew - and remind you to cancel any previous payment instruction - in the month before your current membership is due to end.
• How will WATCH know I’m a member if I sign-up with CAF?
  CAF sends a notification to WATCH for each donation. WATCH can then run reports from CAF to ensure we have the most up-to-date membership lists.
• How will I know when to renew my membership?
  If you select the regular quarterly or regular annual giving option, your membership will continue to run via Direct Debit, handled by CAF.
  If you select the one-off annual donation option, WATCH will email you to invite you to renew just before the anniversary of your donation.
• Why don’t you ask for my diocese any more?
  We are no longer collecting information about a member’s diocese. All WATCH activities will be advertised to the whole membership. There may be invitations for members in particular areas to indicate their interest in ‘branch’ activities, but members will have the chance to ‘opt in’ to any regional communication rather than interest being assumed by postcode.
• What if I don’t want to support WATCH financially but am interested in its activities?
  WATCH will only be emailing its members from now on, so only those with a current membership donation will hear directly from WATCH. However, the WATCH website will continue to be available to all who wish to keep up to date with the charity’s activities and aspirations.
• What is happening to my old membership record?
  Once members have signed up via CAF, their previous membership record will be deleted from the existing database and their details removed from the existing mailing list. WATCH will then use the up-to-date information provided by CAF for contacting the WATCH membership.
  For the next year or so, both accounts and databases will run alongside each other as members are invited to move over to the CAF system, so no members who wish to continue their support will be ‘lost’.