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We are a leading charity, working at the centre of the giving world. We help donors to give more impactfully and charities to build their resilience so they can do more of their life-changing work.

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07 October 2025

HOW TO EARN A HIGHER PAYROLL GIVING QUALITY MARK

Charities Aid Foundation Charities Aid Foundation Corporate giving

For businesses committed to making more of a meaningful impact, earning a Payroll Giving Quality Mark (PGQM) award is a powerful way to demonstrate purpose, set clear charitable goals and gain recognition. In today’s competitive landscape, clients, partners and employees increasingly value organisations that actively live their values and give back to the communities they operate in.  

Whether your business is launching a payroll giving scheme or aiming to elevate your current award level, this guide supports HR, CSR and engagement teams plan a strategy to achieve their desired PGQM award.  

What is a Payroll Giving Quality Mark (PGQM)?



The PGQM is a government-backed accreditation awarded to UK employers who offer a payroll giving scheme. It recognises efforts to promote charitable giving through payroll giving, increase employee participation and build a culture of generosity. There are five award levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. 


Why aim for a PQGM award? 


 

Achieving a PGQM award can:  



  • Boost talent attraction and retention by showcasing your values. 
  • Promote a giving culture, enhancing employee satisfaction and inspiring wider participation. 
  • Provide consistent support to charities, to help them deliver effective long-term impact. 
  • Strengthen your reputation as a responsible, values-driven employer

     


How to qualify for a PGQM award


Your organisation can qualify for the standard Payroll Giving Quality Mark by offering a payroll giving scheme, such as Give As You Earn (GAYE). But, to qualify for an award you must have at least 1% of your employees actively donating through your scheme. The awards are based on annual participation rates – the percentage of your entire UK-based workforce that give through the scheme. One point is given per percentage of employee uptake, capped at a max of 30 (for 30%).

Bonus points are awarded for:


  • Matching your employees' donations
    Read our article about how to maximise your impact with matched funding.
  • Covering administrative fees for donors.
  • Hosting in-person promotional events
    For example, a charity day with speakers promoting your scheme and employees sharing giving stories to inspire their peers to start payroll giving.
  • Running digital promotion campaigns
    For example, posting on internal channels about the benefits of payroll giving and printing QR codes around the workplace with the sign-up link.

Explore ways to use events or digital campaigns to promote payroll giving in our Give As You Earn Activation Kit.

Scoring criteria for a PGQM Award


Points Award level
1-10 Bronze
11-20 Silver
21-30 Gold
31-40 Platinum
41+ Diamond


How to achieve a higher PGQM Award


Start planning early so you know which internal teams to involve, what your strategy will be and when to put it into action.


  1. Plan ahead
    Use our Employee Engagement Guide to build a long-term strategy.
  2. Align with scoring criteria
    Review the points system, track your progress and measure how you are doing against the award thresholds.
  3. Promote consistently
    Share your scheme and incentives across all internal channels, including those for remote or non-office-based staff.
  4. Seek support
    Coordinate with your payroll giving agency and stay informed about key dates.

Key dates for PGQM submissions


July is when the payroll giving awards are announced, and certificates are distributed by the member organisations under the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations (APGO). Payroll giving agencies (including CAF) typically send out PGQM surveys via email around April each year. This is to find out if your organisation has run any promotional activities and to gather an updated employee headcount. At this time, the main contact for your payroll giving scheme will need to submit details about how your business has been doing against the scoring criteria over the last financial year.

If you work with a Professional Fundraising Organisation (PFO) they will submit this information on your behalf. Learn more about PFO’s in our guide.


Industry benchmarks


Based on 2025 PGQM results for businesses using our GAYE scheme, Financial Services led the way — followed by Media, Tech, Telecoms, Professional Services and Government. Gold awards saw the biggest rise since 2024.

While average employee participation was 5.39%, Diamond-level organisations reached 48%. It is encouraging to see that more employers are now matching donations, covering fees and running both digital and in-person promotions — key to building an engaged giving culture and earning higher-level awards.

Explore which companies earned one of the five PGQM award levels through GAYE this year, here.


Celebrate your charitable efforts


Recognition is worth celebrating—and sharing it widely helps to boost morale and encourage more of your people to get involved in giving.


Here are three ways to share your achievement:


  1. Announce it on LinkedIn and internal channels.
    Highlight what the payroll giving award means to your business and provide a link to learn more about your payroll giving scheme and how to sign up.
  2. Include it in recruitment materials (digital and printed).
    Demonstrate to new starters how committed you are to helping them make an impact.
  3. Host a celebration event.
    Show your appreciation to your employees for their giving participation and encourage peers to get involved. QR codes with a sign-up link always help.

Get in touch for support

If you would like support to start or enhance your payroll giving scheme, or to aim for a higher PGQM award level through CAF’s GAYE scheme, our Corporate Client team is here to help.

Contact us

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