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Home Corporate giving Resources for effective corporate giving How to boost employee engagement in Payroll Giving Month

26 January 2026

How to boost employee engagement in Payroll Giving Month

Ella Walker - Winslow Charities Aid Foundation

Payroll Giving Month (PGM) takes place every February — and it is a perfect opportunity to spark a culture of generosity in your workplace. With 59% of UK employees still unaware of payroll giving, it is a moment to reinforce your reputation as a responsible business and support your employees to give back to their communities.

In this blog, you will find practical, time-saving ideas to help you engage your team in Payroll Giving Month, whether you are brand new to the concept or ready to take your payroll giving scheme to the next level.

Why payroll giving matters

Payroll giving offers a simple, flexible and tax-efficient way for your people to give straight from their salary. But the benefits go far beyond the act of giving. When generosity becomes part of your workplace culture, everyone wins, as employees feel good and your business demonstrates a genuine commitment to social responsibility.

For charities, the impact is even more significant. Regular donations through payroll giving provide something they rely on but often struggle to secure — consistent, predictable income. This allows charities to:

Plan and deliver services consistently throughout the year.
Reduce administration costs and focus more time on delivering support.
Invest in long-term projects, not just short-term needs.
Respond quickly to urgent community issues.
Maintain stability, especially for smaller charities with limited resources.

It is a small action for employees, but it makes a huge difference to charities that support our communities. For example, since 1987, employees who have donated through payroll giving (known as Give As You Earn (GAYE), have helped to raise over £2 billion for UK charities.

What is Payroll Giving Month

Payroll Giving Month is a chance for businesses, charities and fundraising partners to come together and shine a spotlight on the power of giving through your payroll. It is all about raising awareness, sharing ideas and making it easier for everyone to get involved, so charities have sustainable funding to do their vital work in our communities.

Employee Engagement Guide

Learn the essentials you need to know to raise awareness of payroll giving, its benefits within your organisation and how to best promote your scheme and enhance contributions.

Download the report

Four ways to boost engagement in Payroll Giving Month

This month works best when the activity feels simple, meaningful and easy to take part in. For busy HR and internal communications teams, it is important to have quick, practical actions that can be delivered without creating extra workload.

Here are four tried and tested ways to increase engagement throughout February:

1. Create a simple plan

You may not need a big or complex campaign, just a clear starting point and a few repeatable actions.

Quick actions to try:

Set one realistic goal for February, such as to increase awareness, secure 10 new sign‑ups or pilot matched giving for one week.
Prepare digital and offline materials to support desk‑based, hybrid and frontline colleagues.
Online: intranet banners, Teams messages, newsletters, screensavers, or digital posters with a QR code to sign up.
Offline: break-room posters, payslip inserts or printed leaflets.
Share ready‑made content for colleagues to copy and paste in seconds. For example, a short intranet message, that says

“Did you know that with Give As You Earn (GAYE) you can regularly give to any charity in the UK through your payroll? Search charities and donate now.”

You can find more examples of ready-to-use content in our GAYE Activation Kit.

Why this works: A simple, focused plan removes barriers and helps busy teams maintain momentum without taking time away from core responsibilities.

2. Understand what motivates your employees, then tailor the message

Different people give for different reasons. A small amount of insight helps you avoid generic messaging and speak directly to what matters.

Fast ways to gather input:

Run a short pulse survey: “What would encourage you to donate through your payroll?”

Post a quick Teams poll before or during an all‑employee meeting.
Host a 10‑minute drop‑in Q&A — virtual or in person.

Then adapt your messaging to:

New starters: include payroll giving in onboarding packs.

Remote workers: highlight the ease of digital sign‑up and share virtual impact stories.

Younger employees: focus on matched giving and short, high‑impact visuals.

Long‑tenured employees: emphasise shared values and long‑term community impact.

Why this works: Tailored messages feel more relevant — and relevance drives action.

3. Create mini moments throughout February

Short, simple weekly touchpoints can help your campaign feel engaging without overwhelming employees.

Easy weekly ideas:

Week 1: Bust a payroll giving myth and share a “How it works in 30 seconds” visual.

Set the tone for the month and lead with clarity. Clear up any misconceptions early and give employees a quick, easy way to understand the power of payroll giving.

Here are two myth examples to use:

Myth 1: “The only benefit is tax relief.”
Reality: You also get the satisfaction of making a real, longer-term impact. Charities can receive regular support with less admin, and they get more time to focus on their goals.

Myth 2: ‘Payroll giving is salary sacrifice’
Reality: Participating in your employer’s payroll giving scheme does not affect your final salary. Your donation is taken from your pay after your National Insurance contributions have been deducted, but before income tax is calculated and removed. This way, you are not losing a benefit—you are creating one for a cause you care about.

Week 2: Spotlight the collective impact your employees' have made.

Congratulate your employees on how much they have raised together and highlight the charities benefiting the most. Thank them for their generosity and remind them that every contribution is driving change, with the opportunity to continue to make an even greater difference.

Week 3: Share a leader’s giving experience or favourite cause.

Inspire deeper employee engagement by highlighting the personal giving stories of senior leaders. When leaders speak openly about the causes they care about and the impact they hope to make, it builds trust and sparks enthusiasm across the organisation, encouraging employees to get involved too.

Week 4: Celebrate sign‑ups, track progress and encourage a final push.

Be sure to shine a light on the progress made — showing appreciation for every employee who has taken part, and inspire more peers to join in.

Fun engagement ideas:

“Charity of the day” nominations from employees.

Desk drop flyers or QR posters linking directly to the sign‑up form.

A short virtual “PGM kick‑off” session that engages employees from the start.

Launch a “sign‑up leaderboard” and match the top team’s donations.

Why this works: Small moments feel manageable to deliver and help keep awareness high throughout the month.

4. Share stories that spark action

Stories make payroll giving personal and help employees see the real‑world impact of small monthly donations.

Ideas that work:

30‑second videos from employees: “Why I give each month.”

Bite‑sized examples showing how £5–£10 per month supports year‑round services.

Charity partners sharing the value of predictable income.

Spotlights on colleagues’ favourite causes or volunteering experiences.

Why this works: People relate to people, especially colleagues they know or leaders they trust.

Key takeaways to start your Payroll Giving Month campaign

Payroll Giving Month is the perfect starting point for building a rewarding workplace, where employees can see how they can make a positive difference year-round.

While raising awareness is important, it is about turning good intentions into meaningful action. By listening to what matters most to your employees, introducing incentives like matched donations and using creative campaigns to keep the momentum alive, you can transform a simple initiative into a lasting culture of generosity.

Over time your efforts to increase employee participation in your scheme will help engage your people and deliver change for the communities that matter to us all.

Have questions about your scheme or how to engage your employees?

Our corporate team is here to listen, support your ideas and help shape giving plans that meet your charitable goals. Contact us

More ways to make a difference

Payroll giving – Give personally through your payroll.

Company giving accounts – Manage your company’s giving in a single account.

Corporate foundations - Use a structured framework for strategic corporate giving and deliver positive impact.

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