Quality Mark Awards

The Payroll Giving Quality Mark, launched in January 2006 recognises and rewards organisations for making Payroll Giving available to their staff. 

The Quality Mark aims to increase participation in Payroll Giving which provides UK charities with a sustainable income stream.

Once organisations set up a Payroll Giving scheme, they will automatically receive a certificate as well as the Quality Mark logo for use on letterheads, websites and other company literature. The Quality Mark acknowledges  Payroll Giving has been implemented and demonstrates (both within the organisation and publicly) that the orgainasation is committed to the good causes its employees care about.  Depending on the take up of the scheme, employers  may be eligible for either a Bronze, Silver, Gold or a Platinum Quality Mark Award.

Platinum Quality Mark Award will be allocated to employers from April 2012

The Platinum Quality Mark Award recognises employers that continually strive to increase donations to UK charities through Payroll Giving.  Employers that are recognised through the Platinum Award will have committed themselves to promoting Payroll Giving in the workplace and increasing charitable donations.  

Platinum Award Criteria
Employers must have achieved and held the Gold Quality Mark Award for at least one year (i.e. the 2011 Gold Award) prior to applying for a Platinum Quality Mark Award in 2012 and completed at least one task from each of the three sections  below in the past 12 months:

Public Register of Employers Offering Payroll Giving

• Employers must have signed-up to the public register of employers offering Payroll Giving to their staff. 

Register your company details here

Increased Payroll Giving (a minimum of one must have been achieved)

• Either achieved an overall employee sign-up to Payroll Giving of 20%, or increased employee take-up from the previous year by a minimum of 10%
• Increased existing donations (through demonstrable promotion)  by a minimum of 10%
• Matched employee contributions by a minimum of 10%

Promoted Payroll Giving (a minimum of one must have been achieved)

• Actively encouraged pensioners (past employees) to continue to use Payroll Giving
• Used volunteers or past employees to promote Payroll Giving to current staff
• Provided evidence of an active promotion that encouraged clients and customers to use Payroll Giving
• Introduced (and signed-up) a minimum of five new employers to Payroll Giving (evidenced through relevant PGAs)
• Publically demonstrated commitment to Payroll Giving through use of the Payroll Giving and Quality Mark logos on letterhead, websites and other promotional materials
• Demonstrated effective use of the induction and/or review process to introduce staff to Payroll Giving

Applicants will be expected to provide the necessary support material so that their application can be verified where necessary.

Applications should be made by the Payroll Giving Agencies representing excellent employers to the Payroll Giving Centre by the end of February 2012 who will distribute the Platinum Awards from April 2012.

Awards are available for organisations that achieve minimum staff participation rates and employer support in Payroll Giving is outlined below:

Gold Award
Awarded to employers that achieve 10% employee participation in Payroll Giving + employer support*.

*Employer support means that the employer must eithe pay the PGA administration charge, match donations or demonstrate that they have carried out an active promotion of Payroll Giving during the previous year.

Silver Award Awarded to employers that achieve 5% employee participation in Payroll Giving.

Bronze Award Awarded to employers that achieve 1% employee participation rate in Payroll Giving. If your organisation has been awarded a Gold, Silver or Bronze Quality Mark Award, your Payroll Giving Agency will give you an access code to down load the appropriate logo.

Your Payroll Giving Agency (PGA) will monitor the employee participation rates you have achieved by February each year and allocate an Award in line with the above criteria. If you are eligible for an Award, it will be issued to you by your PGA from April onwards. Alternatively, if you think you qualify for an award, you can approach your PGA directly, download your Quality Mark and Awards Application Form and post it back to us. 

The Quality Mark Awards symbolise excellence, recognising employers that are making a difference through Payroll Giving, benefitting good causes and employees alike. Achieving an Award is a great news story for organisations – why  not Go for Platinum? Apply online for the new Platinum Award.