A plain-English guide to preparing overseas giving, mission support and charity payments before money moves.
Take the full guide away as a PDF, or read every section on this page.
This guide is for churches, ministries, faith charities and church administrators preparing overseas support payments.
| Requirement | What this means in practice |
|---|---|
| Governing document | Constitution, trust deed, CIO constitution or articles. |
| Trustee/director list | Who is responsible and who can approve this payment. |
| Approval note | Trustee minute, delegated approval or signatory instruction. |
| Purpose evidence | Mission letter, project note, invoice, speaker agreement or emergency appeal. |
| Source-of-funds note | Plain-English explanation of where the funds came from and whether they are restricted. |
Identify the type of payment and the evidence to prepare before relying on a quote or sending money.
| Example | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Monthly mission partner support | Trustee approval or delegation, mission partner letter, repeat-recipient record, payment schedule and expected beneficiary amount. |
| Emergency relief to partner church | Emergency context, rapid trustee approval, recipient relationship, source-of-funds note and deduction/arrival amount check. |
| Visiting speaker or overseas minister payment | Invitation or agreement, payment purpose, recipient details, approval and tax/payment treatment if relevant. |
| Church plant or overseas project grant | Project note, restricted fund check, trustee minute, recipient-purpose evidence and reporting expectation. |
If most of this is unclear, pause before sending the payment and clarify the evidence first.
Before choosing a bank, app or provider, check the whole route. The lowest visible fee may not mean the best outcome.
| Term | Plain-English meaning |
|---|---|
| Fixed fee | The upfront charge for sending the payment. It is only one part of the cost. |
| FX rate or margin | The exchange rate can matter more than the fixed fee, especially on larger payments. |
| OUR / SHA / BEN | SWIFT charge options. They affect whether the sender, recipient or both may bear charges. |
| Recipient deductions | Intermediary or recipient-bank charges can reduce what arrives. |
| Review questions | Banks and providers may ask for purpose, source of funds, recipient details or invoice evidence. |
Nasara helps prepare a clearer payment file before money moves. Your provider or bank may still run its own checks.
Tell us about the transfer and we will help you prepare the evidence before money moves.
Official charity guidance used: Charity Commission / GOV.UK CC21a, CC22b, CC3 and CC8.
This guide does not replace legal, tax, customs, charity governance or regulated payment advice. It is designed to help you prepare clearer information before discussing a transfer route. This is general information only. Nasara does not promise the cheapest route or guaranteed transfer release.