Applying for a bank account

It is useful having a bank account for fundraising, particularly if you want to create Chuffed fundraisers, or use card/contactless payment devices, for example.

If your local group has a bank account you can bank your own funds, make payments more easily, use online fundraising like Chuffed and use contactless/card payment devices.

It is good practice to make sure that the wider group knows about the account, who is managing it and who the signatories are.

Ideally, a summary of the finances should be easily accessible to the group it belongs to, even if that is just a verbal report from time to time, or showing others in the group the bank statements. Keeping everything transparent is helpful because it is then less likely misunderstandings will happen and adds credibility and conviction for local fundraising chats with the public.

If the account is managed online, then the person managing the account can be a completely different person to the signatories.

Unfortunately, it is now very hard to set up a bank account in the name of Extinction Rebellion, simply because most banks refuse to accept us. In the past, groups have set up accounts with Triodos Bank, but unfortunately Triodos is not accepting any new accounts. This could change, so it is worth checking their website.