Charities & Efficient Giving. Return Home

There are New UK Charity Regulations and ..

... you can make your donations go much further if you know the facts

If you regularly give to charities or think that you ought to give, but haven't quite got around to it then the news is very good:

on 6 April 2000 new regulations came into force which makes the UK the best place in the world for making charitable donations.

The Chancellor reorganised the tax relief given on donations in a radical and generous initiative. Money that you contribute will grow by virtue of the tax benefits. If you are not aware of the details please read about CAF below.


Henna, a neighbouring cat,  always drank from running water Lizard on Leg
Henna Drinks from Fountain Lizard on Leg in Fuerteventura
Click to enlarge the photos, then click 'Back' to return here. Most can be used as backgrounds or wallpapers.


The definitive source of information on how charities and you can benefit from the tax concessions is Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). CAF is a registered charity and can advise on the best method to suit your circumstances and will make it possible to direct your contributions to the charities of your choice. Remember, the amount you give will be enhanced by a very substantial amount if you fill in a simple Gift Aid Declaration.

CAF is easily contacted, (see the links below) but here is a brief synopsis:
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  •  Send a cheque or PO together with a signed declaration to your charity who can recover your tax at the basic rate and add it to your contribution. (to see a declaration form click here Declaration form)

  •  Open a Charity Card Account and you can make donations whenever you feel like it by 'phone, post or online and tax will be recovered at the basic rate and be added to your account.

  •  Give As You Earn (if you are employed) enables you to contribute automatically before tax.

  •  Leave a legacy in your will and smile because it will be free of Inheritance Tax.

  •  Create your own CAF Charitable trust and if you can set aside a considerable sum of money the taxman will add more.

  •  Or why not give stocks and shares and you may receive capital gains and personal tax relief on those gifts, whether you want to give just a few or are wealthy and wish to support charitable institutions or universities, (tax relief on the latter can be very significant). See CAF or Sharegift below for more info on donating shares.

Charities Aid Foundation
  CAF's site tells you what you need to know about tax-effective giving and the options available, including giving shares as well as its work and its services for charities, individuals and companies.
   

CAF have advised that the Charity Commission issued new guidelines (approx April 2003) advising charities to seriously consider socially responsible investment, recommending that charities reveal the extent to which environmental and social factors have shaped their investment policy.

    The Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) is the UK wide support organisation for grant-making trusts and foundations of all types. ACF's popular meetings and conferences enable people running trusts to exchange views and experiences and it will help them to use their time and funds in the most effective way. ACF will also provide information and guidance on the sometimes burdensome law as it applies to grant-making trusts.
  Envocare doesn't attempt to cope with the immense range of organisations in the charities' sector. This page deals with general information only (mainly to help those who wish to give to charity but would like to know how best to do it). Where we believe that small environmental concerns are charitable we will freely include their details on other pages of this site.
Sharegift  

Sharegift is a charity share donation scheme run by the Orr Mackintosh Foundation Ltd which will accept small numbers of unwanted shares and also facilitate the gifting of larger holdings to charity. Stockbrokers Killik and Co. kindly sell them without commission and the HSBC bank operate a convenient scheme where you can pop into their branches and get a copy of a form to initiate the donation.

Fundraising  

UK Fundraising (run by Fundraising UK Ltd) have a Web site full of ideas and news items linked with fundraising, including recycling. If you are a fundraiser, they offer some resources that could help you. They list organisations who provide recycling services for UK charity fundraisers. For example, see our Computers and Peripherals page for ideas on how you might obtain a computer to help run your fundraising.

   

Charity Fundraising Ltd is a team of UK fundraising consultants. They have successfully raised millions of pounds in grant funding for charities / voluntary sector organisations over many years of hands-on experience in charity management and fundraising consultancy.

   

fundinginformation.org is run by Profunding who work with nfp organisations as they develop their fundraising skills and strategies. They offer services and information to those involved in raising funds for nfp organisations like: charities, voluntary organisations, community groups, social enterprises etc. They publish fundinginformation.org (online funding information service) and SMALLfri (email-based service for smaller organisations and fundraisers).

   

The Institute of Fundraising is the professional body for UK fundraisers, promoting high standards in fundraising practice and management. They support fundraisers through training, networking and the dissemination of best practice. They are the lead partner in administering and promoting the new (2005) Payroll Giving Grants programme.

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Click to Give for Free:   Many charities offer donors the chance of giving on-line for free, by simply clicking on their Web site. Donors can click once a day on a button and donations will be made to the relevant charity by commercial sponsors; sometimes the level of donation depends on the number of hits on the site.
Bee on Tigridias: Click to enlarge
Bee on Tigridias
  Howard Lake from UK Fundraising tells you that if clicking once a day on a button to donate to charity at no cost to yourself still sounds a lot of work, you can now click once to donate to many different non-profits. Wiseup.org have created the Daily Donation Page which lets you choose which click-to-give-for-free site you would like to contribute to. You then simply click on their single button and this transmits your click to all the other sites.
   

This link to the Open Directory Project provides a directory of links to many free donation sites.

    One-Click Charity Check is a resource for supporters of one-click charities. It reviews free donation sites and gives recommendations by legitimacy, site quality, honesty and aesthetics.
   

Go to The Hunger Site every day and click on the big yellow button; a cup of staple foodstuff is bought, by the site's sponsors, for someone who is hungry, somewhere. Only one click per computer per day counts. You can sign up to receive a daily email prompt to remind you to click (signing up gives two extra cups of food). The scheme has been running since 1999; you can find out how it works on their site. There are also other 'click-to-give' schemes there, including Breast Cancer, Children's Health, Literacy, Rainforest and Animal Rescue.

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Other Charity Sites
 

Charity Bank is a charity that can accept deposits that earn social as well as financial returns, and a nfp bank whose sole business is providing affordable finance for charitable work. It gives the opportunity to invest in charity, rather than just for the benefit of business or self-interest.

   

easyfundraising.org.uk helps you to raise money for UK schools, charities,sports clubs, community groups and other good causes by shopping online. When you make purchases from their partner retailers, they will donate money to your chosen cause.

   

Ethical Exchange is run by Ethos public relations to help you to find out about ethical organisations and issues and to promote ethical business in an independent, unbiased way. It encourages purchase of ethical products, with a directory of organisations managed according to ethical principles.

   

Everyclick.com enables you to raise money for your selected charity every time you search or shop online. You can register as a supporter and select the charity you’d like to support. Everyclick provides any charity with an additional fundraising tool that they state provides ongoing revenue. There's no charge to charities or their supporters to use this web site.

Prickly Pear Cactus in Spain
Prickly Pear Cactus in Spain
 

In Kind Direct, is a charity acting as a clearing house for surplus goods from the corporate sector, channeling them to deserving causes in the voluntary sector, so it helps industry and charities. They have a network of partner charities and smaller voluntary organisations in the UK, representing a range of causes. Donated goods include office equipment and supplies, computers, furniture, flooring, household goods & appliances, linen & bedding, toiletries, sports goods, books, toys, arts & crafts, educational materials and clothing. Since foundation in 1996, In Kind Direct has distributed over £95 million in value of new surplus goods from over 800 companies. Over 7,000 charities across the UK have benefited.

   

Justgiving is a private company dedicated to bringing benefits of new technology to the business of charity fundraising. They help charities cut costs by processing donations and reclaiming tax online; this ensures more of your money gets to the cause.

    Philanthropy UK is hosted by the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF). It aims to help develop new philanthropy by promoting and disseminating knowledge and best practice to all those involved in giving. Their free Guide to Giving is the essential handbook for those who would like to support charities and good causes in an effective and tax-efficient way.
    Virgin Money Giving helps you set up your fundraising page and get sponsored online and gives fundraising ideas and tools to help you raise even more.
   

VolResource state they provide practical resources for people involved in charities, voluntary or community organisations. There's information on events, contacts, services, specialist sources, briefings and news, as well as on Ethical and Social Investment, Environmental and Social Impact of voluntary organisations and Personal ethical action.

   
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Page originated: 22 July, 2001  Last updated: 7 May, 2013