Last year we reported that Dementia NI audited their eligible income streams and identified that they had missed out on around £75,000 simply because their donors did not tick the Gift Aid box.
What is gift aid?
Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows charities to claim additional funds - boosting each donation without costing donors a penny extra.
When a registered charity or Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) receives a donation from a UK taxpayer, the charity is entitled to claim an extra 25% paid on that donation from HMRC.
So, a £20 donation processed with Gift Aid becomes a £25 donation!
Gift Aid is important for charities and means millions of pounds extra go to the charity sector. Each time an eligible taxpayer donates and forgets to tick the Gift Aid box, the money stays with HMRC and the charity misses out.
Maximising Gift Aid opportunities
Charity Digital has a useful article with tips on steps you can take to boost Gift Aid. To add to their tips, consider running your own Gift Aid promotion campaign encouraging your supporters to select gift aid on their donations.
A good time to launch your campaign is to get involved in national campaigns aimed at promoting Gift Aid and it’s benefits to charities.
- Join in with Gift Aid Awareness Week which takes place each October during the Charity Finance Group’s #TicktheBox campaign. This page has some great tips for promoting Gift Aid to your supporters.
- Get involved in Swiftaid’s The Great Gift Aid Hunt each February right through to April. Supported by JustGiving and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, Swiftaid found £1.3 million in unclaimed Gift Aid for the charities that took part in The Great Gift Aid Hunt.
Swiftaid offers a year-round service making Gift Aid easier for charities and donors by taking the burden of admin from charities and giving donors more control over their Gift Aid contributions.
Developed by fintech company, Streeva, Swiftaid is a recognised HMRC donor intermediary and charity nominee for Gift Aid operating within the highest standards for information security to keep donor information safe and secure. They are authorised to create Gift Aid declarations on behalf of millions of UK taxpayers. Registering an account with Swiftaid is free of charge. Swiftaid does charge a fee of 10% (+VAT) of the claimed Gift Aid amount but there are no additional hidden costs or fees when using the Gift Aid Finder.
