Gift Aid declaration added to Postal Orders
Howard Lake | 12 November 2003 | News
Post Office Ltd is working in conjunction with The Giving Campaign this Christmas to promote the use of Gift Aid on charitable donations.
A new range of Postal Orders, including a Gift Postal Order range, have been launched today by the Post Office® which the organisation believes could release up to an additional £5.6 million for UK charities.
An estimated £20 million of the £300 million of Postal Orders bought each year are used to make charitable donations. Until now there was no mention on them of the benefits of giving tax-efficiently. So, the new range of Postal Orders incorporates a Gift Aid declaration. As a result, a £10 Postal Order with a completed Gift Aid section would be worth £12.80 to a charity.
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In developing this initiative, Post Office Ltd worked closely with The Giving Campaign – the independent body established to increase the amount of money given to UK charities – and the Inland Revenue to clarify and simplify the process for charities to claim the 28% tax relief.
Philip Mind, Director of The Giving Campaign, said: “I am delighted Post Office Ltd is going the extra mile to support charities by including Gift Aid on these Postal Orders. This opportunity will unlock extra millions for good causes and raise the profile of Gift Aid considerably at Christmas, the most important period in the year for charitable giving.”
David Mills, Chief Executive of Post Office Ltd, said, “Postal Orders are already a well-established channel for charitable giving, and are recognised as a easy and safe way for people to send money to their charity of choice.
“With our new range of Postal Orders, we offer UK charities an opportunity to maximise donations – and, along with The Giving Campaign, we encourage charities to alert their donors to the convenience and financial benefits of completing the Gift Aid declaration when giving with a Postal Order this Christmas.”
Since 1881, Postal Orders have been an economical and convenient way to send money without the need for a bank account. They are also used for mail order or Internet shopping, as well as sending gift money to friends and family.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.