The Great Gift Aid Hunt 2026: charities’ chance to reclaim millions
Howard Lake | 4 February 2026 | News
UK charities are still inadvertently leaving millions of pounds on the table, according to the latest figures released as The Great Gift Aid Hunt returns for 2026. While HMRC data shows that charities received approximately £1.7 billion in Gift Aid in the last tax year, an estimated £564 million remains unclaimed annually.
The annual campaign, led by Swiftaid and supported by The Chartered Institute of Fundraising and JustGiving, aims to help organisations bridge this gap by reviewing existing donation data to identify missed opportunities.
The visibility gap
Many charities believe their Gift Aid processes are watertight, yet the data suggests otherwise. Previous iterations of the Great Gift Aid Hunt revealed that 98% of participating charities uncovered additional Gift Aid when reviewing their past donation records. These “missing” funds often stem from:
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- Incomplete donor declarations.
- Data gaps caused by evolving donation methods.
- Supporter information that wasn’t correctly matched at the time of the gift.
Beth Michael, co-founder of Swiftaid, emphasised that many organisations are simply unaware of the scale of the problem.
“The Great Gift Aid Hunt exists to provide that visibility,” she stated, “giving charities a practical way to review the donation data they already hold.”
A lifeline amid rising costs
With the sector facing the dual pressures of increased service demand and rising operational costs, reclaiming these funds is a matter of financial resilience. The initiative does not require charities to ask supporters for more money or change their current fundraising strategy; it is about maximising the value of what has already been given.
Charlotte Sherman, Policy Manager at The Chartered Institute of Fundraising, commented that an uplift in unclaimed Gift Aid could “help bridge critical funding gaps.” This sentiment was echoed by Oliver Shaw-Latimer of JustGiving, who highlighted that the process can unlock tens of thousands of pounds for individual charities “quickly and easily.”
Getting involved
The Great Gift Aid Hunt 2026 is open now to any UK charity registered for Gift Aid. By participating, organisations can analyse their historical data to see if they are eligible for a back-dated claim.
The end date for submissions is 24 April 2026.
- Great Gift Aid Hunt aims to unlock millions more for UK charities (3 February 2025)
- Charities urged to take part in 2024’s Great Gift Aid Hunt (5 February 2024)
- Charities have until 5 April to find estimated £564 million in unclaimed Gift Aid (22 February 2023)
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.