Review Gift Aid scheme – IoF tells next government
Howard Lake | 10 July 2014 | News
The Institute of Fundraising has called on whichever party wins the general election next year to overhaul the Gift Aid Scheme.
In a manifesto unveiled on the last day of the National Convention, the IoF calls on the government to:
- Review Corporate Gift Aid to evaluate whether the value of corporate donations to the voluntary sector would be increased by allowing charities to claim the tax relief;
- Double – at least – the amount that charities can reclaim through the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme to £2,500;
- Allow Gift Aid to be claimed on society lotteries
The manifesto – ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’ – calls on the next government to commit to “creating the best environment for fundraising, build the capacity of charities to fundraise, and develop the tax system to best encourage giving and support fundraising”.
Other points in the Manifesto include:
- Encouraging every local authority to enter into a Site Management Agreement with the Public Fundraising Association to ensure that street and door to door fundraising is well-regulated to further build public confidence;
- Government to work with solicitors, will writers, and other partners so that leaving a legacy gift to charities in wills becomes the social norm;
- Reduce the legislative restrictions on society lotteries so that they can raise more money, in particular allowing the minimum percentage contribution to be achieved over three years rather than one.
- Increase the £10 limit that can be given by a single text donation so that donors who want to can give more.
Peter Lewis, chief executive of the IoF, said:
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“Charities around the UK are facing increasing demands on their services at the same time as government is facing increasing pressure on the public purse. We at the Institute, and fundraisers around the UK, are ready to help. We are, and want to be, part of the solution.
“And we believe that government could do more to help – both by helping to create a better environment to fundraise in; and by helping us build the capacity of small charities to fundraise.”
The full draft of the manifesto – which was drawn up following a consultations with IoF members – is available from the Institute of Fundraising.
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.