Payroll giving donations up by 22% in last tax year
Donations received through Payroll Giving schemes increased by 22.5% in the last tax year, totalling a £109 million, according to the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations.
The number of employees participating in Payroll Giving schemes also increased by 11.5% to over 700,000. Many employers also chose to match their employees’ contributions last year which amounted to an additional £13 million for charities.
Currently 13,000 charities in the UK benefit from Payroll Giving.
Jane Banks, Payroll Giving Manager at the British Heart Foundation, said: “this gem of fundraising is proving to be a real diamond in an economic downturn. The British Heart Foundation is enjoying a continued steady incremental growth in Payroll Giving, allowing us to continue our pioneering heart research and patient care.”
Sophie Pritchard, chair of the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations, said: “the unique benefits of Payroll Giving have not yet been fully realised with the scheme currently accountable for just 1% of all charitable donations. However, these new figures show just what a strong and reliable fundraising tool Payroll Giving is and we hope this will prompt more employers, employees and charities to get involved”.
Currently 44% of employees work for organisations with a Payroll Giving scheme and around 6% of these employees participate through this mechanism.
The Institute of Fundraising conducted a review of Payroll Giving which was published in June 2008. The report revealed that there are approximately 24 million employees paid through PAYE in the UK. Of these, 10.5 million (44%) are employed by organisations with Payroll Giving schemes in place. In 2006/07, of these 10.5 million employees about 6% gave through Payroll Giving.
www.payrollgivingcentre.org.uk/facts%20figures.htm