Gift Aid

Gift Aid covers a wide range of fundraising, from bucket collections to charity auctions. Many thousands of charities miss out on Gift Aid that they could be claiming, so learning how to maximise the value of donations can significantly boost the income of your organisation.

Knowing the rules, understanding your fundraising model and getting the right advice are critical for successfully navigating the Gift Aid system. Explore this section to get a clearer picture of how Gift Aid affects your charity.

 

Thousands of charities join to mark Gift Aid Awareness Day 2024
11 October 2024
Gift Aid Awareness Day has been and gone for another year. CFG's Dionne Sturdy-Clow and Glyn Sheldon reflect on the campaign and invite you to get involved again next year.

Breaking down the barriers: Gift Aid survey report 2024
2 October 2024
Gift Aid is a vital tax relief worth £1.6bn every year to charities. This report, based on a survey of more than 100 charity leaders, shows that more can be ...

HMRC figure shows slight rise in tax relief for charities
13 August 2024
HMRC figures show that tax relief for charities and their donors increased by 3% to just over £6bn in the last tax year. Read more about the impact of tax ...

How the RSPCA increased Gift Aid income
10 April 2024
Maximising Gift Aid income is the name of the game... Phoebe Cooper from RSPCA shares how the charity increased opt-in rates and income with behavioural economics and telephones.

Getting to know you... Dionne Sturdy-Clow
5 April 2024
Thanks to generous funding through The Rank Foundation's Time2Shine programme, CFG has created a brand new post for an aspiring leader. Dionne Sturdy-Clow talks about her new role, how she'll ...

CFG briefing: spring budget analysis 2024
6 March 2024
CFG takes a look at the Chancellor's spring budget announcements and analyses what they mean for the charity sector.

Gift Aid 101 with Rachel Cooper
5 October 2023
Join Gift Aid expert Rachel Cooper and CFG's Richard Sagar to learn how to get going with Gift Aid and avoid common errors when making claims.

Gift Aid: avoiding common pitfalls
5 October 2023
Claiming Gift Aid doesn't have to be a headache. Louise Veragoo from Haysmacintyre looks the common pitfalls and opportunities for getting the most out of your charity’s Gift Aid claim. ...

Gift Aid: How giving to charity can reduce your tax bill
5 October 2023
Donating to your favourite charities can have a feel-good effect but did you know that your generosity could also potentially reduce your tax bill? Akin Coker from Buzzacott explains how.

Gift Aid: How to maximise donations made through fundraising events
5 October 2023
If your charity holds events to raise funds, the rules on when you can and can't claim Gift Aid can be tricky to navigate. Judith Pederzolli from PEM shares expert ...

Get set for Gift Aid Awareness Day 2023
17 July 2023
On Thursday 5 October, let’s shout about the importance of gift aid and encourage all donors and supporters to #TickTheBox!

How to maximise Gift Aid
6 April 2023
Following on from CFG's Gift Aid seminar in January 2023, Rachelle Rowbottom from BHP shares updates and advice on how to make the most of Gift Aid.

The Government's 'Growth Plan 2022': An analysis
23 September 2022
Richard Sagar, CFG's Head of Policy, takes a look at the new Chancellor's mini-budget statement and what it means for charities.

Get set for Gift Aid Awareness Day 2022!
3 August 2022
Gift Aid Awareness Day is less than ten weeks away! Emma Abbott, Communications Manager, CFG, explains what's in store for this year's #TickTheBox campaign and how you can get involved!

Technical update: Gift Aid and the naming of buildings
28 April 2022
HMRC has revised its guidance on gift aid and donor benefit rules around the naming of buildings. Chair of Charity Tax Group (CTG), Richard Bray, explains.

Spring Statement 2022: Not nearly enough for those on low incomes
24 March 2022
CFG's corporate partners and Richard Sagar, Head of Policy, take a closer look at the Chancellor's Spring Statement, considering what it means for charities and those they serve.

Finance Focus October 2021
29 October 2021
This month, we consider reputational risk and what it means to charity finance leaders, and we share some of the stories of organisational change from this year's Annual Conference. We ...

Finance Focus September 2021
29 September 2021
This month, we look at some of the issues charities are tackling post-pandemic, including flexible working and what's to become of the office. Also in this edition, interviews with National Children's ...

Finance Focus August 2021
23 August 2021
Get set for Gift Aid Awareness Day!

Finance Focus July 2021
29 July 2021
Inclusivity - why does it matter to finance professionals? We speak to charity leaders this month about equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI). We also meet a small member charity - Jodie ...

Finance Focus March 2021
30 March 2021
Welcome to the March 2021 edition of Finance Focus! In this edition, we take a look at how the use of digital technology in the sector has evolved in the ...

CFG Briefing: Budget 2021
3 March 2021
CFG's member briefing on the Chancellor's Budget Statement, 3 March 2021.

Finance Focus November/December 2020
4 December 2020
Welcome to the latest edition of Finance Focus! In this issue, we ask charities and CFG's trustees about what they've learned in 2020 and what lays ahead. Topics also covered ...

The AIM/CFG Guide to Gift Aid 2020
5 November 2020
The joint CFG/AIM Guide to Gift Aid 2020. This publication is in association with the Association of Independent Museums.

Finance Focus September
22 September 2020
Let's raise our voice to raise Gift Aid!

Summer Economic Update
8 July 2020
Richard Sagar, Policy Manager, sets out a briefing on today's Economic Update by the Chancellor aided by commentary from our corporate partner experts. Together, they examine how the announcements might ...

Defeating the myths about Gift Aid
3 October 2019
Involving multiple forms, numerous cards and baffling entries on tax self-assessment forms — it is no surprise that the intricacies of how Gift Aid works can appear something of an ...

The Retail Gift Aid Scheme
2 October 2019
The Retail Gift Aid Scheme (‘RGAS’) is an HMRC approved way for charities (and Community Amateur Sports Clubs) to claim Gift Aid on proceeds from the sale of donated goods ...

Finance Focus Sep 2019
23 September 2019
Let's #tickthebox this year. 1.0.0.20 1.0.0.20 1.0.0.20

Finance Focus October 18
31 October 2018
Gift Aid: Why we're on a mission to get more donors to tick the box

Gift Aid made simple
10 June 2013
Gift Aid made simple guide.

Tax Effective Giving - Made Simple Guide
16 May 2013
Tax effective giving - made simple guide.

Registering for Gift Aid
1 January 2007
This is one of the Institute of Fundraising’s Did You Know series of briefings.

New CFG report reveals more to do to maximise vital Gift Aid scheme
3 October 2024
CFG shares the findings of its 2024 Gift Aid survey of 100 charities. The report shows that more must be done to maximise every claim and reduce the £560m Gift ...

Gift Aid Awareness Day 2024 is just hours away!
2 October 2024
UK-wide campaign urges charity donors to #TickTheBox to maximise every donation for their favourite charities and causes.  

Get set for Gift Aid Awareness Day 2024
23 July 2024
The refreshed Gift Aid Awareness Day toolkit is here! On Thursday 3 October, let’s shout about the importance of Gift Aid and encourage all donors and supporters to #TickTheBox!

Spring budget fails to address critical issues
6 March 2024
We take a look at the government's spring budget announcements and what they'll mean for sector.

Charities seek greater certainty ahead of Spring Budget
30 January 2024
The Civil Society Group and CFG set out four main asks of government ahead of the Chancellor's Spring Budget in March.

September's mini-budget: Good, bad, ugly
23 September 2022
CFG comments on the new government's mini-budget statement delivered by Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.

What the Autumn Budget means for you
27 October 2021
Richard Sagar, Acting Head of Policy at CFG, sifts through the Autumn Budget and Spending Review documents and explains what it means for charities.

Charities encourage donors to #TickTheBox
6 October 2021
Gift Aid Awareness Day 2021 gets off to a flying start with a new #TickTheBox film.  

Charities get ready for Gift Aid Awareness Day 2021
24 September 2021
2021 #TickTheBox campaign is a chance to demonstrate impact and thank donors.

Get set for Gift Awareness Day 2021!
25 August 2021
Gift Aid Awareness Day is just around the corner and charities across the country are invited to join in to thank donors for ticking the box and share the impact ...

Charities get ready for Gift Aid Awareness Day 2020
6 October 2020
CFG’s annual Gift Aid Awareness Day is in its third year and in 2020 the campaign is NeverMoreNeeded.

Charities call for boost to Gift Aid amid pandemic fundraising shortfall
25 June 2020
A coalition of leading voices in UK charities has called on the Government to temporarily increase the level of Gift Aid that can be claimed on donations.

Gift Aid - restriction on associated benefits
4 October 2018
Michael Godfrey, Assistant Director at PEM shares helpful insight for charities on Gift Aid and associated benefits

Why Gift Aid is great for fundraising
4 October 2018
Lizzie Ellis, Institute of Fundraising explains the benefits of Gift Aids for charities and why all charities should encourage donors to #tickthebox

CFG urges charities to use day of action to increase understanding of Gift Aid
4 October 2018
Today sees the launch of the first Gift Aid Awareness Day, a national campaign initiated by Charity Finance Group (CFG) to address the estimated £560m of Gift Aid which is ...

Gift Aid in the Digital Age
3 September 2018
Sara Vening, Chief Financial Officer, Virgin Money Giving encourages charities to embed Gift Aid into their digital strategy

Gift aid awareness day
20 March 2018
Following the publication of a government report that has found that £560m of Gift Aid goes unclaimed every year, Charity Finance Group is launching a “Gift Aid Awareness Day” for ...

Common Gift Aid Questions Answered by HMRC
27 April 2017
On the 31st March 2017, CFG hosted its regularly Gift Aid Conference which was attended by charities, tax specialists and HMRC. HMRC's Charity Outreach Team, led by Andrew Kayley, spoke ...

Better partnerships needed between finance and fundraising teams
13 April 2017
Fundraising isn’t just about fundraisers. It is about the whole organisation. One of the lessons that the sector has had to learn is that good fundraising requires the whole organisation ...

Government must not miss this open goal to help small charities
11 October 2016
Follow the progress of the Bill via the hashtag #GASDS  

CFG Consultation Response - Gift Aid and Intermediaries
6 October 2016
CFG has responded to proposed developments surrounding the Gift Aid process.

Things to avoid when claiming Gift Aid
8 September 2016
Every year, around 70,000 charities claim tax reliefs worth billions every year. But as anyone who has ever interacted with the Gift Aid system knows, it isn’t always plain sailing.

Our response to the Gift Aid Donor Benefits consultation
13 May 2016
Charity Finance Group, Institute of Fundraising, National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Small Charities Coalition have submitted a joint response to the government's consultation into simplifying Gift Aid Donor Benefit ...

What’s the latest data on charity sector income and expenditure?
10 June 2015
The UK Civil Society Almanac 2015 is here and as ever provides a wealth of valuable data.

Will somebody please think about Gift Aid?
23 April 2015
It may seem odd in the midst of one of the most hotly contested general elections in recent memory to put in an impassioned plea for politicians to think about ...

Budget 2015 – Missed opportunities and targeted giveaways
18 March 2015
The Chancellor has sat down, the media are pouring over the budget documents looking for stories to come out of the figures, but what has been the impact of the ...

#volsecbudget – What should charities look out for?
17 March 2015
Tomorrow will mark the last Budget of this Parliament, and already a great deal has been trailed in the media from inheritance tax cuts to raising the personal allowance. 

Vision for sector post-2015. What did the politicians have to say at the CFG Annual Conferece?
19 May 2014
Following our overwhelmingly successful Annual Conference last Thursday, back at CFG-HQ we are now digesting the political nuggets that were debated in our closing plenary by the Minister for Civil ...

Research questions to get our teeth into on Gift Aid
2 December 2013
The National Audit Office has released a report on HMRC, Gift Aid and other tax reliefs on donations.  Overall it estimates the cost to the exchequer of these tax reliefs ...

NAO report on Gift Aid: Evidence of a lack of evidence
21 November 2013
Today the first of three long awaited reports into charity regulation and tax reliefs was issued by the NAO. 

Digital giving and gift aid: Our response
27 September 2013
Gift Aid enthusiasts have had a lot to chew over the past few months, with proposals on the table from HMRC and the Treasury to make Gift Aid work better ...

The Gift Aid declaration - what's the big deal?
9 August 2013
The Gift Aid declaration has long been a prickly issue for charities tasked with squeezing it onto fundraising forms – and one we have spent countless hours debating with HMRC ...

BDO LLP
We understand what sets charitable organisations apart – creating social value, not profit. BDO's national charity team has a comprehensive knowledge of charity finance, which is why many of the ...

BHP Chartered Accountants
Ranked at number 17 in the top 40 firms of charity auditors in the UK by Charity Finance magazine, BHP’s charity and not for profit team excels in this sector.

Buzzacott
Over the past 50 years, we have taken a leading role in the development and promotion of best practice in the sector and now act for over 300 charity and ...

Goodman Jones
We help charities and social businesses by providing advice, support, and the reassurance that all the financial aspects are well-managed, allowing you to focus on your important work.

haysmacintyre
haysmacintyre is an award winning firm of chartered accountants and tax advisors, with 35 partners and over 300 staff. Our award winning charities and not for profit team is one ...

Moore Kingston Smith LLP
Kingston Smith can help you meet all these challenges by delivering a comprehensive range of services specially tailored for the not for profit sector including auditing, accountancy, VAT and fundraising.

PEM
PEM has been serving clients in Cambridge and the south east for over 140 years. Today we are the largest firm of accountants, tax and business advisers based in Cambridge, ...

PKF Littlejohn
Whatever the size of your charity, you want to work with a dedicated and enthusiastic team of people who have a thorough understanding of your world.

Saffery LLP
Saffery advises over 300 charities and other not-for-profit entities in the UK on tax, VAT and accounting issues, and provides audit and assurance services for many.

UHY Hacker Young LLP
The provision of professional services to the charity and not-for-profit (NFP) sector is one of the core areas we have built our business around at UHY and we are committed ...