Making your Gifts go Further

One in eight of us (13%) is considering cutting back on charitable giving due to the cost-of-living crisis (Source: CAF UK Giving Report 2022). And understandably so. Yet the charities we partner with face rising operating costs coupled with increasing demand for their services. As your favourite causes tackle these twin pressures, it’s more important than ever to ensure your charitable giving goes as far as possible. How can you do this, especially at a time when your own household budget is shrinking? 

1. Gift Aid it 

Gift Aid boosts the value of your gift by 25%, at no additional cost to you. Yet HMRC estimates that around £560m of Gift Aid goes unclaimed each year (Source: HM Revenue and Customs Research Report 482 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charitable-giving-and-gift-aid-research).  Why not double-check that you’ve ticked the Gift Aid box? 

If you’re a higher or additional rate taxpayer, you can personally claim back a further 25% or 31.25% respectively, of the value of your charitable giving. HMRC’s research found that only 22% of higher or additional rate taxpayers were claiming this relief, with many believing it would take too much time or effort to claim. However, if you organise all your giving using your Stewardship account, you can easily find the information you’ll need to claim your relief in your tax return.   

If you pay tax through PAYE, you can even ask HMRC to amend your tax code so that you benefit from higher/additional rate relief throughout the year rather than reclaiming a lump sum at the end. 

Remember, you must pay enough income or capital gains tax in the current tax year to cover all Gift Aid reclaimed on your charitable giving.  

2. Review how much you’re giving 

Now might be a good time to review the level of your charitable giving. In real terms, your account balance and giving will be falling in line with the current UK inflation rate of 9.1%, the highest level for 40 years. If you are able, you might like to consider countering this effect by increasing either or both by that amount. 

If you’ve been blessed with a surplus, why not consider passing on the saving from the Government’s £400 energy rebate to help those who are struggling? 

3. Commit to regular support 

Regular monthly or quarterly gifts help our charity partners to budget with confidence in these uncertain times. Committed long-term support is particularly important for ministries which spend a high proportion of their budget on staff; without strong regular support, these charities will have to hold high levels of reserves to ensure they can pay their employees. 

4. Put your balance to work 

You might have built up a balance in your account, through one-off gifts or through reclaimed Gift Aid. Might this be the moment to release some of that balance to support your favourite causes at a time of crisis?  

We can also help facilitate suggestions from our Donor Advised or Philanthropy Fund clients to provide matched funding.  

The potential Kingdom impact of cash held in your Giving Account is declining. If you hold a Donor Advised or Philanthropy Fund, why not consider allocating some or all your account balance into one of our three Investment Portfolios, which you can set up easily via your online account.   

You can even use your balance to support Stewardship's Cost of Living Response Fund. 

Get in touch 

We’d love to help you make your giving go further. 

For Giving Account holders: T: 020 8502 8560 E: [email protected] 

For Donor Advised Fund or Philanthropy Fund holders: T: 020 8418 8896 E: [email protected]