Understanding The Red Tape Around Gift Aid

In theory, Gift Aid is simple to understand once you know how it works. But like changing your Facebook privacy settings, understanding the rules behind Gift Aid can turn it from a simple concept to a legislation nightmare. At GoodBox, we firmly believe that donating to good causes should be simple. So to make Gift Aid rules and regulations as clear and coherent as possible, we’ve put together easy-to-follow guidance on the legislation around it for every type of organisation. To kick it off, let’s cover on what types of payments and donations you cannot claim Gift Aid.

When you cannot claim Gift Aid on:

• • Payments for goods and services, including tickets to a fundraising event or entry fee for a sponsored sport event
  • Donations of money from a company
  • Gifts made on behalf of other people, for example, a membership subscription paid on behalf of somebody else
  • Donations with conditions about repayment
  • Donations that come with a condition that the charity has to buy goods or services from the donor
  • When there is a ‘minimum donation’ so the donor has no choice about the amount of payment
  • Donations made using ‘charity vouchers’ or ‘charity cheques’
  • Any donations you received before the date HMRC accepted your organisation as a CASC (community amateur sports club) or a charity for tax purposes

Aside from these rules there is also Gift Aid rules and regulations for different organisations, such as companies, charities and churches. As pioneers in the world of digital fundraising, we work with all of these organisations to increase the impact of their fundraising.

It all began with our contactless donation boxes and units that allow organisations to fundraise using our tap-to-give technology. But we’re constantly exploring new ways technology can improve how we fundraise. That’s why we partnered with Swiftaid to help the organisations we work with, such as charities and churches, to automate their Gift Aid claims on digital donations. Because of this, we understand how easy it is for organisations to get bogged down in the nitty-gritty of Gift Aid. Which is why we’ve created individual guides on the Gift Aid rules and regulations for charities, churches and companies.

Gift Aid For Companies

As we all know, being a good business is good for business. That’s why CSR has become so popular! Gift Aid is a great way for companies to do their bit and donate to a good cause without needing to organise monthly work fundraisers. Although if you need office fundraising ideas, we can help with those too with our Forget dress-down Fridays, it’s time for Fundraising Fridays guide. Check out our guide on the Gift Aid Rules For Companies to find out how your organisation can make more of an impact with Gift Aid.

Gift Aid For Charities

Charities often raise money for their cause in a variety of ways. This means there is a range of channels which charities can claim Gift Aid on. However, in order to qualify for Gift Aid, the donations have to meet certain criteria. Read our guide on the Gift Aid Rules For Charities to ensure you’re not missing a trick when it comes to making the most out of your fundraising.

Gift Aid For Churches

At GoodBox, we’ve helped various religious organisations make the most out of their fundraising. From helping Abu Bakr Masjid (ABM), one of the largest mosques in Reading, increase their donations by 25% to creating our custom-made church donation device the GoodPlate for contactless church fundraising. We help organisations of all sizes optimise their religious fundraising so they can collect more donations from their dedicated supporter base. This includes helping churches and religious organisations implement Gift Aid software into their fundraising. To ensure you’re ticking all the boxes when it comes to Gift Aid rules for churches, read our helpful guide on Gift Aid For Churches.

Want to take full advantage of the latest fundraising methods? Whatever type of organisation you are, we’re here to help you modernise your fundraising. From Gift Aid to tap-to-donate devices for contactless fundraising, here at GoodBox we’ve made it our mission to ensure charities, churches and companies can raise funds for good causes using the latest technology. Get in touch with our expert team to find out how you can make more of an impact with GoodBox.