Make #GivingTuesday the day you sign up to Workplace Giving
01 Dec 2014
As part of #GivingTuesday, Workplace Giving UK will add an extra £10 to your first donation when you join for the first time between 1 and 5 December 2014
Established in the US in 2012, #GivingTuesday provides a charitable alternative to the start of the Christmas shopping season, a time for people to begin the festive season with a day of giving and making a commitment to charity.
Staff and students at the University already give generous time and support to a range of initiatives and there are a wide range of examples at our making a difference blog.
The Workplace Giving Scheme is one of two examples of initiatives that staff are already supporting – and where we are encouraging more to get involved (the other is our School Governor Intiative). Recently re-launched, this scheme enables staff to give to charities direct from their pay.
This is the only method of giving that allows a charity to receive the full taxable amount automatically every month. Many people donating do not realise that Gift Aid is capped at 20% tax relief and many charities do not have the resources to claim this back: as a result nearly £900 million is lost in tax each year.
Donating through Workplace Giving will also makes donations go further: a monthly gift of £10 from take-home pay is boosted to £16.66 for a 40% rate tax payer and to £12.50 for a basic rate taxpayer.
By raising the profile and benefits of Workplace Giving, we have already seen a doubling of the number of staff donating to their favourite charities as they have become more aware of their giving options.
Professor James Thompson, Associate Vice-President for Social Responsibility, said: “Workplace Giving is a simple and easy way to enable positive social change and give something back. Charities are still being hit by the recession and being able to give a few pounds through your pay ensures your charity maximises its funds so that they can invest more in the areas of concern locally, nationally and internationally.
"On #GivingTuesday it’s worthwhile remembering that whatever form of giving we choose - whether it’s our time or our money - our collective effort contributes to positive changes in our local and global communities."
Make a difference by signing up to make contributions through Workplace Giving to any charity you wish to support:
- Visit Workplace Giving
or - Via the apps at iTunes or Google Play
Further information
For more details about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit: