Skip the primary navigation if you do not want to read it as the next section.
Skip the main content if you do not want to read it as the next section.
As you evaluate your circumstances, consider your finances as well as other personal resources. As you review your financial situation, take account of the following questions. If you are not sure about the answers to any of them, you should contact your financial adviser. In any case, it is a good idea to talk to your financial adviser or lawyer if you are thinking about making a significant or long-term donation. It is also essential if you are contemplating such a donation as part of an overall approach to managing your financial affairs.
- How much money do you think you might be able to give? Over what period of time?
- Is this likely to be one lump sum (for example, from the sale of a company, a block of shares, or an inheritance)?
- Could you set aside a regular amount from your salary, fees or pension?
- Do you sometimes benefit from regular extra income, such as an annual bonus?
- How much do you think you will want to give in the future?
- Do you think you might want to leave some money to charities in your will?
- Would you like to make sure that your donations continue after your death?
- Are there time-sensitive tax considerations (such as giving shares to a charity to obtain tax relief on the gift in the current tax year) that influence your decision?
Based on what you want to support and your financial situation – and how you can give tax efficiently – determine what giving mechanisms are most appropriate. For example, you might consider the following options:
- Setting up a private or family charitable trust
- Giving through an intermediary, such as a venture philanthropy fund or a community development finance institution (CDFI)
- Outsourcing the administration by establishing a named fund at a community foundation or setting up a charity account
- Setting up a mechanism through which you can make cross-border gifts
For tax and legal advice that addresses your own needs and circumstances, please contact your professional adviser.
© Copyright 2009 Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF)
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided in A Guide to Giving is current at the time of publication (December 2009), but the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) cannot guarantee its accuracy. Furthermore, there may have been subsequent changes to legislation, policy and/or to tax bands and rates. If you are considering any investment you should seek appropriate professional advice. This guide is not intended to replace professional advice on particular investments or the manner in which tax relief is applied under any scheme, and you should not rely on it for such purposes. You are responsible for your own tax and financial affairs and so should seek independent advice. ACF can not accept responsibility for the investment choices you make.
Views expressed in A Guide to Giving are not necessarily those of Philanthropy UK or the Association of Charitable Foundations.
Coutts & Co is not responsible for the content of A Guide to Giving, and the content does not constitute any advice whatsoever from Coutts & Co. The case studies and profiles within the Guide are not necessarily clients of Coutts & Co. Coutts & Co shall not be liable for any loss whatsoever arising from your reliance on any information produced in the Guide.
