Geared for Giving |

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I think my travels have opened my eyes to the way some of the world treats the rest of the world… read more
Vicki Graham
Customer Service Officer
AECOM

Vicki says…

I give £5 each month to Amnesty International because they touch on issues I feel strongly about, like personal freedoms and human rights. I think my travels have informed my view and opened my eyes to the way some of the world treats the rest of the world.

A lot of people I know give to children’s causes or animal welfare, for example, which is great. I reckon half my friends must be running marathons or climbing mountains for medical research.

I wanted my gift to go somewhere with a different compass. I think everyone has to find his or her own connections.

A colleague came round at work to see if anyone was interested in charitable giving. I knew I wanted to find another cause to support and I knew my money would go further donated direct from my salary because the income tax otherwise payable on my £5 gift goes to Amnesty instead of the tax man.

I think it's a sign of a good employer if they have a scheme like this so staff can give to charity… read more
Lennox Kaminski
Delivery Team
Delice de France

Lennox says…

This has got to be the best way to give to charity because what you give is tax free. The charity you choose gets more money automatically on top of what you give. I don’t think there can be another situation where the tax man gives away something for nothing like that.

What I like about it is there’s no hassle. You don’t get stopped in the street and you don’t have to fill in a direct debit form.

Your employer does the paper work. I think it’s a sign of a good employer if they have a scheme like this so staff can give to charity.

Being happy at work isn’t just about money and mates. If you feel good at work then you feel good about everything. I don’t think it matters how much you give. You can give a lot or a little – either way your money goes further because it’s tax free.

It’s definitely a good thing if your employer offers this scheme – it tells you something about their attitude… read more
Daniel Taylor
Floor Manager
H&M

Daniel says…

While I was at our Brent Cross store someone came round and explained all about the scheme and asked which charity I might want to support.

I decided to support a charity that maybe wasn’t quite as well known as some of the others. It’s great that you get to choose.

I give £5 every month to Refuge. They help women and children who are suffering from domestic violence. I think that’s a good cause to support.

Personally, I would rather give than receive, but everyone has to make up his or her own mind. There are lots of people who aren’t as well off, so I tend to think ‘we’re the lucky ones’. But I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.

It’s definitely a good thing if your employer offers this scheme – it tells you something about their attitude. I think all companies should have it.

Because I’m a higher rate tax payer, my charity actually gets £10 for every £6 I give. That’s the really good bit… read more
Lisa Condron
Company Secretary
London Stock Exchange

Lisa says…

At the end of each year I get asked how I want to spend my flexible benefits. So I scroll down a list of on-screen options and select charitable giving. Simple.

It was important to me I choose a charity that meant something to me personally. I had a grandparent who died of bowel cancer so I opted to make a donation each month to Bowel and Cancer Research.

Giving to charity direct from your salary is tax free. And because I’m a higher rate tax payer, my charity actually gets £10 for every £6 I give.

We all have our lists of things to do, don’t we? I guess none of us goes around with charitable giving at front of mind each day. But, yes, I’m grateful I’m in a position to do something positive. It’s great to be able to make a difference – especially when it’s this easy to support a good cause.

To deliver life changing services we need regular donations, which is why Workplace Giving is so important to us… read more
Leslie Morphy
Chief Executive
CRISIS

Leslie says…

Homelessness is about more than having somewhere to sleep; a home provides roots, identity, security, a sense of belonging and a place of emotional well-being.

Our services are designed to help people by providing opportunities to regain confidence, build basic skills and to progress into further education and employment. Crisis offers sustainable routes out of homelessness towards a more secure future.

Crisis is in many ways a traditional charity: we rely largely on voluntary donations and receive little support from the public sector; without the generosity of our supporters none of our work would be possible.

Workplace Giving provides an invaluable source of income and a fantastic opportunity for people to make these donations simply and tax effectively. I would urge more employers to support the Geared for Giving campaign.

The amount every month doesn’t hurt me much – but it gives you a good feeling that you’re helping other people… read more
Chris Dunphy
Customer Service Officer
Clydesdale Bank

Chris says…

Each month I give £5 direct from my salary to the British Heart Foundation. The bank matches our personal donations pound for pound so my £5 become £10. This means the British Heart Foundation gets £10 which only only costs me £4.

I like supporting my chosen charity in such an easy way. There are heart problems in some of my family, so I want to give something back to this charity for making a difference to the people close to me.

The amount every month doesn’t hurt me much – but it gives you a good feeling that you’re helping other people.

Not long after I joined the bank a lady came round and explained to me about giving in the workplace and I signed up. Hopefully we can get more people to join in if we can make the benefits more noticeable at work.

...if there were a simple way to show your commitment to making a difference, to changing the world for the better?

What if you could act alongside colleagues who share your values about the importance of community, environment and quality of life for all?

There is a way to influence social and consumer change, to help companies play their full part in building the kind of world you can believe in. Companies like yours. Like the one you belong to.

It's called Geared for Giving.

Are you Geared for Giving?

Are you an employer or an employee?

Employer or employee, Geared for Giving is a mark of what you stand for.

Being Geared for Giving means taking an informed decision about Workplace Giving. It's all about giving to good causes at work, direct from your salary. Any charity, any cause. Your chosen charity receives your donation tax free. So what you give could go up to 40% further. It means some 390,000 charities in the UK could be a whole lot better off.

Are you among the 70% of people in the UK who give to charity? Did you know over £900m is lost by UK charities each year - vital funds that wouldn't be lost if donations were made via Workplace Giving? It's quite simply the best way to give.

Employee or employer, shouldn't you be Geared for Giving? Read more

Being Geared for Giving is a mark of what your organisation stands for.

Is yours the kind of company that cares deeply about its public reputation? Does your business plan take account of growing numbers of employees, consumers and other stakeholders who believe it's vital for companies to act ethically?

More and more enlightened employers recognise and acknowledge the benefits of being Geared for Giving. Are you one of them? Read more

Are you among the 70% of people in the UK who give to charity? More and more of us are choosing to play our part alongside others in shaping positive change.

More and more of us are also choosing, as employees and consumers, to give our loyalty to organisations and brands with a positive story to tell.

More and more of us are choosing to be Geared for Giving.

Being Geared for Giving means taking an informed decision about Workplace Giving. It's all about giving to good causes at work, direct from your salary. Any charity, any cause. Read more

Nick Hurd MP

Minister for Civil Society

“I'm thrilled that 1 million more people have access to the scheme, but why stop there? 9 million employees still don't use Workplace Giving, so I'd like to encourage even more people to sign up - let's transform giving in the work place.”

Martin Lewis

MoneySavingExpert.com

“While charity tins are all very well, sadly it's not tax efficient – you could give more at lower cost. With charity funds being hit across the country due to the recession, we all need to get behind every venture that encourages people to give, give easily and give efficiently. A few quid a month off the payroll is an easy way to automate giving and ensure that the charity gets the maximum tax gain too”