New from Parliament

The Small Charitable Donations Bill has provided a welcome boost for charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs).

Key changes to the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme mean that the administrative burden for charities and CASCs will be reduced, and they will also provide additional benefits for charities connected with community buildings.

Charities operating from a community building will now be able to benefit from Gift Aid on donations collected away from that building. And charities receiving a small donations income of £5,000 will be able to claim a top up of £2,000 in Gift Aid payments.

New from donors

Fewer people carrying cash with them means that charities need to concentrate more on ‘phone payments, a recent survey has showed.

In the UK, 37% of adults carry £10 or less cash in their wallets, while 15% of those in the 25-34 age group carry no cash at all. This is a reduction from 2013 when only 5% of UK adults carried no money at all.

2015 was the first year in which cash was used for less than half the payments made by consumers.

This research highlights the need for charities to make use of mobile ‘phone giving, especially in the under-40 age group.

Although many people, especially in the 60+ age group, do not have e-mail or access to the internet, the use of mobile ‘phones is increasing and charities need to use this not only as a fundraising tool but also as a means of keeping in regular contact with their donors.