How to maximise Gift Aid

Did you know that charities in the UK lose out on hundreds of millions of pounds every year on Gift Aid? Or that almost a quarter of eligible donors don’t take advantage of it?

That’s a whole lot of free money left on the table.

With inflation and the cost-of-living at an all-time high, every penny counts. But what can you do to ensure you’re maximising Gift Aid donations?

Before we tell you, here’s a quick primer.

Gift Aid is a government scheme that enables registered charities to reclaim income tax from the HRMC on donations made by UK taxpayers.

For a basic-rate taxpayer, this adds around 25% to the value of a gift. So, a £10 donation processed with Gift Aid becomes £12.50.

Simples.

Now you know what Gift Aid is, here are four things you can do to make the most of it.

1.     Train your staff

There are lots of rules and regs around Gift Aid. So, if you’re introducing the scheme to your organisation, staff and volunteers need to understand how it works.

To ensure everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet, organise a group training session.

If budget is an issue, there are loads of free resources online, such as this ‘Gift Aid - where to start‘ webinar.

If you need something more comprehensive, you can bring in the experts.

GAIN Gift Aid Consultancy run bespoke training sessions for charities.

2.     Educate your donors

Your staff may know about Gift Aid, but your donors may not. So, wherever you ask for donations, (your website, social media pages, emails, or direct mail campaigns), include a brief explanation of what Gift Aid is and how it’ll benefit the charity.

You can download free graphics and resources on the Charities Aid Foundation website.

3.     Ask in the right way

When broaching the subject of Gift Aid with donors, don’t lead with ‘are you a UK taxpayer?’. Some people may find it invasive and put their defences up. Instead, ask if they’d ‘like to help the charity make an extra 25%, at no additional cost’. You’ll get a much better response rate.

4.     Claim tax relief for previous year

If you forget to claim tax relief, or didn’t know you could, it’s not the end of the world. As long as you claim within four years of the end of the financial period you received the donations, HMRC will pay out.

Final Word

Maximising Gift Aid means more money for your cause, at no extra cost to your donors. It’s a win-win.

Looking for a Gift Aid-savvy fundraiser? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to find out how.

4 ways to promote your fundraising events for free

You’ve seen the news. The cost of living is soaring, and money is tight for everyone, including charities.

More than ever, you need to be smart about how you spend your money.

With this in mind, here are four ways to promote your fundraising events without spending a penny.

Get free ads from Google for charities

With 2.9 billion unique monthly visitors and 5 billion daily interactions, Google is a fantastic place to promote your fundraising events and reach potential donors. And Google Ads is a great way to do it. But it’s a costly business - unless you qualify for a Google Ad Grant.

Through the Google Ads Grant initiative, eligible charities can get over £7,500 of free Google ads each month.

To find out if your charity qualifies, check out the eligibility criteria and application process on the Google for Non-profits page.

Use the power of social media

Social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn have millions of users who go online every day. Being part of the groups and communities your target audience frequent can be a great way to market your events to a captive audience.

Just remember that there’s a difference between promoting and spamming. If all you do on social media is ask for donations, people will unfollow you.

Offer interesting, unique and/or valuable content and drip feed exciting details about your events online and you’ll soon see engagement rates soar.

Get media attention

Local newspapers are often hunting for stories. A community fundraising event can be a great page-filler. Depending on your cause or the type of event you’re running, there may also be specialist blogs or magazines that would be interested in promoting it.

Do your homework. Find relevant media outlets to approach, write an engaging press release and send them out in advance of your event.

Just bear in mind that free promotion isn’t guaranteed!

Don’t forget about email marketing

Did you know that email marketing, when applied correctly, is still one of the most effective ways to reach your audience and keep them engaged?

It’s an effective strategy for event promotion as its targeted, personalised and has a high ROI.

There are lots of free/low-cost email marketing tools that can help you create personalised, attention-grabbing emails to promote your events.

Want some recommendations? Mailchimp, HubSpot and Sender are three low cost, effective and user friendly options.

Tip: If you go down this route, be sure to keep on top of your mailing list. Make sure the data is accurate, up-to-date and It may be tedious, but it’s worth it.

No matter how much promotional work you do, your fundraising events will only be successful if you have the right team running them.

This is where we come in. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.

How to recruit and retain fundraising talent

It’s no secret that charities are struggling to recruit and retain fundraisers.

In a recent article, Third Sector claimed that as many as 53% of charities are trying to find staff for “hard-to-fill vacancies”.

But what’s causing the problem and what can you do to ensure you find (and hold onto) fundraising talent?

Let’s take a deep dive.

The problem

One reason why the charity sector is struggling comes down to maths. Quite simply, it can’t compete with public and private sector salaries. As attractive as charity work may be, the lower salaries make the work unfeasible for some – particularly in the wake of the cost-of-living crisis.

But aside from salary, another major factor in the current recruitment crisis is the impact of the pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19

The charity sector was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic. For almost two years, face-to-face fundraising was a no-go, events were put on hold, but demand was higher than ever.

The result? According to a report from the Charity Commission, 60% of charities saw a loss of income, 32% experienced a shortage of volunteers and over 90% experienced some negative impact, whether in their service delivery, finances, or staff morale, resulting from months of frustration and uncertainty.

To put it in context, between them, Cancer research and the National Trust reported a shortfall of more than £300m, according to a report released in October 2021.

Those are two of the biggest players in the charity sector, so what about smaller organisations?

According to Small Charities Data, the Covid-19 crisis ‘radically reshaped the work of small charities. Around half have had to adapt or reduce the way their services are delivered, and many unfunded charities have been unable to continue delivering services’.

The Great Resignation

The uncertainty, stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic (and multiple lockdowns) caused many people to re-evaluate their priorities, leading to staff quitting jobs en-masse in what has been dubbed ‘The Great Resignation’. Data suggests that as many as 391,000 UK workers resigned from jobs across all industries between July and September 2021, citing burnout, pandemic stress, low-pay, and poor management as reasons (amongst others).

As a result, people have become choosier about the jobs they apply for and the employers they work for.

What effect is this having on employers?

According to HR News, the Great Resignation affected 85% of UK businesses. 32% of employers said they’d struggled to attract new talent, whilst 31% have struggled to retain staff.

It’s not just the charity sector that has been affected, but increased competition is driving up salaries, and unlike corporate organisations, many charities can’t afford to throw another £10k on top of the advertised salary to boost appeal.

Volunteers Down

And it’s not only paid staff that are hard to come by. Volunteer levels have dropped by 24% in the last three years, with charity shop volunteers falling from over 100,000 in 2019, to around 76,000.

What’s the solution?

It’s not all doom and gloom. Sure, the statistics don’t paint a rosy picture but there are things you can do to turn it around.

Here are a few pointers.

Be flexible

At the top of many candidates' list of wants from an employer is flexibility. They want to be able to attend family get-togethers and watch their children in the school play. They don’t want to be constricted by 9-5 hours.

Allow your employees to take time out for important moments and they’ll be more willing to go above and beyond when needed. And be open to remote/hybrid working if the role allows. If you aren’t, you’ll lose high-calibre candidates to those employers who are.

Include all the perks in your job ads

Some of our clients offer great benefits, such as 10% non-contributory pensions, automatic annual salary increases, and various other perks that they don’t publicise.

What they don’t realise is these benefits could swing it for some candidates, who might otherwise dismiss the role out of hand.

Shout about all the perks on offer. It could make all the difference.

Consider the salary

Are you promoting a role at £39,500 and not attracting the calibre of candidates you want? Consider increasing it to £40k.

Milestones like £30k, £40k and £50k are important to jobseekers. If you’re struggling and the budget allows, round the salary up and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Change the job title

Job titles are important to people. For many, a job title is an important part of their identity - it’s a way to signal to their network and potential employers what they’ve done, what they know and how far they’ve come.

When it comes to career progression, the right job title can mean the difference between the candidate feeling valued.

If you don’t have the budget to increase their salary, can you improve their job title? Make a Trust Fundraiser a Senior Trust Fundraiser? This can be as meaningful as extra pennies in the bank at the end of the month.

Recognise achievements

Employees want to feel valued, respected and supported at work. So be sure to thank them for a job well done. You can take this a step further by acknowledging individual achievements publicly, in team meetings, on the intranet, or on your social media pages.

A little appreciation costs nothing but goes a long way.

Reward success

A lack of opportunities to progress is a common reason why people quit their jobs.

Ensure your team (and new recruits) know that there’s room to grow within your organisation, and that promotions are there for those willing to put in the work.

It’ll give them something to strive for, and a reason to stick around.

Health and wellbeing

A supportive working environment is one of the most important things you can provide, especially post-pandemic. Being there to listen to your staff and support their physical and mental wellbeing will keep morale and motivation high.

If you don’t have a health and wellbeing strategy in place, make it a priority.

Final Word

These are just a few ways charities can retain and recruit talented fundraisers in the current candidate-driven market.

Remember, we’re here to support your recruitment needs. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to get the conversation started.

5 ways to make your board more diverse

Let’s start with a question. How diverse is your charity’s board? Is it:

· Best in the un(d)iverse

· Board-erline diverse

· Diversi-teetotal

We love a good pun.

But seriously, have you considered the level of diversity on your board? How would you score it on a scale of one to ten?

A board with a mix of individuals from different social and cultural backgrounds is one with its finger on the pulse of the issues its service users face.

As stated in a 2021 Forbes article: “Diversity is closely related to community perceptions of a non-profit organisation’s equality image and the ideals of fairness. When non-profit boards do not reflect the diverse communities they serve, it creates a disconnect and can sew mistrust.”

With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of ways to make your board more diverse.

But first…

What is a board of directors?

A board of directors (or Trustees) is the governing body responsible for key decision-making within a charitable organisation. The board focuses on high-level strategy, insight, and accountability, to build and sustain long-term viability. Five ways to make your board more diverse That’s the definition. Now onto five things you can do to make your board more diverse. There are the practical steps, such as:

· Run a diversity audit

· Make a commitment to improve diversity · Put a policy in writing to ensure accountability

· Adapt your recruitment processes

These are important steps, but let’s dig a little deeper by looking at the groups currently underrepresented on charity boards, and why you should consider recruiting individuals from these communities.

1. Champion disability

According to government statistics, 22% of the UK population (14.6m people) have a disability. If charity boards were truly representative, the number of disabled trustees would be at a similar level. But this isn’t the case.

At Bamboo, we champion disability in the workplace, so this statistic is disheartening - especially considering that the mission of many charities is to support those with disabilities.

As an example, a charity that supports blind and visually impaired individuals would benefit from having at least one member of the board with lived experience.

Why? Because they’ll be able to provide a first-hand account of the challenges faced by service users.

It makes perfect sense, so why don’t more charities do this?

One charity that does this is our client, Sutton Vision, whose Chair and Trustee Champion for equality and access, Michael Parsons, frequently attends Sutton Vision events with his guide-dog.

2. Embrace the modern age

Technology has provided new fundraising opportunities and the ability to reach more people than ever before. But reaching them is only part of the journey. Engaging users with your charity’s mission is where the real work lies.

Did you know that 18-34’s are the largest active age group on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter? Did you also know that those in the 55-64 age bracket are 80% more likely to be appointed to a charity board than the aforementioned 18-34’s?

Being able to effectively communicate and engage with a range of demographics is nothing but beneficial to your organisation. An inter-generational board provides varied perspectives, skills and approaches that will help you reach a wider audience and increase donations.

3. Defy gender norms

Women account for 36% of charity trustees. I’m sure you’ll agree that this needs to be closer to 50% if charities are to truly represent the people they exist to serve.

Gender equality is a hot topic. Without sufficient female representation on your board, you lack the ability to authentically connect with more than half the UK population.

Our client, Population Matters, is a shining example of a gender-diverse board that possesses the skills and experience needed to run the charity successfully.

4. Be a class act

Social class and education are probably not the first things that spring to mind when thinking about board diversity and inclusion. But the fact is, most charity trustees come from above average income and education backgrounds.

A charity looking to tackle poverty and support low-income families is not representative of its service users if every board member is university educated and earning a wage well above that of the average UK citizen, right?

5. Ethnic ethics

Reports show ethnic minorities are severely under-represented on UK charity boards. In fact, a staggering 92% of trustees are white, compared to just 8% coming from black and Asian backgrounds.

With 14% of the population in England and Wales coming from non-white backgrounds, the lack of ethnic diversity needs to be tackled head-on if charities are to truly represent the communities they serve.

The Race Equality Foundation practices what it preaches, with a well-balanced board of trustees in terms of ethnic diversity.

Ready to diversify?

If you’re looking to expand and diversify your board, give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to find out how we can help.

4 tips to make your Christmas fundraising campaign sparkle

Can you believe that Christmas is just three short months away? Granted it’s not quite time to get out the fairy lights and crack open the Quality Street, but for those of you in the third sector, it’s time to get your Christmas fundraising campaigns in order.

‘Why?’ I hear you ask? Because research such as this from Enthuse Fundraising shows that 49% of the public are more likely to give to charities at Christmas than any other time of year.

You’d be ‘crackers’ to miss out on the opportunity to raise some festive funds.

Here are some top tips to get the creative juices flowing.

1.     Stir up emotions

John Lewis, the upmarket chain of department stores, have been spreading Christmas cheer with their beautiful, animated adverts since 2007. From “Monty the Penguin” to “The Bear and the Hare”, they’ve mastered the art of emotional storytelling, using strong narrative and spine-tingling music to pull at our heart strings. As a result, the John Lewis Christmas ads are the most anticipated

Their 2015 ad was no exception. Entitled "Man on the Moon", it followed the story of a young girl named Lily, as she watched an elderly man sitting all alone on the moon, through her telescope

After several failed attempts to make contact with the man, she finally manages to send him a telescope present using balloons.

It arrives just in time for Christmas and enabling him to look down on Earth and see Lily smiling back at him.

John Lewis partnered with Age UK for this tear-jerking campaign which was designed to raise awareness of loneliness among the elderly at Christmas.

And it did the job. Donations to Age UK sky-rocketed and the ad has gone down in history a one of John Lewis’ best.

You may not have a John Lewis sized budget, but you can take inspiration from their approach.  

If you can elicit an emotional response from your audience, you’re onto a winner.

These stats from Folajomi Ballo say it all.

2.     Make it topical

The FIFA World Cup is taking place in December... is there an opportunity to incorporate it into your festive fundraising campaign?

Sure, football might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Christmas, but football has been used to bring people together for a long time. Did you know for example that, during World War One, some of the troops held a truce on Christmas Day, and played a game of football in No Man’s Land?

3.     Target younger donors

When targeting donors, charities tend to focus on Gen X and Boomers. But not so much on Millennials and Gen Z/younger donors. Research shows that Gen Z are giving more than other generations, so it would be a mistake to overlook them this Christmas.

‘What’s the best way to reach Gen Z’ I hear you cry? One word – online.

Gen Z are digital natives, as are millennials, so to really succeed this Christmas, you’ll need to harness the power of the internet.

There are plenty of examples of great digital campaigns. But one of the most fascinating is the  Injustice Advent Calendar from Traidcraft Exchange: a 24-day long campaign where each day provides a short, shareable action to make a positive difference, from writing to your MP and signing petitions, to sending a thank you note to a key worker.

Instead of just asking for donations, people are invited to support the cause in other ways (and carry out free marketing for the charity at the same time by sharing their actions on social media). Genius!

4.     Be the gift

Virtual gifts are a great option for supporters who want to donate to their favourite charity whilst sending a meaningful gift. So why not give the people what they want?

If you go down this route, to make your gifts impactful, you need to add some context. For example, say you’re a health charity … rather than asking people for £15, tell them that £15 will buy lifesaving polio vaccines for 100 babies and suddenly they aren’t just donating £15, they’re buying 100 babies the most important Christmas gift they’ll ever receive.

You can take this a step further by ‘selling’ charity gifts. Essentially, you’re enabling people to make a donation to a good cause in someone else’s name.

Take domestic violence charity Refuge, for example. This year they are selling virtual gift parcels ranging in price. A £13 parcel will enable an expert to answer a call to someone fleeing domestic abuse, while £500 would keep one of their 43 refuges running for a whole day.

This is a great way to demonstrate the impact of each donation you receive.

Maybe there’s a skillset missing from your team? Maybe you need to grow your organisation to reach your fundraising potential? We can help you. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to find out how.