Collecting your sponsorship
There are two ways for you to collect sponsorship, you can either:
- Create your own online sponsorship homepage by clicking here - you'll be able to send emails to supporters, check your fundraising totals, and customise your page with videos, pictures, and text.
- Download a paper form; see below for details.
However you decide to collect your sponsorship make sure you are aware of the benefits of Gift Aid by reading the section below.
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid allows charities to claim back the tax that has already been paid by sponsors as income or capital gains tax. This means that Helen & Douglas House gets an extra 25p for every £1 donated by a UK tax payer and an additional 3p per £1 of transitional relief from the government.
For example, if you raised £1,000 and get all your sponsors to 'Gift Aid' their donations, Helen & Douglas House could claim an extra £280!
How does it work?
Anyone can make a Gift Aid donation as long as they are a UK taxpayer.
Once the donation has been received, Helen & Douglas House then claim the tax back from the Inland Revenue. This does not cost the donor anything at all, and any amount can be gift aided.
However, we can't claim Gift Aid for couples; we need the name of one or both of the tax payers in order to claim Gift Aid.
How do I go about it?
All you have to do is ensure that your sponsors tick the Gift Aid box on the sponsor form, as well as filling in their full home address and post code (a work address, or 'ditto' marks will mean we cannot claim Gift Aid). You should then send the forms (or copies of them) to us with your donation.
Can everyone's donation be 'Gift Aided'?
Most donations can be 'Gift Aided' as long as:
- it is a single donation (i.e. not the proceeds from a raffle or sale);
- the person making the donation is a UK taxpayer and has paid sufficient tax to cover the tax we can claim on the donation;
- the sponsor agrees to notify Helen & Douglas House if their circumstances change and they do not qualify for Gift Aid or they no longer wish the charity to claim the tax back on future donations;
Are there any exceptions?
For sponsored events, there can be some restrictions on which sponsorship donations can be Gift Aided. Sponsorship payments cannot be Gift Aided if:
- The fundraiser is receiving a ‘substantial benefit’ from taking part in the event; i.e. a flight overseas for a sponsored event, or an incentive for fundraising;
AND
- The donor is a ‘connected person’ to the fundraiser - the wife or husband; a relative (e.g. brother, sister), ancestor (e.g. mother) or lineal descendant (e.g. grandson); the wife or husband of a relative; a company under the control of the donor, or under control of connected persons.
You can download a general sponsorship form here, or one specifically for events where the restrictions outlined above apply, here.
