CRA - Charities - Policy and Guidance - Fundraising by Registered Charities - Guidance

CRA - Charities - Policy and Guidance - Fundraising by Registered Charities - Guidance: Fundraising by Registered Charities
Guidance

Reference number
CG-013

Issued
April 20, 2012

This guidance updates and replaces the previous version of Guidance CPS-028, Fundraising by Registered Charities.

Tax relief cap would discourage leading philanthropist from donating in the UK

Tax relief cap would discourage leading philanthropist from donating in the UK: Balwant Singh, chief executive of Kusuma Trust UK, says its founder would be discouraged from donating even though he does not benefit from tax relief

One of the UK’s leading philanthropists and his peers would be discouraged from donating money in the UK because of the government’s planned tax relief cap, according to the chief executive of his UK foundation.

Ex-NKF CEO repays $4m debt owed to charity

Ex-NKF CEO repays $4m debt owed to charity: With a final payment of $250,000, a chapter of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) saga, which involves former chief executive T.T. Durai and three former officials, comes to a close.

Mr Durai has repaid in full the $4.05 million he owed the charity, reported The Sunday Times. To avoid bankruptcy, the disgraced ex-CEO had agreed to pay the debt in instalments.

Global News | Foreign dollars a ‘minute segment’ of Canadian charities’ budgets

Global News | Foreign dollars a ‘minute segment’ of Canadian charities’ budgets: Figures provided to Global News from the Canada Revenue Agency show that out of 84,176 charities, only 2,014 reported receiving funding from foreign sources in the fiscal year ending in 2010.
The Conservative government first expressed its concern about how much money Canadian charities were getting from abroad in January when hearings for the $5.5-billion Northern Gateway Pipeline were about to begin.

15 tips to increase charitable giving in higher education | Higher Education Network | Guardian Professional

15 tips to increase charitable giving in higher education | Higher Education Network | Guardian Professional: 15 tips to increase charitable giving in higher education

Our live chat on 'the future of philanthropy in higher education' covered the ways fundraising can contribute to university funding. Here, we sum up the advice from our panel

Politics and charity only mix in a handful of cases, tax returns show - Winnipeg Free Press

Politics and charity only mix in a handful of cases, tax returns show - Winnipeg Free Press: A Canadian Press analysis of the Canada Revenue Agency's charities database found 450 of the 85,000 charities registered in Canada reported spending money on political activities. That's less than one per cent of all charities.

It is possible the actual number could be higher, since charities self-report to the CRA.

Still, the finding that so few charities spend money politicking raises questions about the Conservatives' motivation for further restricting these activities.

'Chuggers' are driving shoppers away from the high street | This is Bath

'Chuggers' are driving shoppers away from the high street | This is Bath: Street fundraisers, who hassle people into giving their bank details, are driving shoppers from the high street, a survey of local authorities has revealed.

Councils are calling for updated powers to clamp down on so-called 'chuggers' – also known as 'charity muggers' – who often use aggressive tactics to obtain donations.

Charity foundations demands more transparency|Politics|chinadaily.com.cn

Charity foundations demands more transparency|Politics|chinadaily.com.cn: BEIJING - China's government put a draft regulation asking charities to regularly publish financial reports and tighten internal management up for public review on Tuesday.

The document, drafted by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, requires charity foundations to regularly publish detailed reports on donations and expenditure after a charity project starts.

Cap on tax relief is fairest way to tackle deficit, says Treasury Secretary - Civil Society - Finance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Cap on tax relief is fairest way to tackle deficit, says Treasury Secretary - Civil Society - Finance - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: he controversial cap on tax relief for charitable giving is part of a fair scheme to help ease the UK’s national debt, Economic Secretary to the Treasury Chloe Smith told an audience of charity representatives and tax specialists yesterday.

Speaking at the Charity Tax Group’s Tax Conference 2012 in London, Smith outlined the government’s justification for the move, and fielded questions from a keen audience.

Exciting times for philanthropy in Brazil | Latest from Alliance

Exciting times for philanthropy in Brazil | Latest from Alliance: It is evident that philanthropy in Brazil is playing a big part in creating positive change.

Philanthropy has cast off ‘charity’ as its organizing principle and adopted ‘social investment’. This is defined by Fernando Rossetti, CEO of GIFE, as ‘the voluntary giving of private resources in a planned, monitored, and systematic manner for social, cultural and environmental projects of public interest’. The consequence is that philanthropy is a key driver of change in the country, and able to talk both to government and to private corporations as equals.

How charities can improve their nurturing of high-net-worth individuals | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional

How charities can improve their nurturing of high-net-worth individuals | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional: The furore over the cap on personal tax relief for charitable donations introduced in last month's budget continues unabated. The third sector has opposed the government's plans vehemently. If unchanged, Osborne's latest budget could reverse years of work (ironically lead by the government itself) to get the wealthiest among us to be more philanthropic.

To create a larger culture of philanthropy among top earners the government needs to facilitate and encourage donations through tax relief and other benefits. However, the other side of the coin is that the third sector itself must also get better at soliciting and acknowledging gifts from high-net worth individuals.

Sector criticises 'scaling back' of the Giving Summit

Sector criticises 'scaling back' of the Giving Summit: Event planned for Natural History Museum will be very different from the one outlined in the Giving White Paper, says the NCVO's Karl Wilding

Voluntary sector umbrella bodies have criticised what they see as a scaling back of the government’s Giving Summit, due to take place on 8 May.

The Cabinet Office’s Giving White Paper, published last May and launched at an event by David Cameron, the Prime Minister, set out plans for a Giving Summit to take place that autumn.

Students ask whether philanthropy still exists in Leeds | UK news | guardian.co.uk

Students ask whether philanthropy still exists in Leeds | UK news | guardian.co.uk: Students ask whether philanthropy still exists in Leeds

Is there any truth in the old jokes and clich�s about tight-fisted Tykes? Visit Leeds City Museum today to see what a group of young historians from Leeds University have found out. Mark O'Brien reports

Does your charity have sufficient measures in place to counteract fraud? | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional

Does your charity have sufficient measures in place to counteract fraud? | Voluntary Sector Network | Guardian Professional: Does your charity have sufficient measures in place to counteract fraud?

Recent research into charity fraud revealed that more than half of the respondents think the Bribery Act will not affect them



Marcus McCaffrey
Guardian Professional, Wednesday 18 April 2012 01.30 EDT
Article history

Judges wearing wigs and robes
Does your charity have effective measures in place to protect it against fraud? Or could it be at risk of falling foul of the law? Photograph: Sang Tan/AP

Charities have rarely faced such a difficult funding environment. A combination of increasing regulation and bureaucracy, coupled with the gloomy economic climate, means that for most charities, managing finances is tougher than ever.

At the same time, demand for their services is increasing and competition for donations is intensifying. Charities are having to find new ways to deliver their services, such as using more volunteers and co-operating with new partners.

It is a double whammy that is putting unprecedented strains on charities' resources and leaving them particularly exposed to the dangers and risks of fraud.

FRSB upholds telephone fundraising complaint against Unicef UK

FRSB upholds telephone fundraising complaint against Unicef UK: Jon Sparkes, the charity's chief operating officer, says it accepts the ruling and has reviewed its procedures

The Fundraising Standards Board has upheld a complaint about Unicef UK’s telephone fundraising after the charity repeatedly telephoned someone who had asked it not to do so.

Collaborative Impact for New Philanthropy’s Demands � Blog � NetHope

Collaborative Impact for New Philanthropy’s Demands � Blog � NetHope: Global Philanthropy Forum’s President and co-Founder Jane Wales said in Forbes that new philanthropists want to affect positive social change by whatever means is most effective, most ethical and most enduring. They take on large problems and seek system-wide change.

Forbes India Magazine - The Real Benefits Of Capitalism

Forbes India Magazine - The Real Benefits Of Capitalism: Redistributing 1 percent or 2 percent of net profits through philanthropy will never fully meet India’s needs. Only leveraging the true potential of capitalism can solve our society’s most critical problems—that is, through business initiatives that create shared value by delivering profits while also serving society.

‘Philanthropy academy’ to teach Third Se... JPost - National News

‘Philanthropy academy’ to teach Third Se... JPost - National News: A first-of-its-kind academic institution focused on boosting Israel’s non-profit sector by improving its philanthropic and fund-raising capabilities is set to open its doors at the end of this month.

'Golden age' of museums threatened by Chancellor - Home News - UK - The Independent

'Golden age' of museums threatened by Chancellor - Home News - UK - The Independent: Two-thirds of Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs oppose
George Osborne's "charity tax", a poll revealed last night as the
Government prepared for a partial retreat over plans to cap tax
relief on major donations

Tories Pressure Osborne for Reversal of Charity Tax-Cap Plans - Businessweek

Tories Pressure Osborne for Reversal of Charity Tax-Cap Plans - Businessweek: Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne came under growing pressure from fellow Tories to revise plans to cap U.K. tax relief for high earners that charities and universities say will discourage donations.

The charity row intensifies | The Spectator

The charity row intensifies | The Spectator: David Cameron finds himself in the midst of a blue-on-blue barney over the charity tax, which has prompted rumours that ministers may dilute the current proposals by adopting an American-style legacy deal. Tory party treasurer Lord Fink has said that the proposed changes would ‘put people off giving’, and some boisterous Conservative MPs are openly challenging the leadership. Zac Goldsmith has penned a diatribe in the Mail on Sunday in which he says:

Charity tax relief cap under fire as philanthropists warn of funding crisis - Telegraph

Charity tax relief cap under fire as philanthropists warn of funding crisis - Telegraph: Philanthropists warned the Government’s proposed restrictions put the future of its own policies on academy schools and culture at risk. One leading figure said it represented a hammer blow to the Prime Minister’s “Big Society” philosophy.

The mounting campaign for a complete u-turn on the Budget measures was joined by members of two of the country’s wealthiest families, the Gettys and the Sainsburys, individual philanthropists who between them control hundreds of millions of pounds in funds, some with links to Prince Charles.

Tax on philanthropy is another Coalition own goal | Herald Scotland

Tax on philanthropy is another Coalition own goal | Herald Scotland: The Coalition Government could hardly have got it more wrong.

In their zeal to tidy up anomalies in the tax system they have already upset pensioners with the "granny tax" and caused ludicrous argument over the temperature of sausage rolls by imposing VAT on hot food. Now they have put charities at risk of losing hundreds of millions of pounds by alienating many of the country's most generous supporters of good causes.

Former philanthropy ambassador urges government to drop cap on tax relief | Third Sector

Former philanthropy ambassador urges government to drop cap on tax relief | Third Sector: Home �
News �
Former philanthropy ambassador urges government to drop cap on tax relief

Former philanthropy ambassador urges government to drop cap on tax relief

By Andy Ricketts, Third Sector Online, 11 April 2012

Dame Stephanie Shirley says the plans to cap relief for charitable giving are "vague and ill-considered"

Dame Stephanie Shirley, the former philanthropy ambassador, has called on the government to abandon the "naive and ill-considered" proposals to place a cap on tax reliefs for charitable giving.

Trio's epic cycle ride for donkey charity | This is Leicestershire

Trio's epic cycle ride for donkey charity | This is Leicestershire: hree friends are to cycle 1,000km across Japan to raise money for an international donkey charity.

Shane Herbert, Mick Lay and Marc Johnston, of Braunstone, Leicester, are in training for the challenging ride from Tokyo to Hiroshima.

Sector 'needs a plan B on tax relief cap' - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits

Sector 'needs a plan B on tax relief cap' - Civil Society - Fundraising - News - providing news and in-depth coverage of charities, voluntary organisations and not-for-profits: The voluntary needs to be mindful of the “political reality” of the tax relief cap and come up with an alternative plan that is palatable to both the government and the sector, charity tax expert Richard Bray said last night.

Bray, who is technical director at Cancer Research UK and co-chair of the technical subgroup at Charity Tax Group, was addressing an Institute of Fundraising Special Interest Group seminar on the issue of the tax relief cap.

Wealthy are giving to near-dormant charities to avoid tax, PM spokesman says

Wealthy are giving to near-dormant charities to avoid tax, PM spokesman says: Statement comes in the face of mounting criticism of the proposed cap on tax relief for large donations

Wealthy individuals are avoiding tax by giving to charities that do little charitable work, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said yesterday.

He was speaking in defence of a Budget decision that, from April 2013, tax relief will be given only on donations that, including Gift Aid, are under �50,000 or 25 per cent of a person’s income, whichever is higher.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said that some individuals were exploiting the reliefs to reduce their tax burden.

Linking CSR with corporate values critical to success | Executive | Financial Post

Linking CSR with corporate values critical to success | Executive | Financial Post: More and more companies embark on corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs. And why not? Customers like it, and perhaps even more importantly, so do employees. There’s evidence both here and in the U.S. that people – especially younger people – want to work for organizations that care about the way they impact or contribute to society. What’s more, CSR programs can be an important tool when you’re looking to align your culture with your strategy.

No charity with this new tax | Herald Sun

No charity with this new tax | Herald Sun: The Herald Sun strongly opposes the introduction of the tax, and we will continue to expose the unnecessary burdens it is blanketing over much of our society.

Prime Minister Gillard should not expect any charity from voters when they finally get to judge her at the polls for foisting such an unacceptable millstone on Australians in difficult times.