How to give wisely to the causes you care about

If you’re keen on supporting a cause through a donation to charity, what should you check beforehand about the organisation?

Our past experiences often inspire us to donate money to a cause. We look at the steps you could take before you commit to donate, whether it’s to a local initiative, national charity or international organisation.

Identify your reasons for giving

Your chosen charity could be one that brings together your values, interests and the kind of change you want to see in the world. Explore popular giving websites to browse different categories of charities and causes that you could support.

The cause could be personal to you – like an education scheme that helped you when you were younger and are keen to support so that others can benefit. Or it could be related to an issue in the news, which you care about.

Or, the charity could centre around a health concern that might have affected you or a loved one. Think about what’s important to you, whether it’s education, health, medical research, animals, the environment or something else.

What to find out about a charity

Some areas you could research include:

1. Their goals and commitments

Explore the charity’s website – you should be able to learn more about its mission, vision, values, activities, achievements and challenges. The site should also feature annual reports, financial statements, policies and governance documents to show how they manage their money and operations.

2. How they compare with similar charities

Are there significant differences between different organisations’ goals and impacts? Some charity comparison websites feature feedback from experts and donors.

3. If they are registered with the Charity Commission

You can check the online database (Opens in new window) by searching by name, registration number or date or where the charity operates. You should also find information on their trustees, work, aims, finances and any actions the Charity Commission might have conducted.

4. If they are easy to contact

You could contact the charity directly and speak to someone about their work or request more information about their results and outcomes. An encouraging sign is a charity that places value on every individual supporter and donation no matter how small and is happy to speak to you.

5. Include charity giving in your budget

Once you’ve decided on the cause you would like to support, how much can you afford to donate? Regular monthly donations are common but you may opt for a one-off contribution or make it a larger annual donation.

Other things to note:

• Examine your monthly budget to help you come to an amount that’s comfortable for you
• Log your donation in your budget if it’s a regular outgoing
• When you donate, take advantage of Gift Aid to make sure it’s tax-efficient (Opens in new window)
• If there’s more than one cause you’re supporting, think about whether it’s worth setting up an annual budget for giving. You might want to leave some room for one-off donations like a charity run for example

Check with your employer to see if they support Payroll Giving (Opens in new window) This is a way of giving money to charity that is exempt from tax and is paid through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) from an employee’s wages or pension.

By doing some research around the causes and organisations that you would like to support, you may feel better prepared about giving something back.

With Chase, you can open extra current accounts in seconds, for free. Use them to spend from, pay bills with Direct Debits, budget and set aside money in a way that works best for you.

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Disclaimer: The Hub is intended as a knowledge portal to provide information on a range of topics, including financial products. Articles may reference products and services which Chase UK does not currently offer. This article is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future. We do not offer any tax advice.