Charities highlight financial risk of Work Programme to MPs
9 Feb 2012
Baroness Stedman-Scott, chief executive of Tomorrow’s People, has said her charity, which is sub-contracted on...
A Conservative government would focus on increasing giving, rather than gift aid reform, to boost voluntary income to charities, the shadow charities minister said yesterday.
Nick Hurd told a meeting of senior fundraisers that while gift aid was “a priority”, he said “the question is whether taxpayer money is best spent on just maximising yield from existing donations or if taxpayer money is better spent bringing in a whole new [area of] philanthropy”.
Not laying out any specific plans to encourage greater numbers of people to donate, Hurd reiterated Conservative policy on “Broken Britain” and the need to boost social responsibility and civic engagement as potentially leading to more philanthropic activity among the general public.
“Incentives for giving in this country are relatively generous,” said Hurd.
He told the Institute of Fundraising’s Ready for the Recovery conference in London that in the short-term a Conservative government would prioritise reducing money and time spent by charities in processing gift aid. While the push for the opt-out system is “entirely plausible” he said that opt-out would itself pose problems for donors and charities.
Committing to reviewing gift aid soon after any possible Conservative win in the predicted May poll, Hurd expressed a preference for exploring composite rates, such as those considered in a Treasury report released in December.
Hurd said his Labour counterpart, Angela Smith, often cites a lack of sector consensus on what to do with gift aid and challenged the sector to get its act together on reaching consensus and communicating the scheme better to donors.
Lindsay Boswell, chief executive of the Institute, however challenged Hurd’s assertion, arguing that gift aid reform is the single issue on which there is the most consensus among civil society organisations.
Concern at lack of further discussion of radical gift aid reform
Gift aid in danger of stalling and research could be self-contradictory
Gift aid research finds major donors unswayed by tax relief changes
Gift aid proposals could be 'non-starters', warns Institute
'Pain right across the public sector' predicts Tory MP
'Real concern' over Tory aid strategy, says Oxfam
Voluntary sector not truly independent, says top Tory lobbyist
No moves on gift aid before election, govt confirms
Is 1 per cent the magic number?
Gift aid - let's be careful with what we fix
Tories emphasise payment by results
CAF commissions report on modernising gift aid
Tory manifesto proposes Big Society tweaks, but nothing new for charity sector
Two coalitions to make it right
Composite rate and simplification main priorities of gift aid forum
9 Feb 2012
Baroness Stedman-Scott, chief executive of Tomorrow’s People, has said her charity, which is sub-contracted on...
9 Feb 2012
Professional tax adviser David Perrin has been sentenced to 18-months imprisonment for trying to defraud...
9 Feb 2012
Employment minister Chris Grayling has said that he expects charities to be active in the delivery of...
9 Feb 2012
A new headquarters and hub for social enterprise support organisations has officially opened in London...
8 Feb 2012
Christian Aid has “disestablished” its head of fundraising role as part of a new approach to fundraising...
8 Feb 2012
The key to securing better outcomes for older people and other vulnerable groups is joined-up services,...
9 Feb 2012
The Wellcome Trust plans to give its employees more choice over the type of device they use for work.
6 Feb 2012
An East Sussex-based animal welfare charity has launched a new website in a bid to increase online donations...
31 Jan 2012
4Children has launched its new website to provide clearer information about its work and campaigns as...