Summary
In a bid to heighten the number of people who give time and money to causes they support, the Cabinet Office has compiled a number of ideas to simplify the process of giving.
'Giving White Paper' (Cm. 8084) aims to make it easier and more compelling for people to contribute to charitable organisations; through donations and volunteering.
The Government will be investing over £40 million in volunteering and social action over the next two years. And £80 million investment in Community First will encourage social action in neighbourhoods with significant deprivation and low social capital.
The Social Action Fund and Challenge Prizes which will support models that make giving easier; the Local Infrastructure Fund will provide additional money to help deliver more effective support for charities and community groups.
Other proposals include:
- Giving to be made easier through new ways to donate money, including ATM giving and "Round Pound" schemes to give small amounts when paying by card.
- Criminal Records Bureau checks to be reduced to common-sense levels.
- Investment in the new Philanthropy UK website and for the Do-it volunteering database.
- Community organisers and business connectors to galvanise social action in communities.
- Inheritance tax to be reduced to 36% for those who leave 10% or more of their estate to charity.
New social norms will be encouraged: Ministers will lead by example, giving a day a year to a good cause; a philanthropy committee will review candidates for honours; core funding and match funding for schools-based programmes.
Changes to Gift Aid are also planned.
British people give more than £10 billion to charities and volunteers work tirelessly for many organisations, but the giving of both time and money has flat-lined and some in the voluntary sector warn of decline.
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