Charities launch campaign to revive payroll giving in companies

Howard Lake | 4 February 2025 | News

• Tagged with:
• Chartered Institute of Fundraising
• payroll giving
• tax efficient giving

A group of charities has launched a nationwide campaign to revive payroll giving to charities. The campaign includes a focus on employers to embrace this method of regular tax-efficient giving.

As Payroll Giving Month gets underway, the group has launched a petition to employers to establish and promote this powerful method for supporting charitable causes in their workplace.

The number of employers offering payroll giving has been in decline for almost a decade, resulting in the number of people giving via this method falling. Between 2020 and 2022 the number of people giving through payroll giving has dropped by 13%. The overall amount given via this method has dropped by 15% since 2015/16.

Payroll Giving Month

The petition will run through Payroll Giving Month and aims to encourage employer participation in payroll giving, providing all PAYE employees with access to this tax-efficient way to support causes.

Minister for Civil Society, Stephanie Peacock, endorsed the payroll giving scheme. She said: “This government recognises the charity sector as a valued and equal partner in tackling some of the biggest challenges in society. That’s why we’re committed to making philanthropic giving efficient and accessible to everyone.

“Payroll Giving is a tax-efficient way for people to support causes they care about and we encourage all UK employers to offer the scheme for PAYE employees.”

Caroline Gaskin, Development Manager at Together for Animals, the charity that is leading on this year’s campaign said: “Payroll Giving represents a win-win solution for employees, employers, and charities. It provides a reliable income stream for charities, enhances corporate social responsibility for businesses.

“Payroll Giving provides Together for Animals with a vital regular source of income, allowing us to help provide lifesaving care for animals desperately in need. We would encourage companies to support Payroll Giving and offer employees a simple way to make a meaningful difference. In doing so they can make such an incredible difference to charities like ours”.

Claire Stanley, Director of Policy and Communications at Chartered Institute of Fundraising said:

“We strongly encourage everyone to sign this petition. Your support will help charities, employees and employers benefit from the many positives Payroll Giving has to offer.”

She added: “It’s time we reverse the downward trend in employers offering Payroll Giving. Right now, charities need vital funds to meet growing demand for their services, meanwhile fiscal drag has brought more people into higher tax brackets. In these unprecedented times, increasing the take-up of Payroll Giving could raise millions for charities up and down the country, whilst making it cheaper for employees to support causes they care about.”

The charities are inviting the public, charities and business leaders to show their support by signing the petition at Change.org.

The public, charities and business leaders are invited to lend their support to the campaign by signning the petition – Urge companies to offer a Payroll Giving Scheme in their workplace.

• Payroll giving rose during lockdown (21 September 2020)
  
• 30 years of payroll giving marked (23 November 2017)
  
• 10 more MPs give through payroll giving (22 September 2015)

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.