Quick Links
- Set up an online direct debit:
- Donate online by credit or debit card:
How to Give
If you are considering a gift to Girton, firstly, thank you. Information on making single and regular gifts, in a tax-efficient manner, can be found below. Please contact us if you have any questions.
| Gifts from the UK | |||
| Gift Aid | Donating Shares | CAF | Online Giving |
| Gifts from Europe | |||
| Gifts from the USA | |||
| Gifts from Canada | |||
| Legacies | |||
Gifts from UK donors
To make a donation from the UK, please use our UK gift form for either a one-off or a regular gift. If you are a UK taxpayer, the value of your gift can be increased by an additional 25% at no cost additional to you if you complete a Gift Aid Declaration. Further information on Gift Aid is available below. If you happen to be subject to tax in both the UK and the USA, please also see this note.
Girton College is a Registered Charity, number 1137541.
Gift Aid
Charitable gifts of all sizes, whether one-off, regular, or by credit card, from UK taxpayers are now eligible for Gift Aid, provided a Gift Aid Declaration is completed. The College is able to accept donations by all these methods. Donors should sign the declaration which is printed on the gift form.
The process enables Girton to reclaim tax at the basic rate from the Inland Revenue and enables higher rate taxpayers to reclaim 20% tax relief on donations. This means Girton receives £12.50 for every £10 donated by a taxpayer. A gift of £10 per month for three years increases to £450.80 once tax has been reclaimed from the Inland Revenue, and a one-off gift of £800 increases to £1,000. There is a worked example below of the benefits to the College and the donor when making a cash gift, but if you need any more information do not hesitate to contact the Development Office.
Worked example: gift to Girton of £1,000
| Gift Amount | Gift Aid (%*) |
Tax Reclaim (%*) |
Cost to Donor/Benefit to Girton |
|
| Cash Gift | £1000 | - | - | £1000/£1000 |
| Cash Gift with Gift Aid, Basic Rate Taxpayer |
£1000 | £250(20) | - | £1000/£1250 |
| Cash Gift with Gift Aid, Higher Rate Taxpayer |
£1000 | £250(20) | £250(20) | £750/£1250 |
| Cash Gift with Gift Aid, Additional Rate Taxpayer |
£1000 | £250(20) | £375(30) | £625/£1250 |
*as a percentage of the gross amount of the donation
Notes:
Higher-rate taxpayers can reclaim the difference between the basic and the higher rates of tax (i.e.: 40%-20%=20%) on the gross value of the donation when they complete their self-assessment tax return. Top-rate taxpayers can reclaim the difference between the basic and the top rates of tax (i.e.: 50%-20%=30%) on the gross value of the donation when they complete their self-assessment tax return.
Acknowledgement
Donors to the Development Campaign will be listed in an appropriate College publication. If you do not wish your name to appear, please contact the Development Office.
Donating Shares to Girton College
Donations of shares and investments have become one of the most tax-efficient ways of giving. As from 6 April 2000, a new Income Tax relief applies to gifts of quoted shares and certain other investments by individuals and companies, whether resident or not in the UK. This is in addition to the relief from Capital Gains Tax.
- The amount the donor can deduct is the market value of the shares or securities at the date of disposal plus any incidental cost of disposing of the shares.
- Donors can claim tax relief at the top rate of tax on their Self Assessment or Corporation Tax return.
What shares and securities qualify?
- Those listed or dealt in on a recognised stock exchange, whether in the UK or elsewhere, including shares traded on the Alternative Investment Market;
- Units in an authorised unit trust;
- Shares in a UK open-ended investment company; and
- Holdings in certain foreign collective investment schemes (offshore funds).
How do I donate stocks and shares to Girton?
Please contact the Development Director who will ask the College’s brokers to send you the relevant forms to transfer stocks. You may also like to read HM Revenue & Customs guidance on giving shares to charity.
Worked Example
| Donor | Girton College | |
|---|---|---|
| Gift of shares | £50,000 | £50,000 |
| Income tax relief (40%) | (£20,000) | |
| Capital Gains Tax saving (18% of gain) | (£7,200) | |
| Cost/Benefit | £22,800 | £50,000 |
The shares example presumes a taxable income of £100,000-£150,000 and the shares were originally purchased for £10,000 and the donor’s annual Capital Gains Tax relief had been utilised elsewhere and additional Capital Gains were taxed at the 18% rate.
Giving via the Charities Aid Foundation
Single gifts of any amount can be made by Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) Voucher. The College receives no extra tax benefit from CAF gifts. CAF Vouchers should be made payable to ‘Girton College’.
Online Donations
You can donate to Girton online, through the Charities Aid Foundation. Donations will be processed through their organisation, but will benefit the same projects as a paper or cheque donation. We hope you find this service convenient and easy to use. Click on the following links:
- Set up an online direct debit:
- Donate online by credit or debit card:
Leaving a Legacy
As well as lifetime gifts, many alumni have made a significant donation through a legacy to the College. As Girton is an exempt charity, funds bequeathed to the College in your Will are free of inheritance tax in the UK. There are tax benefits in other countries, though we advise alumni to speak to us or consult a solicitor if considering making a bequest to Girton from outside the UK.
Please see our Legacies page for more information. Alternatively, download our Legacy Brochure here. If you would like to discuss making a bequest, please contact Sam Venn (s.venn@girton.cam.ac.uk, +44 (0)1223 764821).
Gifts from Europe
If you are resident and paying tax in certain Continental European countries, you may be able to make a tax-efficient gift to the College through Transnational Giving in Europe. More information including a list of agencies can be found on www.transnationalgiving.eu.
Donors in the USA
You can donate to Girton through Cambridge in America, which is registered in the USA as a 501(c)(3), so that you can claim your donation against tax. On receiving your gift, Cambridge in America will send an acknowledgement letter, which should be retained for your tax records, as it fulfils the substantiation requirements that must be met in order to deduct your contribution. If you would like to donate to a specific project at Girton (via Cambridge in America), please specify which porject you would like to support when you complete this form:
The gift form should be sent to the following address:
Cambridge in America
PO Box 9123 JAF BLG
New York, NY 10087–9123
USA
Persons subject to tax in both the UK and the USA
If you are subject to tax in both the UK and the US, you now have the opportunity to give to Cambridge in America (UK) Ltd, a registered charity in England, and thereby be simultaneously eligible for tax benefits in both countries.
Acknowledgement
Donors to the Development Campaign will be listed in an appropriate College publication. If you do not wish your name to appear, please contact the Development Office.
Donors in Canada
The University of Cambridge is recognised by Revenue Canada for the purposes of charitable giving to the University and Colleges and is authorised to issue receipts on behalf of both to enable Canadian donors to claim deductions when computing their taxable income.
Donors in Canada can donate directly to the College by sending gifts to Girton Development Office (contact information available here). We can then arrange for a Tax Receipt to be sent to you so that the donation will be tax-efficient in Canada.
Acknowledgement
Donors to the Development Campaign will be listed in in an appropriate College publication. If you do not wish your name to appear, please contact the Development Office.