Payroll Giving Week will take place for the second time from the 7^th until the 13^th February. The week has been designed to raise both the awareness and profile of Payroll Giving. Having it on the week leading up to Valentine’s Day is not a coincidence: for the first time ever this much-loved form of giving has its very own moment in the calendar!

The week is a campaign which has been put together by a cross sector group of charities, Payroll Giving Agencies, Professional Fundraising Organisations (organisations that specialise in promoting Payroll Giving in the workplace), Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals and Chartered Institute of Fundraising.  They have been working hard to make this week special and to help more and more employers to actively talk about their own Payroll Giving schemes, whether this is to their own employees or using their social media platforms to encourage other employers to introduce this great scheme.

During Payroll Giving Week we would like to see as much noise on social media about the scheme, promotions in workplaces across the country and conversations around implementing the scheme if your organisation does not have it in place yet.

You might wish to thank your supporters for their contributions or post what Payroll Giving means to you as a charity or a as an employer, how it fits with your other benefits and adds to CSR/ESG programmes.

If you already have a Payroll Giving scheme in place, why not promote it to your employees during this week. Maybe add some matching to make the scheme an even better offering!

There is more information and assets available on the dedicated website: www.payrollgivingweek.co.uk   for anyone to use. There are hashtags as well: #payrollgivingweek and #lovepayrollgiving. We would encourage everyone to use them when they are posting about the scheme during the week.

Payroll Giving’s importance to the UK charity sector is significant. In the financial year 2020/21 it raised over £143 million for thousands of charities from household names to small local organisations. All those organisations are better placed to serve those who need vital help thanks to employees’ regular gifts made through their pay.

Never has Payroll Giving been more important than during the Covid crisis. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the charity sector with charities either not surviving or seeing historically reliable sources of income such as events fundraising disappear overnight. This has ramped up the pressure for income streams such as Payroll Giving to remain stable and enable charities to deliver services the best they can.

Payroll Giving’s success during Covid offered a rare light of optimism and positivity during a storm where the sector faced a multi-billion-pound funding gap. In fact, figures released during the first national ‘lockdown’ quarter (April-June 2020- 2021) showed an uplift, and the full year’s numbers now show this trend didn’t slow down. Figures pulled together by the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations (APGO), which represents the key stakeholders in the Payroll Giving sector, showed employee donations increased by 6% and that employer matching rose by 4% compared to the previous financial year.

The final quarter of 2020/21 also saw a marked increase in the average value of one-off donations, driven by the approaching end of the financial year, a time where tax-efficient giving traditionally increases; payroll giving remains a very effective and easy way to donate to a preferred cause in a tax effective way Especially those subject to higher rate tax (40 & 45%) as they are able to get full tax relief immediately  when giving to their chosen cause: £100 gift will only cost £60 or £55 respectively.

How donations help

One charity which benefits from our work is Together for Animals – a consortium of four animal welfare charities – Blue Cross, Mayhew, SPANA and World Horse Welfare – founded in 1993 to raise vital funds to help their members carry out their work.

With a unique focus on raising funds through Payroll Giving, the charity helps animal lovers maximise the impact they are having on improving animals’ lives. Each donation is equally shared between their members, supporting cats, dogs, donkeys, and horses both in the UK and abroad in some of the world’s poorest communities.

The funds raised through Payroll Giving help rescue, rehabilitate and rehome thousands of abandoned or neglected animals each year, provide veterinary care and treatment to animals in need, support the individuals and communities who depend on animals for their wellbeing and livelihood, and educate the next generation so they understand how to provide the very best care for animals – creating a more compassionate world and future for animals.

In 2020 Together for Animals supporters helped 4,840 unwanted, abandoned or neglected animals find loving new homes, helped provide 348,895 animals with free veterinary care saving them from suffering, and helped provide 5,419 pieces of humane equipment be distributed to working animal owners.

One such animal helped was two-year old saluki, Wizard. Thin, starving and nearly bald on some parts of his body, Wizard was in a sad state when he was found by a dog warden in Swindon, Wiltshire. He needed time to rest and recuperate at Together for Animals member Blue Cross, and to be found a new loving home.

After some nurturing and plenty of TLC from the team, Wizard made a full recovery and was put up for rehoming where he was quickly spotted by a caring couple looking for a new pet. Now settled into his new home, they see Wizard’s personality shining through and his confidence gaining day by day.

All animals deserve a loving home. The kind donations Together for Animals receives through Payroll Giving helps abandoned animals like Wizard receive the treatments and care they need to be happy and healthy while they wait to find a new home.

Caroline Gaskin, Development Manager, Together for Animals said: “Payroll Giving provides Together for Animals with a vital regular source of income, allowing us to provide lifesaving care for animals desperately in need. As a small charity, we see Payroll Giving as our key source of income. We’re supporting Payroll Giving Week, as it supports us – and so many charities – each year.”

Caroline Gaskin, Development Manager, Together for Animals

Mervi Slade, Product & Program Manager – Payroll Giving, Cancer Research UK

Terry Stokes, Senior Workplace Giving Manager, Barnardo’s

You can access the recording of the recent Expert Insight Session here and the presentation slides can be viewed here.