Gift Aid
Discover how Gift Aid could raise more money for your unit – at no cost to your supporters
Gift Aid is a government scheme which encourages people to give to charity.
Under the scheme, money donated to charities – including Girlguiding subscriptions – is eligible for tax relief. That means units can increase its funds by claiming Gift Aid at no extra cost to our supporters! It's an easy and guaranteed way to raise more money.
You can start collecting Gift Aid declarations before you register for Gift Aid. After you register, claims can be backdated for up to 4 years – so make sure you're not missing out on claimable funds.
Register your unit for Gift Aid with HMRC
To claim Gift Aid on donations, you’ll need to first register with HMRC. This process involves:
- Completing the charity registration certificate for your country.
- Gathering the information you need.
- Completing the online HMRC registration.
Charity numbers and Gift Aid
Depending on where your unit is based, you may need to include a charity number on your charity registration certificate.
Units in England and Wales don’t usually need a charity number as they’re exempt from charity registration. However if your unit does have an individual charity number you’ll need to write it on the charity registration certificate.
Units in Scotland must list the unit charity number on the charity registration certificate. To get this number, you'll need to register your unit as a charity with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). Please see the OSCR website or contact Girlguiding Scotland for advice on registering your unit and activating your Charities Online account if you have one.
Units in Northern Ireland must list the unit charity number on the Gift Aid certificate. To get this number, you’ll need to register as a charity with the Office of the Northern Ireland Charity Commission. Visit the Northern Ireland Charity Commission website or contact Girlguiding Ulster for advice about registering your unit.
Collecting donations
In order to donate, donors must complete a declaration form. These forms are included in the new starter forms given to new young members, but they can also be downloaded individually below:
- Gift Aid declaration (England and Wales) (PDF, 44 KB)
- Gift Aid declaration (Northern Ireland) (PDF, 38 KB)
- Gift Aid declaration (Scotland) (PDF, 38 KB)
Claiming Gift Aid
Our Gift Aid information pack (PDF, 67 KB) has detailed information on claiming Gift Aid, which you can do online, on paper, or via your own database. Also it provides more information on registration and administration.
Find out more
Download our Gift Aid information pack to find out how you can claim Gift Aid on donations and subs.
