Our UK supporters can now make tax-deductible donations through GiveWell UK

By GiveWell @ 2022-08-24T20:19 (+33)

This is a linkpost to https://blog.givewell.org/2022/08/24/introducing-givewell-uk/

Author: Miranda Kaplan, GiveWell Communications Associate

GiveWell UK is now fully registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in the United Kingdom. Our UK supporters now have a tax-deductible option for donating directly to GiveWell!

The basics

We've launched GiveWell UK as a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), with the registered charity number 1196392, and the official UK partner of GiveWell. Beginning with the 2022 tax year, eligible UK taxpayers may take tax deductions for donations to GiveWell UK.[1] These donations are also eligible for Gift Aid.

GiveWell UK donations may be directed toward GiveWell’s Maximum Impact Fund (MIF), All Grants Fund, top charities, or unrestricted support for GiveWell's US operations. Donations will be granted out on a quarterly basis in line with the recommendations of GiveWell’s US-based research team, upon the approval of GiveWell UK’s trustees (more here).

Why we registered in the UK

GiveWell has been exploring registration in countries outside the US, and UK donors are one of our largest groups of international donors; we estimate about 5% of our donors are based in the UK. The launch of GiveWell UK means that these supporters can enjoy a tax benefit without having to give through an intermediary. It also opens up possible additional funding for GiveWell through Gift Aid, a UK government program that allows GiveWell UK to claim an extra 25% on top of eligible donations at no cost to donors (more here).

How to donate

We accept donations to GiveWell UK via credit card, PayPal, direct debit, wire transfer, and other options listed here. We're currently unable to accept donations by physical check, or gifts of cryptocurrency or securities.

Information for donors in other countries

GiveWell is a registered charity in the US and the Netherlands, and GiveWell UK is registered in the United Kingdom. Donors in other countries who want to get a tax benefit for supporting GiveWell can do so through a network of aligned organizations that direct donations to the Maximum Impact Fund, our top charities, and/or GiveWell operations support. See here for a list of such organizations by country.

More resources

For more information about GiveWell UK, see the following:

You may also email any questions to UKdonations@givewell.org.

Notes

  1. This information shouldn't be construed as tax advice. We recommend you consult a professional if you have questions about your taxes. ↩︎

freedomandutility @ 2022-08-24T20:26 (+2)

Congrats! How come this didn't happen earlier? Is it expensive to register in the UK?

GiveWell @ 2022-08-25T17:42 (+2)

Hi, freedomandutility,

For us, it was less about the expense and more about the administrative burden. It required substantial time and effort to properly establish a new entity—e.g., get approval from the UK's charity commission, set up a UK bank account and donation platforms, and manage ongoing administration, etc. GiveWell has more of the operations staff needed to undertake such a project than we did, say, five years ago, but it was still a long process!

Best, Miranda

freedomandutility @ 2022-08-25T17:46 (+2)

Thanks for the reply, good to know!