Evidence library

Coronavirus / COVID-19

In this paper CAF outline a number of immediate and medium term measures they believe could be taken to support charities at this difficult time. This is in addition to the sector calls for a charity specific fund.

The CAF proposals focus on recommendations for: Government support for giving Repurposing public and private charitable assets Adapting philanthropic funding approaches and behaviour Leveraging endowed assets The response from business The regulatory response

Specific proposals include:

• Temporarily remove the need for people to make a Gift Aid declaration in order for the charities to receive the 25% additional benefit on every donation. It is estimated that £600m in Gift Aid is currently unclaimed each year.
• Introduce “living legacies”which allow people to bring forward the kinds of gifts they might make in their will – this could give valuable additional support to charities right now by allowing them to plan ahead and potentially borrow money against future assets.
• Unlock the assets of the £500m National Fund – a charity set up in the 1920s to repay the national debt whose assets have been locked away for nearly 100 years.
• Ease efforts to release millions in unused cash from dormant charities. Create a coronavirus big philanthropy pledge to encourage donations from wealthy individuals and businesses.