Which event are you refering to? It would be interesting to know so that everyone out there can attend!

The only one I know of was UK Fundraising’s Perfect Pitch: http://www.fundraising.co.uk/perfectpitch?id=2

David

Yes, at the time of writing I was referring to Perfect Pitch - since then Blackbaud have announced a Gift Aid Sponsorship Workshop (now sold out) and the Institute of Fundraising have also have a forum “What is the future of Gift Aid?” on 9th May.

Whilst I agree that there have not been enough publicity events on Gift Aid (although the Giving Campaign was quite significant), I would offer the following as some of the reasons for the lack of focus on Gift Aid in nfps

1. Lack of Pain.
Unlike VAT, charities don’t lose Gift Aid and then have to recovery it. Gift Aid is an additional ’super profit’, which, if you have never had you won’t miss.

2. No Incentive
Fundraisiers are also not unusually measured on the GARR (Gift Aid Rate of Recovery)- indeed most don’t even know what it is for their charity- so there is often no incentive to collect it

3. Lack of understanding of the Rules of Gift Aid and FUD
Many fundraisers do not properly understand the requirements of Gift Aid. This leads to FUD (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt) and so it is far easier not to incorporate Gift Aid, or worse simply not to process the Gift Aid claim, because of the fear of what HMRC will do if you get it wrong.

In the same way that a charity will use specialists in other fields such as legal, investment, and even in their selection of utility providers, they should also consult with Gift Aid specialists such as IoF, HMRC (Charities) and competent Gift Aid consultants. It is not often that the tax man gives back money, and it seems a shame, almost even a crime not to take advantage of it.