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The Sherborne Girls Foundation strategy is about changing lives and empowering the girls to be an influence for good – whether through funding bursarial support, community partnerships and service, inspirational experiences or exceptional facilities.
It is also about supporting the school so that it can remain at the forefront of women’s education; driving innovation and educating the girls for the future.
If you would like to discuss ways in which you might be able to support the school or any of the initiatives that you have read here, please don’t hesitate to contact Katherine Massey, Director of Development or call 01935 818215.
A gift for general purposes or where the school needs it most is the most useful as it allows us to focus on the greatest need without restrictions. However, you may prefer to direct your gift specifically to Candlelight Bursaries.
An example of where funds have been used for ‘where the school needs it most’ is the new AstroTurf. Faced with the urgent need to update our Astro facilities, in order to continue hosting visiting teams and competitive sports fixtures, the school was able to use funds from the ‘where the school needs it most’ fund to immediately put into action the development of a new, state of the art facility rather than delay until budgeting could accommodate such a cost.
Under the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) Gift Aid rules, if you are a UK tax payer, Sherborne Girls is able to claim back the basic rate of tax paid on all donations. If you sign a Gift Aid declaration we will receive an additional 25p for every £1 that you give, without it costing you a penny more. In addition, if you pay tax at the higher or additional rate, you can claim the difference between the rate you pay and the basic rate on your donation.
If you choose to leave a legacy to Sherborne Girls, your bequest will be free from inheritance tax. You may also decide to bring your legacy forward so that you can see the benefits of your gift during your lifetime. As Sherborne Girls is a charity, you would also not have to pay tax on your lifetime gift and you may benefit from tax savings by offsetting the donation against your taxable income or gains
Sherborne Girls has charitable status, so this allows any gifts that you make to us to be tax-efficient. The benefits of Gift Aid are considerable. If you pay tax on any kind of income, including capital gains, then the school is entitled to reclaim the basic rate of tax that you have already paid on your gift at no cost to you - this works out at 25p for every £1 donated. Higher rate taxpayers can also reclaim the difference between standard and higher rate tax on their donation for themselves through their Tax Return, which means it costs you less to give.
In order to make a Gift Aid declaration and claim back 25p for every £1 you donate, we ask you to complete our Gift Aid form. The declaration applies to all donations made in the last 4 years. Your donations will qualify as long as they are not more than 4 times what you have paid in tax in that tax year (6 April to 5 April).
When a company makes a donation to charity, the value of the gift can be offset by the company’s highest rate of Corporation Tax. Companies pay their donations gross and will not have to make any Gift Aid declaration. Your company simply makes whatever donation you want and then tax relief is claimed against the value of the gift when calculating profits for Corporation Tax. Company gifts can be made on a regular or one-off basis.
As Sherborne Girls is a registered charity, it is also possible to make tax-efficient donations of land, property or shares. Donors benefit from tax relief on both Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
Matched giving is a simple way of maximizing your giving. It is an arrangement between a company and its employee. Many companies will donate a sum of money relating to the amount their employee has raised for or donated to, the charity of their choice. Please check with your HR Department as to whether your company offers a matched giving scheme as this could make your donation worth even more.
If you live in Canada or the United States we have tax-effective giving schemes, set-up in partnership with Sherborne School, through the Canadian Friends of Sherborne (CFS) and the American Friends of Sherborne (AFS).