Local charities launch payroll giving initiative

Six local charities have joined together to form a consortium providing a unique payroll giving initiative to encourage sustainable charitable income in Northern Ireland.

The initiative is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland and gives employees the opportunity to support their favourite charities through pre-tax donations direct from the payroll. Pre-tax donations or payroll giving enables employees to make their contributions go further, so it actually costs less to give more.

The charities – Age Concern NI, CLIC Sargent NI, ChildLine NI, NI Chest, Heart & Stroke Association, Royal National Institute for the Blind NI and the Ulster Cancer Foundation – have formed a fundraising consortium called Northern Ireland Charities Together (NICT). All provide services in Northern Ireland and represent a wide range of causes including children, health and old age.

Joyce Savage, Chair of NICT said: “People in Northern Ireland traditionally donate more to charity than any other region in the UK – and we want to make it as easy as possible for people to do so.”

She added: “Our consortium approach offers donors a realistic, easy and cost-effective way of supporting a cross section of local charities. Until now, this has only been possible through a split donation, resulting in multiple administration charges for each charity. We believe that in encouraging payroll giving, it is more cost-effective to fundraise together rather than individually and we can maximise the value of donations by encouraging people to donate through payroll giving.

“Many people will benefit both directly and indirectly from this great example of voluntary sector co-operation. The Payroll Giving Grants Programme is currently rewarding small and medium sized companies with a one-off grant of up to £500 when they establish payroll giving.

"The programme will also match, pound-for-pound, the first £10 of each employee’s monthly donations for a period of six months – so there has never been a better time for introducing a payroll giving scheme within companies.”

The Lord Mayor, Councillor Wallace Browne, officially launched the consortium and payroll giving initiative today at Belfast City Hall.

If you would like to set up a payroll giving scheme within your organisation or would like to donate to Northern Ireland Charities Together, please contact NICT, tel. 08450 677 677.

(SP/MB)