You only have to be involved in a charity for a very short while to understand the significant value the UK Government's Gift Aid scheme can bring. It doesn't take much to get on the front foot and maximise Gift Aid payments for your Group.
Ask parents to complete a simple Gift Aid declaration online. Go to OSM > Section Admin > Gift Aid and select anyone who has not previously accepted or declined registration. Click the "Ask parents to complete declaration online" button. OSM will email selected parents using the template defined in OSM > Setting > Parent Portal Settings > Emails.
If your section uses OSM Online Payment, subs will be automatically recorded against Gift Aid for registered parents. [Check "Eligible for Gift Aid" is ticked on in OSM > Online Payments > Membership Subscription > Details].
Eligible donations can also be entered manually. On the Gift Aid tab select a parent/s, click "Record Payment", enter the request details and click "Save".
At least once a year, prepare and make a Gift Aid claim to HMRC.
When your records for the claim period are ready (Step 2), download the data in an HMRC ready spreadsheet format directly from OSM.
Go to OSM > Section Admin > Gift Aid and select "Download > Download HMRC Spreadsheet". Save the file to somewhere secure (it contains personal information).
You need to claim for a donation within 4 years of the end of the financial period you received it in.
All the information you need to complete a submission to HMRC is available online. You will need to have your Charity Number (from the Charity Commission) or your HMRC recognition number available.
