04 August 2009

University helps staff donate to charity

For some years the University has included a Give as You Earn scheme in the staff myBenefits package. This enables tax free charitable donations through the payroll, and has earned the University a Bronze Award from the Charities Aid Foundation.

Sharing the Caring administer the scheme for the University, ensuring that donations are sent to the correct charity, and that the donation is tax free, so saving the charity from making Gift Aid claims. There is a 4% charge to cover costs and up to now this has been taken from the donation. From August 2009, the University will fund this charge from the small income raised from the sale of bikes previously loaned under the Pay Plus for bikes scheme and of computers under the Home Computing Initiative.

Gill Battye, Assistant Director of Human Resources, with responsibility for staff benefits, said ‘I am delighted that the University is re-investing this money in such a worthy cause. I am particularly pleased, as it was a long standing request from my late colleague John Hawley. We are now able to ensure that every penny staff donate goes to the charity of their choice’.

If you want to start making donations to charity through payroll, details can be found at www.sheffield.ac.uk/gaye.