Many families now request charitable donations in lieu of flowers. We are happy to administer these donations on behalf of the family at no additional charge. Individual donations are open for approximately 5-6 weeks after the funeral, after which time we forward all donations received to the nominated charity, asking them to acknowledge safe receipt to the family.
We also inform the family of the names and addresses (where supplied) of those who have made donations via us and the total amount raised.
If you wish to make a donation, you may do so either online using a credit or debit card (see below) or by sending a cheque (see Donations by Cheque) If you are a UK Tax Payer, you can Gift Aid your donation which will enable the charity to claim back the tax. This can increase the value of your donation by up to 25%. See Gift Aid.
If you wish to make a donation using a credit or debit card, this can only be done online.
When donating online you will have the opportunity to Gift Aid your donation.
Donations made online are processed either by the charity directly or via the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF). We make no charge in respect of online donations and our website is free for you to use. Where the charity can receive card payments directly there are no processing costs.
Where the charity chooses to receive donations via CAF the processing and administration costs, including credit card charges, are covered by a small deduction from your donation. This is a very efficient and cost effective way for charities to receive donations.
After 5-6 weeks the family will be informed of the total amount donated online, and given personal access to the individual donation website page where they can see the names of those who have made online donations, plus any messages. The family are also given the opportunity to maintain this free personal website for the future, if they wish.
Some charities are not able to accept online donations. Please contact us if you are unable to find a donation page for the person you wish to remember.
Please note that we are unable to accept credit or debit card donations direct, card payments can only be made online.
If you wish to make a donation by cheque, please make your cheque payable to the chosen charity and forward the cheque to us (Contact Us). Please include a note of the person in whose memory you are donating together with your own name and address. We will acknowledge receipt of your donation if you provide us with your contact details.
Donation cheques are held by us for approximately 5-6 weeks after the funeral and are then sent to the nominated charity for processing. As a result, it can take some time before the cheque is presented for payment and passes through your bank account.
If you are sending a donation to us and are a UK Tax Payer, please print and complete a Gift Aid form to send with your donation, if you are able to do so.
Please note that we are unable to accept direct donations by credit or debit card and these must be made online.
If you pay tax in the UK, the charity can reclaim the tax that you have paid via the Gift Aid Scheme. This can increase the value of your donation by up to 25%, at no cost to you. When you make a donation online, you will be asked if you can Gift Aid the donation and your declaration will be managed via the website.
When you send a donation cheque to us you can print a Gift Aid declaration form to complete and send with your donation. Alternatively, if you supply us with your name and address we will send you a Gift Aid form for completion.
- In order to Gift Aid your donation you must sign a declaration that:
- Are a Tax payer
- Pay an amount of income tax/capital gains tax in the tax year at least equal to the tax the Charity reclaims on your donation.
- A Gift Aid declaration may be downloaded here for printing and sending to us.
When donating online you will have the opportunity to Gift Aid your donation automatically.
Where we have not created an online donation page (usually because the nominated charity is not able to receive online donations), you can still create your own personalised online tribute website if you wish to.
With the help of ‘Much Loved’, you can use the Create a Tribute link to create your tribute website. This is free to use and can be hosted free of charge for up to 10 years if you wish to keep the site and develop it. You can personalise the design, add memories, photos, music and video as well as invite family and friends to visit and contribute.
Creating a tribute is very easy and only takes a couple of minutes to do. To see what your site would look like use the Create a Tribute link here.
