Give shares

You may be surprised to know that giving shares is one of the most tax-efficient ways to make a donation. Not only do you save income tax and capital gains tax on the equivalent amount, it is likely that the shares are worth more to us than they are to you.

Since the March 2000 budget, a gift of shares to a registered charity entitles the giver to relief from income tax equal to the full market value of the shares on that date. So if you are a higher rate tax payer and you give £1,000 worth of shares to SolarAid, you will receive income tax relief of £400. The donation is also exempt from capital gains tax, so the value of the shares to us will be higher than it would have been had you sold them yourself.

Gifts of shares can be transferred to SolarAid by completing a Crest Transfer form for each share holding and returning it to us with the share certificates. The transfer can also be made electronically if your shares are held by brokers under the Crest system.

Your shares could make a huge difference. For instance, just £35 would pay for a solar kit, with radio, lantern and charger, for a rural health clinic. On the other end of the scale, £6,000 could pay for the installation of a full solar photovoltaic system for a community centre in a rural village in Malawi with no access to electricity. The solar energy would power their lighting, computer, video recorder, TV and other electrical equipment, which they can then use for evening classes, literacy lessons, training in income generating, classes on good nutrition and hygiene, and other educational activities.

If you’d like to give shares, please contact us at the office on
0845 094 3728 (from UK)
+44 (0)20 7607 9709 (from abroad)
or email info@solar-aid.org