Giving well · Explainer
What Is Gift Aid? How It Works and Who Can Use It
The tick box on a donation form lets a charity reclaim basic-rate tax, provided the donor has paid enough tax to cover it.
Relief Weekly: Charity, Volunteering and Humanitarian Aid Explained
Crises Explained
Refugee vs Asylum Seeker vs Migrant: What the Words Mean
Crises Explained
How Is Famine Declared? The IPC Scale Explained
Volunteering
Volunteering Abroad Responsibly: What to Check Before You Go
How-to
How to Check If a Charity Is Registered in the UK
Three UK registers, one simple habit: match the charity's name and number to the official record before any money changes hands.
Guide
Charity Scams: How to Spot a Fake Appeal and Report It
Fake appeals follow every big disaster; a registered number, a licensed collector and a Fundraising Badge are the…
Explainer
Payroll Giving: How to Donate to Charity From Your Salary
Giving through the payroll means tax relief at your own rate from day one, as long as your employer or pension provider…
Guide
Leaving Money to Charity in a Will: UK Tax Rules
A charity gift in a will escapes Inheritance Tax and, above a 10% share, can lower the rate on the rest of the estate.
Volunteering
How to Start Volunteering in the UK: Roles, Checks and Benefits
From volunteer centres to DBS checks and expenses, the practical steps a first-time volunteer in the UK needs to know before…
Volunteering
What Can You Donate to Charity Shops? Rules and Gift Aid
Clean, sellable goods are welcome, but fire labels, electrical testing and safety rules decide what a charity shop can…
Volunteering
How to Become an Emergency Response Volunteer in the UK
Crisis support, first aid, lifeboats and search teams all rely on trained volunteers, each with its own requirements and…
Volunteering
How to Organise a Charity Fundraiser: The Rules That Apply
Bake sales, raffles and sponsored challenges are simple to run, but lotteries, public collections and food each come with…
Explainer
Disaster Relief Phases: From Rescue to Rebuilding
From the first hours of rescue to years of rebuilding, the help a disaster zone needs changes week by week, and so does the way agencies organise it.
Explainer
Disasters Emergency Committee: How DEC Appeals Work
One joint appeal, fifteen UK aid charities and three strict tests: how the DEC decides when to ask the public for help…
Explainer
Why Donate Money Not Goods After a Disaster Overseas
Tins and blankets feel like the most personal gift, yet aid agencies almost always ask for money instead. Here is why…
Explainer
UK Foreign Aid Explained: What Counts and How It Is Measured
A plain guide to the rules behind the UK aid budget, from the OECD definition of aid to the watchdog that…
Explainer
UN Agencies Explained: UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, OCHA and WHO
The acronyms in crisis reporting each stand for a different mandate; here is who handles refugees, children…
Explainer
How Clean Water Projects Work: Wells, Boreholes and Taps
Drilling a borehole is the easy part; safe water depends on service levels, spare parts, local management and…
Explainer
Orphanages vs Family Care: Why Aid Is Moving Away From Orphanages
International guidance treats institutions as a narrow exception, and donors are increasingly asked to help…
Explainer
What Is Microfinance? Small Loans, Savings and the Evidence
Small loans were once hailed as a cure for poverty; the evidence points to modest gains, real debt risks and…
From the archiveAround 1998 to 2001 this web address carried the website of a small UK relief charity: appeals for famine relief, field notes on an infant refugee centre in Burundi and photographs from Uganda, Zambia and Kaliningrad. They are kept, with names and contact details removed, in the archive.