COMMENT
Do You Know It's Christmas?

With Christmas just around the corner, the high street tills are ringing with festive cheer. Christmas really is a time for giving, but sadly there are many people all over the world that will be neither giving, nor receiving. For many, the 'season of goodwill' will pass by without hope or joy.

This is a time when the divide between the fortunate 'haves' and the less fortunate 'have-nots' seems at its widest. That's why such a huge proportion of the money donated to charity is given over the Christmas season.

Of course, all of this money going to worthy causes is great news for charities, but ideally, they need our committed support all year round.

It is so easy to forget about giving to charity throughout the year. Disaster appeals and street collections often jog us into doing our bit, but most of us give sporadically without planning or understanding the most effective ways to give.

The world would be a far happier place if charitable donations were better planned. If our giving was spread throughout the year, it would enable charities to plan for the future. Less money would have to be put back into fundraising and therefore more would end up where we originally intended.

The CAF Charity Account is all about making the most of giving to charity. It is by far the most convenient and tax-efficient way to give. A CAF Charity Account works in a similar way to a current account, but only holds funds to donate to charity.

If you are really interested in committed giving, a CAF Charity Account makes everything wonderfully straightforward for you. You can simply set up standing orders for your favourite causes, donate by telephone, online, by post or in person. You can even give anonymously.

There is no need for separate Gift Aid declarations for each charity, if you are a UK taxpayer each time you fund your account the tax will be reclaimed automatically. (You must have paid an amount of Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax equal to any tax reclaimed by CAF.)

The reclaimed tax goes straight into your account, giving you an extra 28% to donate (higher-rate taxpayers can also claim a personal benefit worth 23 pence for every £1 donated).

Not only is planned giving better for charities, deciding in advance how much you wish to donate on a monthly basis, helps to simplify your personal accounts.

There are so many ways that CAF can help you to get more out of giving. For example, CAF Charity Gift Vouchers, a gift made for giving, come in three stylish designs and are available in denominations of £10 and £25. CAF Charity Gift Vouchers are an ideal and unique gift for the person who has everything. All they have to do is fill in their name and address and the name of their chosen charity, then send it to the charity or even put it in a collection box.

Whether you decide to give direct to charity or give through a CAF Charity Account, now is the time to make an early New Year's resolution that will help make the world a better place for everyone.

For more information on opening a CAF Charity Account and tax effective giving, visit the All About Giving website. To make a charitable donation, visiting the Give Now website. 

Joe Bennett is E-Business Manager at the Charities Aid Foundation.