HOW DOES WORKPLACE GIVING OPERATE?

Workplace giving operates through your employer’s payroll system. You can give to AWC through workplace giving in one of two ways:

• Through a formal workplace giving program that your employer has set up and which includes AWC (see below); or
• In a less formal way, by simply requesting that your employer make a deduction from your pay which is then sent to AWC as a donation (details on this option are also set out below).

Under either option, employees can choose to donate a specified amount from each pay to AWC.

If you choose to donate to AWC through a workplace giving program, your employer will deduct your specified donation from each pay. Your employer will forward your donation direct to AWC, along with any donations made by other staff at your workplace.

THE TAX BENEFITS OF WORKPLACE GIVING

All donations to AWC through workplace giving are tax deductible.

If a formal workplace giving program has been established, your employer may reduce the amount of tax that is taken out of your pay in recognition of your donations. So you may see the tax benefits of workplace giving immediately!

However, it is still important for you to identify your donations in your annual tax return. Your employer should give you a summary of your donations at the end of the financial year. AWC will co-ordinate this with your employer.

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF WORKPLACE GIVING PROGRAMS TO CHARITIES LIKE AWC?

The advantage of formal workplace giving programs is that the charity – in this case, AWC - receives regular income but does not have to issue individual receipts for each donation. The employer provides a summary of donations to each employee. This saves time and money. So the charity incurs little or no administration costs and 100% of donations go directly to the charity.

SETTING UP A WORKPLACE GIVING PROGRAM

To set up a formal workplace giving program, which might offer staff the opportunity to support one of several charities (including AWC, of course), you should talk to the relevant person in your organisation. This will normally be the head of human resources or sponsorship. Detailed information on such workplace giving programs is available on the website of the Australian Taxation Office.

Alternatively, you can set up a giving program that is focused only on AWC. This would involve the following steps:

• Identifying a group of staff members who are interested in the environment and who may wish to support AWC. We can assist by providing promotional literature on AWC and visiting your workplace to give a presentation on our work.
• Each staff member who wishes to make a regular donation to AWC then needs to sign a letter authorizing the payroll office to deduct a specified amount from each pay. AWC can provide a pro forma letter. The amount deducted will be sent by the payroll office direct to AWC.
• AWC will liaise closely with your payroll office to assist in the establishment of the giving program.
• At the end of each financial year, AWC will issue tax receipts for each staff member, identifying the amount donated during the year.

For further information, please contact AWC’s Development Executive.

More >> Australian Taxation Office website