Donating your shares
If you're a UK taxpayer, you can claim income tax relief on the value of most stocks and shares you donate to a registered charity like Ambitious about Autism. For example, if Ambitious about Autism received £1,000 in shares, you would pay less income tax in the year, resulting in a net cost of just £600 for the donation.
Ambitious about Autism will sell donated shares and use the proceeds to fund essential programs, ensuring your gift makes a real difference. How you choose to give is entirely your decision, but gifting shares can maximize the value of your donation while offering you added financial benefits.
The government has introduced new tax incentives which means you can reduce your taxable income by the full market value of the shares that you give.
When you give shares to charities, you can do so without attracting capital gains tax.
Ambitious about Autism will sell the shares and use the funds to support autistic young people. We may hold them for a period of time before we sell them but we will never intend to keep them long-term as an investment.
We cannot give financial advice, and whether you would like to gift cash or shares, is your choice to make. If you are considering making a gift, you should consult your financial advisor, accountant, or solicitor.
You can arrange to transfer shares to Ambitious about Autism by completing a stock transfer form. This transfer, along with the share certificate should be sent to Ambitious about Autism. This will then be forwarded to the registrar who will issue a new certificate in Ambitious about Autism’s name.
You may also use ShareGift or The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) as an intermediary.
ShareGift is a charity donation scheme which could be helpful if you have a small number of shares.
ShareGift will accept your shares, and pool them with shares given by other people. Proceeds of these shares are then donated to a number of charities.
ShareGift will also help in a number of other ways, including, if you wish to remain anonymous or if you wish to help more than one charity from the same shareholding.
You may sell the shares and give proceeds to Ambitious about Autism; however, it is important you advise us of the intention to sell, and you must have an exchange of letters before the sale is made.
HMRC require that there must be satisfactory evidence of the shares being given to us and us asking you, the donor, to sell them on our behalf.
This is important evidence, as failure to produce this will mean that you will not receive tax relief for the full value of the gift.
Please be aware that Ambitious about Autism cannot give you financial advice about your individual circumstances, however, if you have decided you would like to donate shares to us and would like to discuss this, please contact philanthropy@ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk.
ShareGift and CAF provide a range of services to facilitate the gifts of shares, including splitting a gift to send to more than one charity.
*Information correct as of January 2025
Other ways to donate to us
