Philanthropy
Whether your philanthropy is taking place now or part of planning a legacy, we can ensure that gifts have the maximum possible benefit, in line with your values and priorities.
When giving to charities or other organisations, whether in your will or during your lifetime, care must be taken to ensure that it has the maximum benefit and to avoid negative effects.
Before making a significant donation, you may well want to clearly establish how the funds will be used, what effects are expected, how those results will be reported, and the recipient’s financial position, among other things. We can help in many ways: assess and revise donor agreements, assist with regular reviews, assess and report on a potential recipient’s constitutional documents and financial reports, and so on. When assessing a target organisation’s financial standing, we often work closely with other advisers, such as your accountant.
We can also advise when a planned donation has an international aspect. We frequently collaborate with experts in other jurisdictions – in the USA and around Europe – to ensure that all rules are followed and no opportunities are missed.
For clients who are interested in the potential tax advantages of charitable giving (inheritance tax, income tax, capital gains tax and others), we can advise on all aspects of this too. The firm’s tax compliance specialists can also handle admin, such as gift aid claims and additional information required for your tax return.
If you are considering becoming a trustee of a charity, or taking a seat on the board, we’ll ensure that you first understand all the legal duties and responsibilities that come with those roles, which include certain obligations to the regulatory body.
For individuals and families who choose to create a charitable trust, we can ensure that it is set up effectively, and provide admin support. Our full service includes advice on governance and compliance (including training for staff), preparation of annual accounts and of reports for the appropriate regulator, administering and paying donations, hosting meetings (including secretarial services), and assistance if the regulator launches an investigation. In short, everything apart from auditing the accounts, as this is legally required to be done by a third party.
Our expertise includes:
- Assisting with due diligence on recipient organisations
- Assessing a planned donation’s likely effects
- Assessing and revising donor agreements
- Advising on international matters, in collaboration with local experts
- Advising trustees and board members on their legal and regulatory obligations
- Establishing and administering charitable trusts
- Advising individuals and families on tax-efficient philanthropy
- Preparing gift aid claims and tax compliance information
Meet our key contacts
Christopher McGill
Partner
Keith McLaren
Partner
Malcolm Rust
Partner
Alexis Graham
Partner
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Contact us
Christopher McGill
Partner
Keith McLaren
Partner
Malcolm Rust
Partner
Alexis Graham
Partner
