Draft: Call for donations in the CA guide - your comments please

[Werner]

Like it a lot.  And the subsequent ideas that have appeared.  A few minor thoughts in no particular order, to take or leave as you wish:

1)  Make the title a bit more eye-catching.  In capitals, bigger and bolder, and include the word charity, so that if it's on page 3 people scanning it don't just turn over the page thinking that it's about donations to CA.  Perhaps something like "Help Support CA's Chosen Charities".  

2)  If this is to be updated each year, and particularly as the nominated charities may change from year to year, might be worth something along the lines of "Produced in aid of charity, the 2007 Club Arnage Guide to the 24 Hours of Le Mans is free to download.  Those who gave their time and skills to produce it and help you enjoy the Le Mans experience would be very grateful and would really feel rewarded if you could make a donation, of however much you feel able to spare, to help us support three very worthwhile charities".  Put the words "to help you enjoy the Le Mans experience" in bold font.

3)  Not sure of the IT trickery involved with pdf documents, but can the website links be included as links that can be clicked on, which would make it easier for someone to visit the sites when viewing electronically?

4)  For the bank transfer details, separate the domestic UK coding from the international coding.

5)  Reference to the distribution of the funds is rightly included - probably worth also stating that details of those funds raised and their presentation to the charities will be posted on the CA forum.  

All the best,

MG Mark

Some very good points, Mark

[Werner]

Just posted a new draft at http://www.clubarnage.com/caguide/caguide2007/_callfordonations.pdf picking up some of your suggestions/corrections

[mgmark]

That really looks good to go to me.  About the only other really minor things that occur are:

Not sure what the sum(s) totted up to last year but, if appropriate, it might be worth mentioning the amount and who it was raised for in 2006, with a "we would like to beat that total this year" sort of message?

Perhaps add a suitably humourous picture at the bottom of the page of our "revenue enforcement" group of members to reinforce the voluntary nature of the contribution?

MG Mark

[Christopher]

Looks good. Clear and to the point.

I have no suggestions to change anything.

[Werner]

Perhaps add a suitably humourous picture at the bottom of the page of our "revenue enforcement" group of members to reinforce the voluntary nature of the contribution?

Someone has a nice pic of the gimp in his full combat dress?

[nopanic - neil]

EDIT Is there any way we can get this appeal between the internet link page and the download, something to force people to go via this page before they can access the guide?  Then the links would be immediately accessible and nobody would need to type them in.

Yes, I will put the donation story and the links on the download page, so noone needs to type it

Edit: I can even set up the download page in a way, that people MUST read our call for donation before they can proceed to the actual download.

Great idea,

Could I also make a sugestion that we have a note in the guide saying along the lines

" if you found this guide useful and helpful - please feel free to make a donation to the CA charities via the web site"

This way, anybody who does'nt donate at the begining, you can catch them at the back end. This will help when people make multi copies, hand their's out at Le Mans or ones that are picked up at Le Mans.

Met a couple last year, it was their first time, downloaded the CA guide and were using as a tour/info guide for the whole weekend.

I felt last year's guide was fantastic, learnt a lot (more than the other mags i spent money and brought)- and would have happily gone back to donate dosh.

Easy - Get them at the begining, or the back end or both.

[Andy Zarse]

It's all good. Do it!

[Steve Pyro]

Yes, thoroughly agree with all the above.

[Werner]

Hi guys,

sorry to raise that topic again, text is actually OK now, but reading about donations and the tax implications a thought about a potential problem crossed my mind:

I don't know how these things work in the UK, but in Germany, when you make a donation to a registered charity you expect and get a formal receipt for that donation and can deduct that amount from your personal taxable income - thus saving some taxes when donating to charities.

Is it the same in the UK? Then we will have a big problem: If people donate to our CA account instead of directly donating to the accounts of e.g. Kidney Research UK or the 2 other charities, we cannot send them receipts for their tax-declaration - CA is no registered charity, or do things work different in the UK?

[termietermite]

In the back of my mind, Werner, I've been thinking about this, as I was wondering if CA would be eligible to register as a charity at some time in the not too distant future.  There must be an accountant around here somewhere...

[Werner]

Well, may be CA can become a charity in the future, but defo not until June 6th - when the guide will be published - so we need to decide what to do in the next couple of days. If the situation is the same as in Germany, then I think we should not publish the CA account and leave it to the readers to which of the 3 charities to donate to directly, so they can get their receipts for the taxes from them.

Someone with a tax background on the forum?

[termietermite]

I agree that if the donations are all going to the 3 charities (that's right isn't it - the CA fund is not involved?) then direct would be best so the tax thing's covered if it's an issue for anybody (it certainly means the charity gets more.)

[Stu]

Not sure about that but heres the page thats tells you whats what.

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/charities/giving-to-charities-indiv.htm#4

And quickly reading it, if whoever's splitting the donation has paid more tax than the donation and declares the donation using gift aid it seems fine as the charity reclaims your tax. making £10 worth £12.82 to the charity. Unless anyone else knows different. Plus unless someone makes a huge donation, I don't anyone would be bothered about claiming tax back.

[Werner]

I agree that if the donations are all going to the 3 charities (that's right isn't it - the CA fund is not involved?) then direct would be best so the tax thing's covered if it's an issue for anybody (it certainly means the charity gets more.)

Yes, the plan is that all donations from the guide go to the 3 charities.

[termietermite]

Then I think (but stand to be corrected) that direct to the charity is best.  When I gave to BigH's charity, as Stu mentions above, if I'd been a resident in the UK then the charity could have got more because of the tax thing.  If it's given via the CA fund, then I don't know how easy this would be - all sorts of implications we're not yet prepared for.  Also, PayPal take a small chunk, and this would just be wasted money.