Donating shares to Mind
12 million people in the UK own shares – adding up to an enormous £200 billion of shares. By donating shares, you can help us in our fight to make sure everyone with a mental health problem gets support and respect.
Why donate shares?
Donating shares is one of the most tax-effective ways to give to charity.
There's no capital gains tax on the shares you donate. And you can claim tax relief on any costs linked to your donation, like brokers' fees.
How to donate shares to charity
There are 3 ways you can donate shares to Mind.
If you have a physical copy of your share certificate
If you have a share certificate printed on paper, send this to Mind.
You'll also need to send us a stock transfer form. You should keep a copy of this form. You can get a stock transfer form from the company registrars where you have your shares. Or you can get one from a stockbroker.
Post the certificate and form to:
Mind
2 Redman Place
London E20 1JQ
If you have an electronic copy of your share certificate
You might only have an electronic record of your shares. In this case, get your stockbroker to contact Mind to transfer your shares.
We'll need a reference number from your stockbroker and their contact details.
You or your stockbroker can contact us at the address above, or by emailing us at [email protected]
If you want to donate shares as a company
Your company can claim income or corporation tax relief for giving shares to Mind. But the following conditions must apply:
- Shares must be quoted or listed on a recognised stock exchange
- A limited company cannot claim relief for the gift of its own shares to charity
- The valuation that's used for taxation purposes must be the average value on the stock exchange on the date of transfer
Read more about donating shares to charity on the HMRC website.
How much tax relief could I claim?
The amount you can claim back varies from person to person. Normally, someone who pays the higher rate of tax can claim £400 tax relief on a £1,000 donation of shares. In this case, the value to Mind would be £600.
If you pay the standard rate of tax, you could claim £220 tax relief if you donate £1,000 of shares. In this scenario, the value to Mind would be £780.
To make a claim, mention your donation on your self-assessment tax form, or contact your local tax office. To make your claim, you'll need to keep a dated copy of the transfer form, and any documents relating to your donation.
Frequently asked questions on donating shares
Find answers to your questions below.
If you can't find your answer, email us at [email protected]
Mind accepts donations of shares in UK and foreign-listed companies. Mind also accepts Guilds.
In most cases, yes. We won't accept 'lock in' shares in pharmaceutical companies, because it's Mind's policy to immediately sell shares in pharmaceutical companies.
Mind accepts shares in all types of companies. We'll immediately sell shares in pharmaceutical companies, because Mind is an independent charity, not influenced by any organisations that could compromise our position and values.
We may use our discretion in accepting gifts of shares. This might happen if we feel the company's activities are in direct conflict with Mind's interests and objectives.
We'll look at the state of the market, as well as our own needs at the time. We'll then make a decision on whether to sell the shares as soon as possible, or to keep the shares for a longer-term investment. We use all the money we get from shares to support our objectives.
Mind will accept shares worth £250 or more. If the shares are worth less than £250, the cost of transferring and selling them is likely to be more than we'd get in return.
If your shares are worth less than £250, you could donate them to a charity called ShareGift. ShareGift has been set up especially to accept small donations of shares. They collect shares until they have enough to sell. Then, they use the money to support a range of different charities. Mind has already received almost £50,000 in donations from ShareGift.
If you decide to donate shares to ShareGift, please remember to mention you're a Mind supporter.
Either option would be a great support to Mind's work. But the tax benefits to you might be different. It's best to get professional advice from an accountant, solicitor or financial adviser for advice which is tailored to your own situation.
We can provide information about how to donate shares to Mind. But we can't advise you on your personal financial situation. For financial advice, please contact a financial advisor or your local tax office.
Donations make a massive difference to Mind's work. We couldn't fight for mental health without the support of our fundraisers and donors.
Share donations are an alternative to giving donations in cash. They're increasingly becoming a valuable source of income for Mind.
