How to give to Cambridge
If you would like any further advice or guidance about your donation, please contact us.
Ways to give
Talk to a fundraiser to discuss a major gift
Please contact one of our Fundraisers if you would like to discuss ways to meet your charitable goals.
Our website
You can make a one-off gift using a credit card or debit card, or set up a recurring direct debit, wherever you see the 'Give Online' button within the Give Now section of our website. We accept Mastercard, Visa and Maestro cards for gifts of more than GBP10.
The one-off gift form is a 5-step process:
- Enter your details and the gift amount
- You will be redirected to the secure payment gateway, WPM Education, to confirm the gift amount
- Enter card details
- Confirm your gift — there may be a delay of around 30 seconds while your payment is processed — please do not close your browser window or navigate away from the page
- Final receipt and confirmation page
Following your donation, you should receive two email confirmations: one from Development and Alumni Relations about your gift, and a receipt from the payment gateway to confirm the successful payment.
If you experience any difficulties donating online please email us.
Bank transfer
To donate via bank transfer, please transfer funds to the following bank account:
Bank Name: Barclays Bank PLC
Address: 9-11 St Andrews St, Cambridge, CB2 3AA
Account Name: University of Cambridge - Gift Registry
Sort Code: 20-17-68
Account Number: 70195561
Swift Code: BARCGB22
IBAN No: GB96BARC20176870195561
Please note that the donor names are not always conveyed with the transfer. Please help us to identify your gift by including a reference (up to 16 characters) which gives your name and the intended purpose of your gift, in the following format: NAMEPURPOSE, eg: JSMITHC19RESCH
We also kindly ask that you email our Gift Services team to let us know that the gift is on the way or should you have any questions regarding the process or your donation. If we do not receive an email confirmation from the donor we won't be able to successfully process your donation.
Cheque
We continue to accept gifts via cheque. Please ensure the cheque is made out to ‘The University of Cambridge’ and sent to the following address:
University of Cambridge, Development and Alumni Relations — Gift Registry
1 Quayside
Bridge Street
CAMBRIDGE CB5 8AB
We ask that you specify the purpose of your donation by adding a note to your cheque or contacting a member of our team. This is to ensure the gift can be processed as quickly and efficiently as possible.
If you have any questions, please email our Gift Services team or contact one of our Fundraisers.
Phone
Unfortunately, due to the current remote working structure, we are unable to take gifts by phone. However, if you would like to discuss ways to meet your charitable goals, please contact one of our Fundraisers.
Post
We continue to accept gifts by post to the following address:
University of Cambridge Development and Alumni Relations — Gift Registry
1 Quayside
Bridge Street
CAMBRIDGE CB5 8AB
Please download this form to accompany your instructions. If you have any questions, please email our Gift Services team or contact one of our Fundraisers.
Legacy
A gift to Cambridge in your Will could help the University flourish far into the future. Many of our donors find that a gift in their Will is a good way to make a significant and lasting contribution. It may cost nothing in their lifetime, yet provide much satisfaction and peace of mind in prospect.
In order to make a gift by legacy, you might need to either draw up a new Will or add a codicil (a supplementary clause) to your present Will. As the University and Colleges of Cambridge have charitable status, they may receive many gifts free of tax. Bequests or legacies may, therefore, be made to Cambridge free of UK Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax.
Bequests may be taken in many different forms: a pecuniary bequest (a specified sum of money), a residuary bequest (this comes from the remainder of an estate after other bequests have been made), a contingent or reversionary bequest (this means it is first left to a preceding beneficiary before it passes to the second beneficiary) as well as gifts in kind, such as property assets, works of art or collections of books and papers.
Gifts may be given to the University or to specific areas of the Collegiate community. If you would prefer to specify a certain Department, Faculty or College for your gift, then we will offer guidance or put you directly in touch with the appropriate advisor.
For further information or guidance on leaving a gift to Cambridge in your Will, please email darlegacies@alumni.cam.ac.uk or the relevant College.
Non-cash assets
Tax relief is available to UK taxpayers donating shares and securities listed on the UK stock market, the Alternative Investment Market and recognised stock exchanges overseas. It is also available for units in a UK unit trust and shares in a UK open-ended investment company. You can claim income tax relief equal to the market value of the shares on the day the gift is made, plus any associated costs such as the brokers’ fees.
Gifts of land or property made during a donor’s lifetime attract the same tax incentives as gifts of shares, and other forms of a non-cash gift (such as works of art, books, manuscripts and equipment) may also be considered as gifts to Cambridge. To find out more, please email us early in the process so that we can work with your financial advisers to help arrange the transaction.
Give from North America
From the United States of America
You can donate to Cambridge in America if you are based in the USA. Cambridge in America is a 501c(3) tax-exempt organisation which funds grants that benefit the University of Cambridge and its member Colleges. Outright gifts, bequests and transfers made to Cambridge in America are deductible for federal estate and tax gift purposes if they meet the applicable provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code.
If you are subject to tax in both the UK and the US, you can give to Cambridge in America (UK) Ltd, a registered charity in England, and be simultaneously eligible for tax benefits in both countries. Gifts of cash and securities made to CAm UK are tax-deductible for US taxpayers to the full extent allowed by US tax law and may also provide tax benefits to UK taxpayers, including participation in the UK Gift Aid Scheme for gifts of cash, and income tax and capital gains tax benefits for gifts of securities. Currently, CAm UK can claim an additional 25 pence from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for every £1 donated.
Please see below for information on giving via the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
From Canada
If you are based in Canada, you can donate directly to the University of Cambridge as we are registered as a 'prescribed university outside Canada' with the Canada Revenue Agency. We will automatically send you a receipt for your gift that is acceptable to the Canadian tax authorities. For further information, please email our Gift Services team or the relevant College.
Please see below for information on giving via the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
Give from Europe
If you are a European resident you may wish you make your gift tax-efficiently through Transnational Giving Europe (TGE).
Giving through TGE will be unaffected by Brexit, and donors will receive a local tax certificate that can be used for a tax deduction. Additionally, the University will not be charged gift tax for accepting your donation.
You can use TGE as an individual, including for planned gifts and legacies, as well as for corporate giving. There is a small fee for making your donation in this way (5% for gifts up to 100,000€, and 1% above this amount, with a maximum fee of 15,000€).
We are currently able to accept donations via TGE from the following countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy (for student support only), The Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and Switzerland.
If you would like to make a donation of 20,000€ or less or set up a regular gift to the University, you can do so online via the link below.
If you are considering making a donation of over 20,000€, or if you would like additional information about how to make your gift, please email Dr Belen Tejada-Romero at givingeurope@admin.cam.ac.uk
Giving via the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)
In order to donate via CAF please visit the Charities Aid Foundation website and search for ‘UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE — GIFT REGISTRY’.
You will have three options to make a gift:
- CAF account/ CAF Charitable Trust
- Online card payment
- PayPal
You will be asked to select an amount to donate as well as whether you would like to give anonymously.
You will also be asked if you would like to add any special instructions for this gift. We kindly ask that you use this field to clearly specify the intended purpose of your donation e.g. 'Cambridge Zero'. This will help us to process your payment more efficiently. Finally, you will be asked if you would like to claim Gift Aid and for your personal details before confirming your gift.
Following your donation, you will receive an instant email confirmation from CAF. Please note that personalised communication from our team will be sent as soon as the gift has been processed at our end.
If you have any questions, please email our Gift Services team or contact one of our Fundraisers.
About Gift Aid (UK taxpayers)
Gift Aid makes a great difference to Cambridge and costs you nothing extra. For every pound donated by a UK taxpayer (excluding companies), the University can reclaim 25% (based on the tax year 2018/19) from HM Revenue and Customs. So a £100 donation made under Gift Aid is worth £125 to Cambridge. In addition, donors who are higher-rate or additional-rate taxpayers can claim personal tax relief on the difference between the higher/additional rate of tax (currently 40% and 45% respectively) and the basic rate in their self-assessment return. This is worth 25 pence for every pound donated by higher-rate taxpayers and 31 pence for additional-rate taxpayers. Gift Aid can apply to donations of any amount, large or small, made by cash, cheque, standing order, debit or credit card. You can use the calculator below to see the effect Gift Aid could have on your donation to Cambridge.
To make a Gift Aid donation, an individual would need to have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the Charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs that the individual donates to, and will reclaim in that tax year. You can either confirm this during the online giving process or complete and return a Gift Aid declaration form.
Other ways to support Cambridge
You can support Cambridge in a number of different ways, from volunteering your time to keeping your contacts aware of the University's news and research.
Attachments
Make a donation from the UK
- (220 KB) Make a donation from outside the UK
- (141.02 KB) A gift in your Will
- (1.6 MB) Gift Aid declaration (for UK taxpayers)
- (1.71 MB)