For over a century the Trust has played a critical role in ensuring the widest possible range of students can benefit from higher education and has supported the improvement and expansion of Scotland's universities.
Part of Carnegie's vision for the Trust was that those who benefitted from the Trust's support would pay something back to ensure future generations of students could benefit from the same opportunities.
Donations and legacies from former beneficiaries, grant recipients and other supporters help us carry on and extend our work in the changing landscape of Scottish higher education.
Donations to the Trust are generally made in support of our grant programmes. Your donation can contribute to the Trust’s funding schemes as a whole or be allocated to a specific purpose.
Share giving is the most generous tax relief available to benefactors, combining relief on income and capital gains tax.
In the UK, share gifts qualify for tax relief equal to the market value of the shares on the day the gift is made, including associated costs such as broker fees. The tax relief can be claimed for the year in which the gift is made.
For example, a gift of £1,000 worth of shares, made by an individual who is a higher rate taxpayer, would reduce their income tax by up to £500 for the year. Additionally, the benefactor would not have to pay any Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on any increase in the value of the shares since they were bought. If the shares have gone down in value, however, it is not possible to use this loss to offset any other CGT liabilities.
Donors wishing to give shares to the Trust should contact us in the first instance.
Give As You Earn is a tax-efficient way for individuals to give regularly to charity either, through payroll or a pension provider.
Anyone can join Give As You Earn if their pay or pension is taxed through PAYE and their employer offers a scheme.
The Carnegie Trust is registered with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) which manages a Give as you Earn Scheme. Through the CAF you can pay your donation directly into our charity account.
Giving as you earn is tax free and simple to set up. You give directly from your pre-tax salary, so you are only taxed on the balance of your salary once the deduction for your charity contribution has been made.
You decide how much you want to give each month. If you pledge £10 from your gross salary each month, it will only cost you £8.00, and even less if you pay a higher rate of tax.
This means an increase in value and impact for the Carnegie Trust.
Give as You Earn makes a deduction of between 0% and 4% from your contribution to cover the cost of administration, depending on the method by which you choose to give.
You can also nominate the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland as a beneficiary in your pension or SIPP (Self Invested Personal Pension).
If your personal pension provider runs a Payroll Giving scheme, you can donate straight from your wages or pension. This happens before tax is deducted from your income. Please speak to your pension provider to nominate the Trust.
Legacies play a crucial part in helping the Trust meet its objectives. Former beneficiaries of funding and supporters with a particular interest in research and education can use legacies to support our work.
It is important for the wording of legacies to be as general as possible to ensure that we can use the funds to deliver our strategic priorities which evolve in relation to the issues and challenges facing students and the higher education sector.
If you have a specific purpose or scheme in mind, we encourage you to contact the Trust for a confidential discussion. This will ensure that the use of your gift honours your intentions and that it can be accepted by the Trust as supporting our aims.
If you are thinking of leaving a legacy to the Trust, please get in touch.
We encourage potential donors to ensure our full name and address is listed: Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, Andrew Carnegie House, Pittencrieff Street, Dunfermline KY12 8AW.
