Charitable Trusts And How You Can Give Back

A charitable trust is a trust fund created for the benefit of the general public, religious, educational, scientific or other purposes.  It is essentially opposite of a private trust.

Charitable trusts have many benefits, many of which are tax related.  Any funds donated to charitable purposes are exempt from taxes including: income tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax, stamp duty tax, and national insurance surcharges.

In general, charitable trusts are not as strict in terms of what the gifts (monies) are used for and all the fine details that make private trusts more difficult and complex.

Most charitable trusts fit within 4 major areas which include the relief of poverty, the advancement of education, the advancement of religion, and the advancement of objects of general public utility.  But, there are additional types of charitable trust categories that might be of interest to you if you are looking to set up your own.  These areas include trusts to help the sick and disabled, trusts to help the aged, trusts to promote the efficiency of the armed forces, the police and other emergency services, trusts for local authority and other homes, trusts for political and political activity, and social sporting and recreational trusts