General FAQs
I am a supporter and regular donor - how do I change my personal information?
It’s really important to us that the information we hold about you is accurate.
You can help us keep our records up to date by telling us if and when your contact details and other personal information changes.
To make changes to the information we hold about you, please contact our Fundraising team at fundraising@theiet.org or call us on +44 (0)1438 767253.
Ways to donate
How can I make a donation online?
It’s quick and easy to donate online. From our online donation website, you can:
- make a one-off or monthly donation
- make a donation in memory of someone special.
Can I send a cheque in the post?
If you would like to write a cheque please make it payable to The Institution of Engineering and Technology.
You’ll need to complete and enclose a Gift Aid Declaration form with your cheque.
To ensure we know exactly how you would like it to be used please address the envelope:
IET Futures Fund
Institution of Engineering and Technology
Futures Place
Kings Way
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG1 2UA
Can I donate by text?
Yes. Text to donate is an easy way to give to us – using your mobile phone. It only takes a few seconds to make a difference.
Text one of the following to 70660:
- To donate £10 text FUTURE10
- To donate £20 text FUTURE20
- To donate £30 text FUTURE30
By adding YES to the end of your text, you can give us permission to keep you updated about the Futures Fund. We would love to stay in touch with you.
You will be charged one standard network rate message for this transaction.
For more information please read the small print.
I live outside the UK - how can I donate to you?
Our fundraising platform accepts many currencies.
You may be charged conversion fees by your bank. Your donation will appear as being made in GBP.
You can also find us on Benevity and Global Giving.
If you would like to discuss your gift please contact Elsa Scott at fundraising@theiet.org.
Will I receive an acknowledgement?
We will always thank and acknowledge you when you donate directly to us whenever we are aware this has happened. If you’ve made a donation online, you will receive an email confirmation almost immediately. If you have sent us a gift through the post or by paying directly from your bank, we will contact you by post unless you have asked us not to.
If you’ve donated to us via a third-party platform, such as Enthuse, the thank you and acknowledgement will come directly from the service provider and we will also send a personal thank you by email.
There may be other occasions where you have donated to the Futures Fund, directly or indirectly, and we are not aware this has happened. We are truly grateful for every donation we receive, and we will make every effort to thank and acknowledge everyone who has donated to us.
If you don’t receive an acknowledgement and would like one, please contact our development team by emailing fundraising@theiet.org or calling +44 (0)1438 767253.
Can I leave you a gift in my will?
Absolutely. We’re delighted to receive donations left to us as legacies, and any gift no matter how large or small makes a difference. Find out more about gifts in wills.
Direct Debits
Can I donate to the Futures Fund every month?
We’re grateful for regular donations.
You can set up a monthly donation or Direct Debit online. Simply select ‘Monthly’ when asked ‘How often would you like to give?’ when making a donation. You will then be prompted to choose how much you would like to give and complete your bank details.
You will receive an email to confirm the recurring payment you’ve set up. You’ll get a separate email receipt for the first payment. If you’re paying by Direct Debit, you’ll get another email with your Direct Debit guarantee.
Do you prefer people to make regular gifts rather than one-off donations?
Long-term donations enable us to plan for the future and ensure money is available where it is needed most or has the most impact.
I have a Direct Debit that I want to update. How do I change the amount or add new bank details?
|f you’ve set up a recurring donation to a charity and you’d like to change how much you donate, all you need to do is start a new donation with the new amount. The old recurring donation can then be cancelled.
Is making a donation online secure?
We have chosen Enthuse as our online donation service provider.
The donations they collect on our behalf are always held in a separate account prior to being distributed, which ensures that donations are completely ring-fenced and will always be protected. Enthuse is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 for the provision of payment services, under the reference number 797344.
What does the Futures Fund do with my donation?
Your donations help us continue our work to bring our programmes to even more young people so we can inspire and support future engineers in the profession.
Your money will help us to provide a variety of services that help make sure engineering is accessible to as many children and young people as possible.
Find out more about what we do, or see a detailed breakdown of how we’ve spent our income in our annual report, our Futures Fund Impact report or the ’Where your money goes page.
How will you use my donations?
Every year, we invest time and resources into our education and award programmes for young people.
Through your donations, we are able to reach more schools and children, meaning that teams who would not otherwise be able to take part in our STEM programmes can and, through your donations, we are able to offer more students and apprentices the great opportunity to receive funding towards their apprenticeship or studies in engineering, supporting them towards a career in the sector.
Can you use my donation for a specific aspect of your work?
We provide a variety of services that help make sure engineering is accessible to as many children and young people as possible, from helping provide the logistical, administrative and technical expertise and backing to ensuring our STEM challenges can go ahead in as many regions across the UK and Ireland as possible to offering more scholarships to those most deserving and for whom we can make the biggest difference.
We plan these services very carefully to ensure we can deliver our education and awards programmes as widely as possible. We review our services regularly to make sure they are providing the best value for money and maximum impact.
For this reason, we prefer to use donations to fund whichever of our programmes are most in need, but if you would like us to use your gift towards a specific aspect of our work we will comply wherever possible. Please contact Elsa Scott at fundraising@theiet.org or by telephone: +44 (0)1438 767253.
Gift Aid
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a government scheme that helps your support go further. If you’re a UK taxpayer and opt-in to Gift Aid, the Futures Fund can claim an extra 25p for every £1 donated, at no extra cost to you. That’s as long as you’ve paid the basic rate of tax and make the donation from your own funds. That means Gift Aid can increase the value of your donations by 25%, making your donations go further for the causes you care about.
How does Gift Aid help the Futures Fund do more for young people?
Gift Aid helps us do more to bring our programmes to even more young people so we can inspire and support future engineers into the profession. It will help us to provide a variety of services that help make sure engineering is accessible to as many children and young people as possible.
How is Gift Aid calculated?
The Futures Fund can claim Gift Aid when you make a monetary donation from your own funds and have paid UK Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax during that tax year. To qualify for Gift Aid, the amount of tax you pay needs to be at least equal to the value of Gift Aid the Futures Fund will claim on your donation(s). If circumstances change and you no longer pay enough tax, it’s important to tell all the charities you support. If you don’t tell them and they continue claiming Gift Aid, you’ll need to pay any difference back to HMRC.
I’m a pensioner, can I still give you the option to claim Gift Aid?
You are eligible for Gift Aid if you have paid enough tax this year to cover the amount we are reclaiming on your donations. Income from state pensions alone is unlikely to meet this threshold, but if you are still paying tax on a private pension plan, savings account, or capital gains this may mean you still qualify for Gift Aid.
How can I make sure I’ve paid enough tax to use Gift Aid?
You can use Gift Aid if the amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax you’ve paid in any tax year (from 6 April one year to 5 April the next) covers the amount of tax we will reclaim on your donations. For advice on how to check if you’ve paid enough tax to use Gift aid, please visit the GOV.UK website.
Will I have to pay anything extra?
No. We claim Gift Aid from the tax you have already paid, so there are no hidden charges to you. But it is important to be aware that if you pay less Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in that tax year, then it is your responsibility to pay any difference. Ticking the box for Gift Aid does not change your tax status.
I am sending my donation by cheque. How can I add Gift Aid?
If you are sending us a cheque we would be grateful if you can complete and enclose the Gift Aid Declaration form with your cheque.
What If I’m a higher-rate taxpayer?
If you pay a higher rate of tax, you can also claim the difference between the higher rate of tax (40%) and the basic rate (20%) on the total (gross) value of your donation. For more information on claiming back higher rate tax please visit the GOV.UK website.
What if I’ve already signed up for Gift Aid for another charity?
That’s absolutely fine. You can Gift Aid your donations to multiple charities, as long as you pay enough tax to cover the amount the charities will reclaim.
I have already given the IET permission to claim Gift Aid on my donation. Why am I being asked again?
Many of our members donate to Foothold (formerly the IET Benevolent fund and an independent charity) and have signed a Gift Aid Declaration for that charity. We cannot use that declaration to claim Gift Aid on its own behalf.
I am no longer a UK taxpayer. How do I cancel my Gift Aid?
If you no longer pay sufficient tax and wish to cancel your Gift Aid declaration, our Development team will be happy to help you. You can reach them by phone at +44 (0)1438 767253, email: fundraising@theiet.org or by post at:
IET Futures Fund
Institution of Engineering and Technology
Futures Place
Kings Way
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
SG1 2UA
If you would like any more information about Gift Aid, please visit the GOV.UK website.
Security
Is making a credit card donation online secure?
We have chosen Enthuse as our online donation service provider.
The donations they collect on our behalf are always held in a separate account prior to being distributed, which ensures that donations are completely ring-fenced and will always be protected. Enthuse is registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 for the provision of payment services, under the reference number 797344.
What will you do with my details?
When you submit one of our online forms, you agree to us recording your details on our database, so we can provide you with the best possible support every time you contact us.
We may contact you again by phone, email, text, or post to tell you more about our services and other ways you can help, including opportunities to donate, volunteer or fundraise. We promise to keep your details safe and never sell or swap them with anyone. Our Privacy Policy explains how we keep this promise.
If you don’t want to hear from us or change your mind about how we contact you, email fundraising@theiet.org or by telephone: +44 (0)1438 767253.
If I supply a phone number for authentication will the charity be able to access this?
No, all additional details for verification are through the payment service provider and your bank so information outside of the Futures Fund donation form will not be seen by us.