Charities Aid Foundation

Company Profile

Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) exists to accelerate progress in society towards a fair and sustainable future for all. Over the last 100 years, CAF has led the way in developing innovative approaches to giving. Annually, it distributes over £1 billion to charities around the world.

We do this in three ways. We partner with individual and business donors to realise greater impact through their giving; we enable charities to do more life-changing work; and we collaborate across sectors and borders to inspire innovation so civil society may thrive.

For our high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, our advice puts their philanthropic goals to work. Our private philanthropy clients inspire our teams at every turn, stepping forward with generosity, advancing their giving plans and seeking our counsel on how to achieve the most impact through their donations.

We also support colleagues in the wealth adviser community with our expertise so that they may better navigate the needs of donors and charities alike. 

For our clients

Over the last year, we safely delivered a record amount of funds to charities in 119 countries on behalf of our clients. For our donors we provide:

• CAF Charitable Trust: Our donor-advised fund offers individuals a simple, flexible and tax-efficient way to manage their philanthropy without the cost or administration of setting up their own charitable foundation. Donations are made irrevocably to CAF, we can hold and / or invest the funds, while account holders can recommend grants to charities in the UK and overseas over time.
• Dual-qualified giving: The CAF American Donor Fund ensures dual UK and US taxpayers can make the most of any charitable giving and receive tax relief on both sides of the Atlantic.
• CAF Charitable Legacy Service: CAF offers a simple and flexible way to leave a gift in your will that will benefit multiple charities.
• CAF Donor Advised Gift: A giving vehicle for occasional, large-scale gifts to charity.
• Impact Consultancy: Strategic, evidence-based advice that makes giving more impactful. 

Personal philanthropy advice

For our private philanthropy clients, our tailored advice makes giving straightforward, targeted and reduces their financial risk. We support them with:

• Tax-effective giving: Providing information on tax reliefs available for different types of gifts – cash, shares and non-cash assets.
• Investments: Donors can access a range of options to invest assets to support their giving.
• International giving: Regulations that need to be considered when giving overseas.
• Next-generation philanthropy and how to involve families in philanthropy. 

For the wealth adviser community

We work closely with wealth advisers and other professional adviser services to ensure they are better able to meet the philanthropy needs of their clients. Through the use of our giving solutions, advisory services and events, they are best positioned to strengthen relationships with clients and grow their business.

Our wealth adviser partners call on us for our philanthropy expertise and services. We offer them effective donor advised giving solutions without the cost of establishing them in-house.

For dual UK and US taxpayers

Our CAF American Donor Fund allows dual UK-US taxpayers to claim eligible UK and US tax relief on their giving. A clear understanding of the regulatory environment around cross-border giving means that dual UK-US taxpayers are able to turn to the CAF American Donor Fund for knowledgeable, safe and efficient ways to grant money to the charities and causes they care about.

The CAF American Donor Fund offers a range of benefits including:

• We can help your dual UK-US taxpayer clients claim eligible UK and US tax relief on all their global giving.
• With 25 years' experience, we're the market leader in offering philanthropy services for dual UK and US taxpayers.
• Our team of specialists in the UK and US handle all of the administration and compliance, allowing your clients to focus on the causes they wish to support.
• Our team offers a philanthropy advisory service, helping your clients discover the most impactful causes within the areas they are passionate about.
• Donors can give cash, appreciated securities or other non-cash assets such as property and artwork.
• If your clients move back to the US or the UK from their current base, they can continue to use CAF as their giving partner.