About GiveWell UK

GiveWell UK is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and the official UK partner of GiveWell, a US 501(c)(3) organization that identifies outstanding giving opportunities by conducting in-depth research to determine how effectively given programs can save and improve lives per dollar spent. GiveWell UK is dedicated to helping donors in the United Kingdom find and support these outstanding giving opportunities through tax deductible donations.

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Donating to GiveWell UK

You can make a donation to GiveWell UK in the following ways:

  1. Through our donation processing partner Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) via:
    • Credit/debit card (recurring or one-time)
    • PayPal
    • CAF account
  2. Bank/wire transfer
  3. Stock or securities

See below for more details about each donation method. We are not able to accept physical cheques at this time.

Whatever donation method you choose, we encourage you to make your donation plans early if you need to meet a deadline for tax purposes. If you have other questions about donating, please review our FAQ here or contact us at UKdonations@givewell.org.

GiveWell UK is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) with registered charity number #1196392. Eligible UK taxpayers are able to take tax deductions for donations to GiveWell UK to the extent permitted by UK tax laws. GiveWell UK can claim Gift Aid for eligible donations. Please note that donations to GiveWell UK are irrevocable and donor requests to grant donations to our recommended charities are subject to our approval (more details on GiveWell UK's approval process here).

Charities Aid Foundation (CAF)

You can make a donation through CAF via credit card, PayPal, or a CAF account:

Please note that donations through CAF are capped at £9,999. CAF charges GiveWell UK a fee of 4.0% of your total donation (including Gift Aid) for one-time donations, and 2% of your gross donation for recurring donations. As of July 1, 2024, there is a minimum charge of 20p per recurring donation, and there is no longer a cap on fees for recurring donations. To maximize the impact of your gift to GiveWell UK, we suggest using CAF for donations of £1,000 or less, and using a wire transfer for larger amounts.

CAF may contact you to verify your identity, source of wealth, and source of funds in order to comply with the UK Money Laundering Regulations. More information on this screening can be found in the GiveWell UK FAQ page.

Bank wire/transfer

You can make a donation via wire transfer directly to GiveWell UK by filling out this form and sending a wire to the account listed below. Doing so will:

  • enable us to match your contact information with the wire transfer we receive and send you a receipt
  • allow you to specify your preference for how we allocate your donation
  • reduce the administrative cost associated with processing your donation

Donations received without an accompanying donation form submission or identifying information in the wire memo will be treated as anonymous donations to our All Grants Fund, which we will use to support our full range of grantmaking. After completing this form, please use GiveWell’s bank account information below to complete your transfer:

UK Wire Account Information:
Account: 23181745
Sort Code: 502116
IBAN: GB48NWBK50211623181745
BIC: NWBKGB2L
Branch address: PO Box 281, 156 Fleet Street, London, EC4A 2DX

Please note that donations to GiveWell are irrevocable in most cases and donor requests to grant donations to our recommended charities are subject to the GiveWell UK trustees’ approval (more details on our approval process here). If you have any questions about how to donate via wire transfer, please email us at ukdonations@givewell.org before making your donation.

We do not charge fees for donations made by wire transfer; however, due to administrative costs, we recommend only using wire transfer for donations of £1,000 or more.

Stock/securities or the proceeds of stock/securities

We partner with Prism the Gift Fund, a specialist charitable giving service, to handle all stock donations. Due to the fees and administrative requirements for processing donations of stock, we ask that donors donate stock only if the value of the stock at the time of transfer is estimated at £10,000 or more. There are two ways to donate stock to GiveWell UK:

  • Direct Stock Transfer: You can transfer shares directly to Prism, who will then process your donation to GiveWell UK. Prism handles all the administrative complexity, ensures optimal tax treatment, and provides proper documentation for your tax return. If you are interested in this approach, please complete our UK securities donation form. When your form is received, we will connect you with Prism who will take you through the final steps!
  • Gift of Shares Process: We understand some accounts don’t have the option to transfer shares from a UK brokerage account to another brokerage account that’s not in the same name. If you’re in this position, we support an alternative workflow. Through Prism, shares can be signed over via a “Gift of Shares” letter. You can then sell the shares in your brokerage account on behalf of the charitable fund and transfer the proceeds. Prism is responsible for administering these funds and ensuring that all their activities abide by the Charity Commission regulations. Prism will also provide the donor with a confirmation of receipt and tax statement. We would be happy to explain further details to donors who would find this workflow useful for their situation. Please reach out to us here if this option is best suited for you or if you have any questions!

Getting started: Whether you choose direct stock transfer or our gift letter process, Prism handles all administrative aspects to ensure your donation achieves maximum tax efficiency and impact. Please contact us to discuss which approach works best for your situation, and we’ll coordinate with Prism to guide you through the process step by step.

Ready to donate? Complete our UK securities donation form or get in touch with our team to explore your options.

Contact information

  • Email: UKdonations@givewell.org
  • Mailing address:
    GiveWell UK
    c/o Bates Wells
    First Floor
    10 Queen Street Place
    London EC4R 1BE

List of trustees

  • Luke Ding. Luke is a former finance professional having held a number of senior management positions at NatWest and Merrill Lynch, and a senior partner role at fund management firm Brevan Howard. He now engages full time with his philanthropic activities in parallel with ongoing business interests. He is a keen supporter of many organisations associated with Effective Altruism and has sponsored national deworming programmes in Burundi and Madagascar. He is also a board member of Founders Pledge.
  • Elie Hassenfeld. Elie is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of GiveWell. He previously worked in the hedge fund industry, which he left to co-found GiveWell in 2007. He also serves on the Board of Managers of Open Philanthropy, LLC. He enjoys taking up (and mostly failing at) new athletic pursuits and spending time with his wife and young children.
  • David House. David is a software engineer and senior manager in the financial services industry. He has been a supporter of the Effective Altruism movement for more than a decade. In his spare time David is a keen runner and totally besotted by his two cats!

Official records

UK government approvals

Policies and governing documents