Oxfam volunteer Siena receives a bag of donations at the Islington Oxfam shop. Photo: Gabi Torres / Oxfam.
Every time you Gift Aid your donations, you can make them worth 25% more when they sell – making every penny count towards fighting poverty now and beating it for good.
Simply sign up online to receive your welcome pack in the post or visit your local shop and sign up on the spot. You’ll be given a unique donor number to tag your bag of donations with, allowing our shop teams to track each item you give and claim that life-changing extra 25% when they sell.
By signing up you also allow Oxfam to claim Gift Aid on any financial donations you may have given in the last four years, or that you choose to give in the future, so your support can go even further in helping to fight poverty.
Gift Aid is a scheme run by HM Revenue and Customs that allows charities like Oxfam to reclaim the tax on donations by UK taxpayers. Registering for the scheme means we can claim the Gift Aid on any goods that you bring into your local Oxfam shop.
Retail Gift Aid - how it works
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Sign up online, in your local Oxfam shop or by calling Supporter Relations on 0300 200 1300.
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Tag your bag of donations with your unique donor number; you’ll receive a membership card with your donor number on when you sign-up. Online or phone sign-ups will receive this card by post along with a sheet of personalised tags to use when you next donate in-store.
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Donate your items to an Oxfam shop making sure your tag is securely on your bag of goods. Extra tags are available to request by post or as a printable template. If you ever forget your number just ask your local shop or contact our Supporter Relations team who will be happy to look it up for you.
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We track your items and can claim Gift Aid when they sell.
If your items don't sell, wherever possible they'll be recycled or reused, for example at our unique Wastesaver textile recycling facility, so they can still help Oxfam fight poverty. -
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Enjoy the feeling of fighting poverty. The money your unwanted goods raise, along with the money we collect from Gift Aid, could build water pumps, dig vegetable plots, send children to school and give families a better future. We’ll be in touch up to twice a year to let you know how much your donated items have raised towards fighting poverty now and beating it for good.
FAQs
What is Gift Aid?
Gift Aid is a government scheme that allows charities to reclaim basic rate tax (25%) on your gift, increasing the value of your donations at no extra cost to you.
How can you track my donations?
When you sign up to the scheme you will receive a unique donor number which you should use to tag each bag of donations you give. Your local shop team will then give each item in your donation a barcode so we know when they’ve sold and can claim Gift Aid on the amount they raise.
Where is my nearest Oxfam shop?
You can find your nearest Oxfam shop with our handy Shop Finder
What stock does Oxfam need?
Good quality clothing, accessories (shoes, jewellery and bags), books, music, homewares, soft furnishings and much more. Find out more about what to donate.
Will I receive lots of communication from Oxfam if I sign up?
When you sign up online or by phone, we will send your personalised membership card and Gift Aid tags in the post. We will also contact you (currently up to twice a year) to let you know how much your goods have sold for and how much Gift Aid they’ve raised. This is a legal requirement of the Gift Aid scheme and it saves Oxfam money if we can share this by email.
If you gave us your permission to contact you by email and/or post we will contact you from time to time to keep you informed of Oxfam’s projects, fundraising activities and appeals. We will not share your data, will keep your personal information secure, and you can unsubscribe at any time. If you change your mind about how you want us to contact you then you can easily change your preferences.
What happens if my items do not sell?
When it comes to clothes or books, almost everything that's donated will make money for Oxfam and next to nothing ends up in landfill. Clothing is sorted and sold to textile wholesalers or recycling traders who go on to make fabrics into mattress filling or carpet underlay.
Are all Oxfam shops able to claim Gift Aid on my donations?
All Oxfam shops will be taking part with the exception of our shops in Northern Ireland.
I'm not a UK taxpayer - can I still join in?
In order for Oxfam to claim Gift Aid on your donations from the UK government, you must be a UK taxpayer. However, even if you can’t Gift Aid your donations, we’d love for you to keep bringing your pre-loved items to us and we’ll still be able to put them to good use to continue fighting poverty.
I’ve stopped paying tax – can I close my account?
If your circumstances change and you no longer pay tax then please complete our online form or speak to our Supporter Relations team on 0300 200 1300 so we can close your close your Gift Aid Declaration and your participation in the scheme. You will no longer need to tag your bag when you donate to your local Oxfam shop. However, even if you can’t Gift Aid your donations, we’d love for you to keep bringing your pre-loved items to us and we’ll still be able to put them to good use to continue fighting poverty.
I’ve moved house, do I need to update my details?
In order to claim Gift Aid from your donation we are required to hold your current home address. If you need to change your contact details you can do that using the forms linked here or speak to our Supporter Relations team on 0300 200 1300 and they can update your details for you.
Terms and conditions for Retail Gift Aid
By signing up to Retail Gift Aid, you are agreeing that you:
- Want to Gift Aid any donations made to Oxfam now, in the future and in the past four years. You are a UK taxpayer and understand that if you pay less Income and /or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in the relevant tax year, it is your responsibility to pay any difference. The Gift Aid claimed will be used to help fund the whole of Oxfam's work.
- Will contact us if you want to cancel or amend this declaration, if you no longer pay sufficient Income and/or Capital Gains Tax or if your address changes. We are required to hold your current home address to identify you as a UK taxpayer; if we do not have this we may be unable to claim the Gift Aid on your donations.
- Understand that Oxfam Activities Limited (OAL) will attempt to sell the items on your behalf and that a commission charge will apply. The rate of commission is set annually; currently it is 3% (including VAT).
- Own, as an individual, all items provided for sale and that they were obtained legally.
- Allow OAL to sell the items in whatever manner it decides in order to maximise the value of the sale and to allow OAL to dispose of those items which in OAL's opinion have no saleable value and acknowledge that your items cannot be returned.
- Will be contacted up to twice a year to advise you that your items have sold and to confirm your consent that the proceeds of the sale can be donated to Oxfam. We will wait until the proceeds reach a minimum amount before contacting you.
- Your data will be processed by Oxfam and Oxfam Activities Limited, and also by our data processing supplier, operating under stringent data protection rules. We will not share your personal data with any other organisation without your permission.
Please note shops in Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey do not take part in this scheme.