Your organization can partner with Giving Europe so that donors in 19 European countries receive the same tax benefits they would get for a gift to a charity in their own country. This article explains how the network works and when it makes sense to set it up.
When to use Giving Europe
- Your organization is based in the Netherlands and has donors in other European countries who want to give tax-effectively.
- A funder asks whether a tax receipt is available in their home country for a gift to your organization.
- You are running a fundraising campaign that targets donors across Europe.
You do not need Giving Europe when all your donors are based in the Netherlands. Dutch donors give directly and receive a gift deduction through your ANBI status (if you have that).
How Giving Europe works
Giving Europe is a network of partner foundations across 19 European countries. When a donor in one of those countries wants to support your organization, the donor gives to their national partner foundation instead of directly to you. That foundation issues a tax receipt valid in the donor's home country and transfers the net amount to your organization.
Your organization does not register in each donor's country. The local partner foundation already holds the charitable status and tax expertise that country requires.
Partner countries
In scope:
- The current 19 partner countries are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Out of scope:
- Giving Europe does not cover donors outside the 19 listed countries. Donors in the United States, Canada, Australia or elsewhere require a separate arrangement.
- Note: Dutch, Irish, and Portuguese donors cannot currently send outgoing donations through the network, even though those countries appear on the partner list (see Giving Europe: partner countries).
Costs
- Fees: Giving Europe retains 5% of the gross donation on gifts up to €100,000, with a degressive rate above that amount, see: Giving Europe: get started .
- Minimum amounts: Vary by country. Examples: £250 in the United Kingdom, €150 in Croatia, CHF 500 in Switzerland. Some countries have no minimum. Check each country's procedure at: Giving Europe: partner countries.
Become a listed beneficiary
Your organization must register with Giving Europe before donors can route gifts through the network. See Giving Europe: get started:
- Your organization must be a nonprofit or charitable organization based in a Giving Europe partner country.
- You complete a Grant Eligibility Application Form and name the countries where you have prospective donors.
- Each named donor-country partner approves your organization separately before donors in that country can route gifts to you.
On ANBI status: ANBI is relevant only for Dutch donors giving to Dutch organizations. For donors from other countries, the test is whether your organization qualifies under their own country's charity law. Dutch registration does not factor in.
Once registered
- Your organization appears on the Giving Europe platform and donors from partner countries can find you. Example: https://giving.eu/organisations/stichting-school-for-moral-ambition.
- Some donor-country partners require annual reporting from your organization. Giving Europe will inform you of these requirements during onboarding. Examples:
- Germany asks for an annual Funds Utilization Report;
- Croatia asks for an acknowledgement form describing how funds were used for public benefit;
- Estonia may request evidence of how funds were spent.