Support us

Personal philanthropy

Practical Action works with communities to find practical solutions to the poverty they face. By considering a significant personal donation, you can be a vital role in improving people's livelihoods.

We have a dedicated team who will give your donation maximum benefit to the communities we work with. By supporting Practical Action, you will join us in our commitment to poverty reduction, and share our vision of a world free of poverty and injustice in which technology is used to the benefit of all.

What is a major gift?
Why give a major gift?
How can I give?
Impact investments

A donation of £5,000 or more which can include cash, shares, property, or an item such as a piece of jewellery, a stamp album or a painting. There are many committed supporters who make an annual major donation each year.

It’s tax effective too, which is why we often receive major gifts in the last quarter of the financial year. If you are a UK tax payer and you've given us permission, we can claim Gift Aid on your donation (currently 25% for basic rate tax payers) but if you pay a higher rate of income tax (40% or above), you could be entitled to a tax rebate on your donation, worth the difference between the basic rate of tax and your higher rate. You can reclaim the tax on your donation by contacting your local tax office requesting a P810 form. If you have any queries about your tax position, contact HMRC on 0845 9000 444

You can talk to us about the difference you want to make, whether that's in a particular country, or for a certain type of technology, or to help a particular group of people and you can even visit the work you have funded, as well as receiving regular feedback, photographs, and testimonials.

We can give you more involvement in Practical Action's work, through our Chair's Circle who are supporters willing and able to commit £5,000 a year.

Our major donors are supporters who want to make a big impact, and who have the means to do so. Our major donors come from all walks of life - and they share a desire to give people in developing countries the tools they need to improve their future.

Get in touch with us to ensure that we realise the full potential of your gift. We accept all types of payment, including bank transfers, cheques and you can even donate online. If you'd like to do a bank transfer, our details are:

Sort code = 20-73-63
Account number = 70512761
Account name = Practical Action
Bank = Barclays Bank, Rugby
Reference = your surname AND postcode, or if you know it, your Practical Action supporter number

While the most common way to make a major gift is via an annual contribution, often at the end of the financial year, there are other types of support which have a major benefit, including donating shares and property, and ‘impact investment’ in overseas social enterprises.

Access to capital remains one of the biggest barriers to growth for small businesses in the developing world. Practical Action is working in a consortium that will build a fund to provide small scale investments in such firms as well as broker relationships between the firms and social investors seeking a developmental impact from their investment

Practical Action is inviting donors to provide a sum of £5,000 or more, which will underwrite technical assistance for the target companies as they prepare their investment case to possible investors.

Donors will be updated regularly on the firms that they are supporting as well as on their longer term progress in securing the equity or loan finance that they need to grow.