Fundraising - have you got a good idea?
We are always looking for new and exciting fundraising events to support, so if you have an interesting idea then we would love to hear from you.
You can also click here to donate online and directly support our services. Contact our Community Development Officer cdo@abilitywest.ie. We can give you guidance and support for your event.
You must contact our services prior to fundraising under the Ability West name Registered Charity No. 20011161.
We can give you support you with:
Insurance
Permits
Permissions etc so we make sure your energy and support is a success for all.
The team from Snipe who operate the Community Café
Bohermore Community Centre proudly showing off the new jackets gifted to them from the Bohermore Youth Matters Club
The team from Criost Linn Day Service
Clifden receiving the proceeds from the Charity Poker Night in Aid of Ability West from organisers Kevin Gavin and Simon O' Hora Clifden Poker Club
Tell us about your Fundraising idea?
Would you like to Become a Corporate Partner?
As a company, you can fund a specific project or programme in our units or schools in an area that will be meaningful to your staff and customers. You can choose to make a one-off charitable donation or provide funding over a number of years.
When you give over a number of years we can plan ahead, helping us achieve sustainable and effective change in our services.
We are always pleased to receive one-off donations and are happy to talk to you about our upcoming campaigns that might fit well with your strategic objectives and values.
Depending on your company’s objectives, we can identify potential sponsorship opportunities, aligning our upcoming projects with your work. You can meet the people who will benefit from your donation and get regular updates on progress.
Companies we collaborated with to date include:
Medtronic
Channel Mechanics
Channel Mechanics Team
Philanthropic Giving / Major Gifts
Becoming a major donor is an opportunity to fund a specific disability programme or project within our services. A major donation is a one-off donation or multi-annual funding in excess of €5,000. Major donations help us to plan ahead. This means we can achieve sustainable and effective services for children and adults with disabilities in our community.
There are many projects at Ability West due to the organisation’s wide range of services. Your generosity helps us to maintain different projects at different times of the year.
Sensory Rooms
Upgrading and re-decorating our sensory rooms in our residential, day or respite units is an ongoing requirement. Sensory rooms provide a quiet space for children and adults with disabilities and special sensory needs. It allows time alone to be calm in a room that appeals to the senses. This relates to touch, smell, sound, taste and sight. These senses are ignited or calmed in these sensory equipped rooms. Sensory equipment is costly and so your donation can support the upkeep of items or entire rooms.
Typical Sensory Room
how it all works…
We can designate a specific programme/area of work which you wish to support.
We will ensure you receive regular updates on our work and the impact of your support.
We will thank you through our key communications although sometimes our charity partners prefer to remain anonymous and we will respect this.
Leaving a Legacy
An often forgotten way to help a charity is to leave a legacy when you are making a will. By leaving Ability West a gift, you ensure that you continue to support a loved one’s service directly so that we can continue our important work in the future.
We understand that, of course, you will have other priorities. However, any gift you choose to leave us, no matter what size, will be deeply appreciated and will be enormous help towards our disability supports and services.
Leaving us a legacy in your will is a very tax effective way for you to donate as it is excluded from inheritance tax.
If you decide to go ahead and leave a legacy to Ability West, the next step is to contact a solicitor. If you already have a solicitor, speak to him or her about making a will, or changing your existing will to include a Ability West gift. If you do not currently have a solicitor, it is very easy to find one who’ll draw up a will for you. Almost all solicitors provide this service for a nominal fee.
Organising a legacy gift is easier than you might think.
Is it expensive to make a will?
A will is a legally binding document so it is best to ask a solicitor to help you make or amend your will. Their fee for doing so will usually be quite reasonable. A local recommendation is probably best for you.
Can I leave a legacy to more than one charity?
Yes. Irish people are very generous and often support more than one charity. You can include more than one charity in your will if you like. It is helpful if you can tell your solicitor each charity’s name, address and charity number. If you would like to include Ability West
Fundraising Compliance
Ability West is fully committed to adhering to the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public as set down by the Charities Regulator.
We also comply with the Charities Institutes Ireland, Triple Lock Standards ensuring transparent reporting, good fundraising and governance.
Ability West is very grateful to supporters and the general public for their generosity. We are committed to ensuring we live up to our reputation as a respectful, honest, transparent and open organisation, and we aim to continue to achieve the highest standards in fundraising practice. Ability West listens and responds to the views of the general public and our supporters so that we can continue to improve and we welcome both constructive criticism and positive feedback.
Ways to Donate
Post a cheque, bank draft or postal order
Made payable to:
Ability West
Blackrock House
Salthill
Galway H91 R254
Donate online
N.B. REFERENCE YOUR NAME & email us at cdo@abilitywest.ie to let us know the details of your bank transfer donation – this is so we track your donation & thank you for your kindness
Set up a regular direct debit
Contact cdo@abilitywest.ie to find out more
Leaving a Legacy
Find out more about Leaving a Legacy.
Wedding Favours
You can donate to our services as your wedding favours on your wedding day. More information in our Fundraising Events.
Ray Kelly Fundraises for Ability West by completing The Streets Of Galway 8km
Photo with Ray Kelly his wife Brega Kelly, Loretta O Donnell, Respite & Community Service manager, Sarah Molloy, Sean Mulvoy Hub Manager, Michael Flanagan, Community Development Officer
Taxpayer Giving
If you donated or plan to donate €250 (€21/month) or more in a calendar year, Ability West can claim an extra 45% from Revenue towards our services.
We require a completed CHY3 Form returned to our offices and we will submit this in our annual claim to Revenue. Only charities can seek this refund.
Questions you may have on how it works
What is the benefit?
Up to 45%! For example if you donate €250, Ability West can claim an extra €112.25 from Revenue, making your donation worth €362.25.
What donations are eligible?
If you are a taxpayer (self-employed, PAYE or joint-assessed) the donations you make to a charity can be eligible for a refund from Revenue – but only by the charity. You cannot claim the tax yourself.
I am self-employed, can I claim it myself?
Not anymore. Since 2013 self-employed people can no longer claim tax relief. Only charitable organisations can claim it on their behalf.
Does signing the form cost me anything?
Signing the CHY3 Good Form will not cost you a cent or impact your personal tax situation.
How much tax do I/my partner need to have paid to make my donation eligible?
You don’t need to be working full time or be paying a large amount of tax. Often, people pay tax on other forms of income such as a pensions, social welfare payments and investments etc. For example, if you donated €250 the tax rebate would be €112, so you would only need to have paid €112 in tax in the whole year.
What information do we need on the form?
If your donations are eligible for taxback, all we need is your PPS number, name and address and the date when your donations were made. If you are ‘associated’ with Ability West you will need to tick the relevant box.
Young Adult attending Sports Day What does ‘associated’ with the approved body (i.e. Ability West charity) mean?
You do not need to tick this box unless you are an employee or board member of Ability West. Donors and volunteers are not considered as being ‘associated’ with Ability West.
Do I have to share my tax details?
You don’t need to tell us how much you earn or what tax rate you pay. All we need is your PPS number which we retain securely for the purpose of submitting an end of year claim to Revenue from all donations received over €250 only. Revenue requires PPS numbers to calculate the value of the refund on donations which they deem to be eligible. We comply with data protection regulations.
Will I have to donate for 5 years if I sign the CHY3 Good Form?
No. Signing the CHY3 Good Form simply means that if you choose to support us during the next 5 years we can claim the tax back without asking you to sign another form; saving postage and admin time. However, if you would prefer not to sign the 5 year form you can complete an annual CHY4 form, valid for 1 year – just let us know and we can send you this.
What if I support more than one charity?
Each charity can claim the tax relief and Revenue will do the calculation, allocating the refund depending on how much tax you paid during the year.
We hope this will help to answer any questions you may have about the Charity Tax Rebate Scheme. The official notes provided by Revenue are with your CHY3 form and will provide you with additional information and below is an extract from Taxback.com.
Tax position – Ireland from 1st Jan 2013
‘With effect from 1 January 2013, the tax back position has changed and in fact the scheme for relief for charitable donations has been simplified considerably. There will no longer be any distinction between PAYE taxpayers and Self-Assessed taxpayers and the relief in respect of charitable donations will in all cases be refunded to the charity.
Relief will now be granted at the new blended rate of 31% rather than 20% or 41% as above. An annual limit of €1million per individual that can be donated under the scheme is also being introduced.
Charities will be required to obtain certificates from their donors confirming their PPS numbers, the eligibility of the donation and the fact that the tax they will pay for the year will be at least equal to the relief due to the charity. As part of the simplification process, provision is being made for an enduring certificate (CHY3 Good Form) which will last for up to five years and can be completed by a donor in lieu of an annual certificate.’
Reference: TaxBack.com