A new UK-wide Payroll Giving Grants programme has been launched today that gives financial rewards to small businesses that allow their employees to donate via payroll giving.

A Home Office funded initiative, organisations with fewer than 500 staff will receive up to £500 for setting up a scheme. In addition to this, the new grants programme will match the first £10 donated by each employee, every month, for a period of six months.

Fiona Mactaggart, charities minister, said: “Payroll Giving is something every organisation can get involved in, whatever their size. I hope this innovative new scheme, through which the government will double employees donations by up to £10 per month, will encourage more small and medium sized businesses to get on board.”

The Payroll Giving Grants programme is administered and promoted by the Institute of Fundraising (IoF) and Business in the Community (BitC). The IoF is to host a series of one day training workshops for charities to address how the programme will work, and to show how Payroll Giving can be used to build relationships with local businesses. For more information or to book place visit www.payrollgivinggrants.org.uk or call 0845 602 6786.