You helped us raise £100k in 2012 - can you help support new projects in 2013?
2012 was a challenging year for us financially. But thanks to your generous support, we succeeded in raising £100k in general funds to help us get through. This year we are focusing our fundraising efforts on specific projects, including some where we have already have part of the funding promised, but need your support to make them happen:
- An on-going PhD at Reading University on the biodiversity impacts of agroforestry (PDF 3.1 MB). This project is already 50% funded by Reading University.
- An on-going PhD at Cranfield University on the climate change impacts of large-scale conversion to organic farming (PDF 1.3MB). This project is part-funded by the Ratcliff Foundation
- Continuing our work on the development of sustainability assessment methods. We have 50% funding for a new 2-year project from the Ekhaga Foundation. Can you match it? (Details will be available on-line shortly, but in the meantime are available on request from Bruce Pearce.)
- Match-funding a potentially 50%-funded LIFE+ proposal to demonstrate soil biological management to producers. (Details will be available on-line shortly, but in the meantime are available on request from Anja Vieweger.)
We are also looking for support to:
- Develop and continue research in areas not currently the subject of calls for project applications, for example our legumes research (PDF 181KB)
- Continue and develop our policy advocacy (PDF 67KB) work with governments and research funders
- Continue ORC events, publications and other activities (PDF 135KB)
- Carry out essential repair and refurbishment (PDF 91KB) work on our buildings and develop the farmhouse at Elm Farm as a base for training events and short courses
- Install Solar PV (PDF 55KB) to meet our current electricity requirements and generate future income
Further details on any of these projects can be provided on request – please contact Gillian Woodward.
If you would like to see how donations to the Charity have been used previously, please see our annual reports.
Please donate now!
To increase the value of your donation by 25% at no extra cost to you, please tick to confirm that you are a UK taxpayer (paying at least as much UK income tax and/or capital gains tax in the year in which you donate as the amount that will be claimed by us) and would like the Organic Research Centre to treat as a Gift Aid donation:
Unrestricted donations provide us with flexibility in how we can use your donation. If you would like to specifiy how your donation should be used, you will be able to do so once you have clicked on the Donate button.
You can also text donations up to £10 to 70070 with the message ‘ORCE11 £amount’ (e.g. ORCE11 £10).
Become a Friend of ORC
While one-off donations are always very welcome, a regular monthly or annual donation provides us with increased security of income and allows us to provide you some benefits in return. By becoming a Friend you will receive the ORC Bulletin, additional information on our activities, free ORC publications, discounts on or free access to events and invitations to Friends-only events.
You can become a Friend by completing the Standing Order Mandate, available from Gillian Woodward, and making a regular donation. (For fraud prevention reasons we regret that we are not able to make the Standing Order Mandate available on-line.)
Please make your contribution as generous as you can - If you can afford £10/month or £100 per year or more, this would really help us make progress. But in view of the services provided in return, we do ask for the following minimum donations from Friends:
- Individual annual donation - £50 minimum
- Charities/NGO annual donation - £100 minimum
- Corporate annual donation - £250 minimum
As with one-off donations, you can Gift Aid your regular Friend donations using the Standing Order Mandate form, increasing their value to us by 25%.
Leaving a legacy
By including us in your Will or adding a Codicil (PDF 378KB), you will be enabling us to continue to develop our work and activities well into the future. As we are a charity, all legacies to ORC are free from inheritance tax.
You can find further information on legacy donation from your solicitor or by visiting legacy giving sites such as www.rememberacharity.org.uk.
We may not be registered as a member with these sites, but you can find full details about us on the Charity Commission website www.charitycommission.gov.uk. You or your solicitor will need to use the formal charity name Progressive Farming Trust Ltd or our Registered Charity number 281276 to find us there.
Donating shares
The option to donate shares to a charity applies to many listed shares and unit and investment trusts. As a charitable donation this is normally free of capital gains tax. To be sure of the current tax implications, you should check with your financial advisor or HMRC.