Bristol SU is a registered charity, meaning the charity laws apply to us and you as a student groups. 

This means:

• Bristol SU and its affiliated groups cannot donate directly to another charity. However, groups can make donations via Bristol RAG to their chosen charities, as Bristol RAG have a separate bank account for this purpose. You can also use platforms such as JustGiving.
• Money in your account from membership, grants, or general profits can only be used to run your group. However, money in your account specifically raised for charity can be donated via Bristol RAG to your chosen charity.
• Student groups can only make donations to charities registered with the Charity Commission and other parts of the SU such as Nightline and the Sanctuary Scholars Fund. Groups can still raise funds for Community Interest Companies (CICs), unregistered charities and crowdfunding campaigns however members will need to donate directly to these causes and not via your SU bank account.

How do we donate to charity via Bristol RAG?

Bristol RAG (or Raising and Giving) is the fundraising arm of Bristol SU. Founded over 90 years ago to make a difference to the local community. They raise thousands of pounds each year and support all student groups to fundraise for charity. Visit RAG's website to find out more.

All charity donations made via RAG are received by bank transfer, once you have completed your fundraising and the money is in your SU bank account you will need to email the student services team with the following information.

• Name of the charity and charity number
• The charity's bank details - account number and sort code
• The amount you wish to donate
• Evidence the money was raised for charity – this could be a promotional poster, or screenshot of a Facebook event just make sure it is clear that the event is raising money for a specific charity.

Once all the charity's information has been verified your money will be transferred in Bristol RAG's independent account and then on to your chosen charity. This process can take up to 6 weeks at certain points of the year.

How do we donate to Nightline/Sanctuary Scholars Fund?

These donations will be made as internal transfers within Bristol SU, when you are ready to make your donation email the student services team with the following information:

• The campaign/support group you would like to donate to 
• The amount you wish to donate
• Evidence the money was raised for this campaign or group

Can I donate to charity and claim it back as an expense through my group?

No, donations cannot be claimed back via expenses as this would count as the group giving directly to charity which the law does not allow.