EMPLOYEES are to be offered another means of donating part of their wages to five charities.
Spectrum — a collaboration of charities set up in July 2004 — has been offering employees the opportunity to donate through their payroll.
This has the benefit that deductions are made before tax.
Payroll giving in the UK is well established. L
ast year, £85 million was deducted at source.
Take-up locally, however, has been slow, those behind Spectrum admit.
Therefore, it will now offer people the chance to donate by standing order.
Spectrum comprises the Isle of Man Children's Centre, Age Concern, Manx Blind Welfare, the Manx Foundation for the Physically Disabled and Manx Cancer Help.
Between them they have given 275 years' service to the community.
Chief executive of the Children's Centre John Knight said the idea of payroll giving saw 'some success', but not as much as Spectrum would have liked.
He said there needed to be a 'culture' of payroll giving established.
It proved difficult to speak directly to employees as they first needed to get permission from employers, said Richard Fowler, chief executive of the Manx Foundation for the Physically Disabled.
To this end, Spectrum is to appeal to wage earners through 38,000 leaflets being delivered to homes via the Courier in a couple of weeks.
The leaflet is entitled Spectrum – A Great Opportunity and includes a standing order form.
Mr Knight said: 'Spectrum gives the ability to help five charities with one single donation.
'There is also complete freedom to choose, as people could give £1 a month or £100 a month.'
Spectrum still plans to pursue payroll giving and is grateful for the support of those already donating directly.
Mr Knight added: 'People can be assured the money they give by standing order will be split between the five charities.'
Spectrum says everyone will, at some point, be touched by the work of one of the charities involved.
Doreen Smith, head of the Manx Blind Welfare Society, said: 'It is regular income that is crucial to charity work.'
For more information about Spectrum contact John Knight on 676076 or Richard Fowler on 628926.
