NINE things you (probably) didn't know about donating to LionHeart
As LionHeart’s 125th anniversary year draws to an end, we’re issuing an end of year plea to RICS professionals to support their charity during the RICS subs renewal period or - if their employer pays their subs - to make a donation on the LionHeart website.
Traditionally, donations made by individual surveyors through their RICS subs have always been one of the most important sources of income for LionHeart, allowing us to expand the ways we can help people and also meet rising demand over recent years.
So with subs renewal time upon us, we thought we’d tell you NINE things you (probably) didn’t know about donating to LionHeart...
- During the 2024 ‘subs’ campaign, around 20,000 surveyors made donations to LionHeart - amounting to almost half a million pounds (thank you!)
- In 2023/24, LionHeart gave out £597,000 in financial grants to surveyors and their families who were facing difficult circumstances
- It’s your donations, and the donations of surveyors before you, that have kept us here as a support organisation for people just like you, during difficult times. We spent £2.4 million on our charitable aims during the financial year 2023/24, from giving grants to providing counselling and other professional support
- LionHeart is an independent charity and receives no funding from RICS or any other body. As such, we rely on YOU in order to be able to keep supporting you and people just like you
- Changes to the RICS subs process mean more and more RICS professionals have their membership fees paid for them by their employers, so don’t get their own subs invoice and - crucially - that very easy way to donate their £25 to LionHeart. This has led to a drop in donations; £44,000 less in 2024 than 2023, for example
- Demand for our help has gone up by over 100% in the last five years. But donations have dropped by 40% over the same period
- Almost 80% of the subs donations we received last year were from UK-based surveyors
- And almost 80% of the donations from UK professionals had Gift Aid declarations with them - boosting the value of their donations by a quarter (at no extra cost to them - win win!) If the remaining 20% of those UK taxpayers had a Gift Aid declaration in place, it would have raised an additional £22,000. (Motto: say yes to Gift Aid!)
- If even half the membership in the UK and Ireland were to donate the suggested £25 to LionHeart, that would raise £1.25million - wouldn’t that be a feat as we end our 125th anniversary year?
Faye Smith, Supporter Engagement & Fundraising Manager for LionHeart, said: “With the rising demand we're seeing for our services, we know that you need us... but we also need you. It’s your donations that allow us to keep providing our whole range of support services to the surveying community.
“We’re really proud to have been here for RICS professionals for 125 years, and we’re committed to being here for many more years, helping you and the surveyors of the future. Can you also commit to helping us?”
So, how can YOU help?
If you pay your own subs
Tick the box to tell RICS you want to donate £25 to us, they’ll make sure we get the money. If you'd like to give more, or less, or would prefer to set up a regular donation to suit you, you can click here to do so
If your company pays for you
You don’t get the chance to make your suggested £25 donation via the RICS subs portal, so please make a donation of your chosen amount securely, or set up a Direct Debit to suit you by clicking here
