3. Which countries are part of the TGE?
4.What advantages do TGE offer to a beneficiary?
6. How can an organisation benefit from these advantages?
7. What type of donations can be made through the TGE?
8. Can TGE help with cross-border legacy requests?
9. What are the operational costs of the network?
10. Is there a minimum amount for a donation?
The TGE network was created in 1999 by several European foundations and associations in order to promote and facilitate transnational donations.
TGE represents a unique opportunity for donors to safely give to officially recognised non-profit organisations from another European country while benefiting from the tax reduction policy from the donor’s coutrny of residence.
3. Which countries are part of the TGE?
The TGE network is currently covering 19 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.
The network is constantly looking to extend to new countries and will warmly welcome new members from not covered yet countries.
4. What advantages do TGE offers to a beneficiary?
By providing a secured and tax-effective cross-border giving framework, TGE throws a bridge between beneficiaries and donors from different countries. Thanks to TGE, Receiving tax-free contributions from foreign donors, appealing to expatriates, approaching global partners such as multinational corporations, benefiting from borderless interest in your cause or capitalising on global exposure offered by Internet have become within arm’s reach.
The TGE network does not raise money on organisation’s behalf, but enables to make the most of fundraising opportunities available to your organisation in as many European countries as possible.
As you understand, TGE is a simple alternative for organisations to establishing a legal structure in every different European countries where the donors reside.
Two situations shall be distinguished:
(a) a donor wishes to make a donation to a European organisation based in another European country, or
(b) a European organisation having donors in different European countries wants to address them.
(a) How can I make a donation from one country to a European organisation based in another European country covered by the TGE network?
> Step 1 – Contact the beneficiary organisation:
First and foremost, the donor has to contact the recipient non-profit organisation to make sure it is affiliated to the TGE network.
> Steps 2 and 3 – Accession of the organisation to the TGE network:
If the recipient organisation is not yet affiliated to the TGE, it has to follow the application process (see question 6).
> Step 4 – Donation by bank transfer:
The donor, contacts his national TGE partner in order to collect the necessary information to complete the donation by bank transfer.
The donor has to make sure that the order of transfer mentions (i) the donor’s name, (ii) the donor’s residence address (to receive the donation certificate required to benefit from the tax deduction), and (iii) the recipient organisation’s name.
> Step 5 – Donation transfer:
Following the receipt of the donation and according to agreements between the different parties, the TGE partner carries out the transfer to the beneficiary, minus the operating costs.
> Step 6 – Donation certificate:
In February of the year following the donation (or sooner if the donor requests it), the donor receives a donation certificate to be included in the tax return form in order to benefit from the tax deduction allowed by the domestic laws.
(b) How can a European organisation receive tax deductible donations form donors based in different European countries covered by TGE?
> Step 1 – Accession of the organisation to the TGE network:
If the recipient organisation is not yet affiliated to the TGE, it has to follow the application process (see question 6).
> Steps 2 – Alerting the relevant other TGE members:
If the recipient organisation is accepted, contact will be made with the relevant TGE members to inform them donations will/could be made to the organisation. Relevant bank details will be given to the organisation for each country to allow them to start communication with their donors.
> Step 3 – Donation transfer:
Each TGE partner will transfer within agreed periods all the received donations at once, minus the operating costs, to the organisation with a list of donors.
> Step 4 – Donation certificate:
The TGE partner foundation issues a donation certificate and sends it to the donors in accordance with the laws of its country.
6. How can an organisation benefit from the advantages of the TGE network?
(a) Application
Any organisation legally recognized of public interest (non-profit) and wishing to benefit from donations through the TGE network has to submit an application to its country’s TGE partner foundation.
The organisation is asked to complete a questionnaire (the “Grant Eligibility Application” form or “GEA”) and to attach several documents (the organisation’s by-laws, the latest financial report, the latest financial audit, the proof of its tax exemption, etc.).
(b) Acceptation
The documents submitted by the candidate organisation are analyzed by its country’s TGE partner foundation. If the organisation is accepted, the TGE partner foundation passes on its file to the TGE partner foundations mentioned in the organisation’s GEA in order to receive their approval. Overall, the procedure can last from two to four weeks.
7. What type of donations can be made through the TGE?
Currently, the TGE network deals exclusively with monetary donations. Donations in kind, including movable or immovable assets, are not accepted.
For other kinds of cross-border donations, national TGE partners will be happy to help.
8. Can TGE help with cross-border legacy requests?
For enquiries about legacies in a transnational context please contact us at [email protected]. Our TGE partners are recognized experts in the field of cross-border philanthropy and can provide advice on a case by case basis.
9. What are the operational costs of the network?
The TGE network retains a contribution on the cross-border gifts channeled. This contribution supports the development of the network through activities such as digital development, finding new partner foundations or providing free practical information on philanthropy in Europe. The aim is to increase tax effective giving across Europe and accelerate the establishment of a single market for philanthropy.
A 5% contribution is applied on each gift up to 100.000 euros (or the equivalent in another currency), with a degressive fee structure on the donated amount above this mark.
For more information, please get in touch with your national TGE partner.
10. Is there a minimum amount for a donation?
In most countries, there is no minimum amount per donation. However, since some partners have to propose such a minimum and that this amount varies depending on the country, we would advise you to contact the relevant TGE partner directly.