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Share giving

Turn your unwanted shares into a gift that saves lives when you donate them to the RNLI. 

Three lifeboat crew members are stood on the bow of a Shannon class lifeboat at sea, with a B class lifeboat alongside

Photo: RNLI/Nigel Millard

Your share gift will help make a lifesaving difference

Why should I give a share gift?

When you make a donation of shares to charity, they are a valuable source of income for us. We turn them into funds to power our lifesaving work. They help us train, equip and kit our volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards.

And you can benefit too! Not only will you have the knowledge that your share gift has helped to save lives, you may also be entitled to relief from income tax and capital gains tax on the value of your donation. For further information, contact your financial adviser or tax office.

How can I give a share gift?

Share giving can be done in two ways, depending on the value of the shares.

  1. If your shares are worth more than £500, you can donate them to us to sell through our stockbrokers. Simply complete and submit the contact form.
  2. If your shares are worth less than £500, it might not be cost-effective for us to sell them ourselves. We work with a share donation charity, ShareGift, to handle small holdings on our behalf. See ShareGift for more information

What will the RNLI do with my share gift?

Share gifts are a valuable source of income for the RNLI. If you do decide to give a gift of shares, it is our policy to make sure they are sold as soon as possible. If we hold onto your shares, their value might change, and we believed that we shouldn’t speculate with gifts entrusted to us.

We can accept share gifts that are:

  • In UK listed companies
  • Ordinary shares
  • Gilts
  • Unit trusts and bonds
  • In the donor's name (please do not transfer shares into the RNLI's name as this causes administration problems)
  • Held in nominee accounts (just indicate that they are held in a nominee account when you fill out the contact form)

Once you have filled in the contact form, your enquiry will be directed to our stockbrokers. They will contact you soon afterwards to make arrangements for the transfer and sale of your shares.