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Registered Charity Offers Benefits for UK Donors

The University's new foundation provides tax relief to those who support education at Northwestern.

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Northwestern alumni and friends gathered in London last summer for a Celebrate Northwestern event.

Spring 2020
Impact

Northwestern is committed to expanding its impact on the world. Northwestern alumni, parents and friends around the globe are equally dedicated to supporting the University’s students, faculty and programs. To date, approximately 5,500 international donors have given more than $90 million to Northwestern as part of We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern.

If you live in the United Kingdom, you now have the opportunity to make tax-efficient gifts to the recently established Northwestern University (USA) Foundation Limited — an officially registered charity in England and Wales (registered charity number: 1184246). Gifts to the foundation are eligible for both U.K. and U.S. tax reliefs, meaning dual U.K.-U.S. taxpayers can claim tax reliefs in both the U.K. and U.S. on the same charitable donation. These gifts may be eligible for Gift Aid — a U.K. tax scheme that enables Northwestern University (USA) Foundation Limited to reclaim the basic rate of tax on your gift, thus increasing the value of your gift by 25%. Donors who are higher- or additional-rate taxpayers in the U.K. may claim an additional relief on their U.K. self-assessment tax return, and the entire gift will be deductible in the U.S.

Since its launch in 2019, the foundation has made it possible for many generous donors in the United Kingdom to support education at Northwestern tax-efficiently. Those benefactors include London resident Deborah Norton ʼ70.

Norton graduated from the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She and her husband, Jim Norton ’70, serve on the International Campaign Committee. She also is an Alumni Regent, a member of the Alumni Admission Council and a trustee of the Northwestern University (USA) Foundation Limited.

With 42 consecutive years of giving to Northwestern, the Nortons are platinum-level members of NU Loyal — the giving society recognizing alumni, parents and friends who make annual gifts of any size to the University year after year. Their recent gift to the foundation was used to provide scholarship support to undergraduate students at Weinberg College.

“As an alumna overseas, I think it is important to support the educational mission of Northwestern no matter where in the world you live,” Deborah Norton says. “I am especially interested in supporting undergraduate financial aid, which enables qualified students to attend the university of their choice, regardless of their circumstances.”

Northwestern University (USA) Foundation Limited also works with Transnational Giving Europe so that European donors outside the United Kingdom may make gifts to the foundation and benefit from the tax advantages provided by their respective countries.

Learn more about giving to the Northwestern University (USA) Foundation Limited.

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