The digital borders for philanthropy in Europe are opening with the new Transnational Giving Platform
This article was originally published on 29 June on the Philanthropy Advocacy website.
Philanthropy Advocacy welcomes the launch of the Transnational Giving Platform by Transnational Giving Europe Network, Europe’s first online platform that will facilitate cross-border philanthropy by allowing individuals and companies to make online donations and benefit from tax deductions in their country of residence.
Currently, cross-border giving is subject to many constraints, donors are not able to support online non-profit organisations close to their heart on a European level. National fiscal regulations vary from country to country and the absence of uniformity impacts donations.
The platform aims to pursue the goals of the Philanthropy Advocacy Manifesto, to facilitate cross-border philanthropy by simplifying the process of European cross-border donations through a digital, user-friendly experience. This allows individuals and companies to make donations to causes, and organisations of their choice, across Europe, while benefiting from tax deductions in their country of residence in a secured legal and fiscal framework.
According to Ludwig Forrest, Head of International Philanthropy at the King Baudouin Foundation, coordinator of the Transnational Giving Europe Network, the newly created platform is an “innovative digital solution that will finally facilitate cross-border generosity in Europe. Now, more than ever, European philanthropy will be able to play its complementary role to public action. Many European donors will be able to use this platform to support projects of general interest in most European countries under the best conditions.”
Two non-profit organisations, FEDORA and Common Goal are the first to pilot this new online donation platform.
By 2021, the pilot version of the online Transnational Giving Europe Platform will be scaled up to include a large number of European countries and as many beneficiaries as possible, with the goal of making this solution accessible to the entire European non-profit sector, by enabling any non-profit organisation to raise funds across Europe.