Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about making a donation to UNICEF.
We rely entirely on voluntary donations, so we want to make supporting UNICEF as simple as possible.
If you can’t find the answer you need on this page, please contact our Supporter Care Team or call us on 0300 330 5580.
How do I send my donation?
You can send in your cheque, made payable to UNICEF UK, to the Donations Team, UNICEF UK, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London E20 1HZ. Please include a covering letter with your name and address details.
If you would like to donate to UNICEF via bank transfer, please use the account details below. Your bank will provide you with a receipt as proof of payment.
- The United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF – Donations Account, HSBC Plc., PO Box 4BQ, 133 Regent Street, London W1B 4HX
- Account Number: 91566814
- Sort Code: 40-06-02
Please send us an email to [email protected], stating the date that you transferred your donation. This will help us to keep track of your transfer and we can then let you know and thank you once we have received it.
If you want to make a donation on behalf of a friend or relative as a gift, just contact our Supporter Care team or call 0300 330 5580 with all the details once you’ve made the donation. They will be able to track your donation and make sure that a suitable ‘thank you’ is provided.
Alternatively you might consider purchasing a life-saving Inspired Gift in their name instead. These are an excellent way of supporting UNICEF’s work.
We are very grateful for all donations we receive, but it is always most efficient for funds to be directed towards a current campaign, an emergency appeal or to our general fund for children. This enables us to send money to where the need is greatest and to keep administration costs low. If you would like to raise money for a specific issue or country we can usually accommodate this. Please call our Supporter Care team on 0300 330 5580 and we will happily discuss your idea with you.
Make a donation online
Unfortunately we can’t take CAF donations online, but you can donate to UNICEF at the CAF website.
Donate by phone
To donate by phone, call our Supporter Care Team on 0300 330 5580.
Donate by post
Send a CAF charity cheque, with your name and address to: Donations Team, UNICEF UK, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London E20 1HZ. Please make cheques payable to UNICEF UK.
Yes, UNICEF greatly appreciates the donation of stocks, shares, bonds and unit trusts (securities). Please fill in our share giving contact form or email us at [email protected] and we’ll be in touch to help you make the donation.
How can I change my donation details, address or contact info?
If you would like to make a change to your monthly donation, please telephone our Supporter Care Team on 0300 330 5580 (Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm). If you would like to change the amount of your gift, for example, we will need to know the new amount you would like to give and the month you would like us to start collecting your donation with the new amount.
Please let us know as soon as you move, or if your bank details change for any reason. When doing this, we advise you not to email any bank details as we cannot guarantee security. Please call our Supporter Care Team on 0300 330 5580 – they will be happy to amend your donations details.
When you give a donation to UNICEF UK, we think it’s really important to let you know how you have helped and keep you updated on our work. Therefore, you might receive a phone call, text, mailing or email from us with information about our work for children in danger around the world, and sometimes letting you know how you can help even more.
If you want to change the way that we contact you, please email our Supporter Care team or call 0300 330 5580.
How does UNICEF spend my donation?
On average over the last five years, for every pound spent by UNICEF UK, 75p went towards our work for children around the world, 24p was spent on raising another pound and 1p was spent on the governance of the charity.
You can find out more about how we spend donations in our Annual Report.
UNICEF has a tested system of checks and balances to ensure proper use of funds, including regular internal and external audits. We publish an annual report every year where you can read about how we raise money and how we spend it.
Members of our staff conduct regular field visits to monitor spending and progress of the projects that we fund. We also make payments to funded projects and in instalments to enable us to assess the impact of previous funding.
Unfortunately, no. UNICEF has its own supply division responsible for sourcing and sending these items to the countries where they are needed in the quickest, most efficient and cost-effective way.
We appreciate your support, though! And lots of charities and local charity shops are still able to take your donations of clothes or blankets.
Gift Aid is a simple scheme that allows charities to recover the tax already paid on donations made in the last four years at no extra cost to you. By reclaiming tax from Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Gift Aid is a great way for you to help UNICEF UK maximise the value of its donations. That means that every £1 you donate could be worth an extra 25 pence to us.
Read more about Gift Aid or call our Supporter Care Team on 0300 330 5580.
We want our fundraising work to meet the highest possible standards, which is why UNICEF UK is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. This means we are committed to complying with their Code of Fundraising Practise and Fundraising Promise.
If you wish, you can contact the Fundraising Regulator by calling 0300 999 3407, or by emailing [email protected]. You can also send them a letter at:
The Fundraising Regulator
2nd floor, CAN Mezzanine Building
49-51 East Road
London N1 6AH
I have security concerns or nuisances
UNICEF UK are not currently conducting face-to-face fundraising activity however members of the public may volunteer to fundraise in their local area. If you’ve been approached by a person claiming to be raising funds for UNICEF and you think they might not be a genuine fundraiser, please contact the UNICEF Supporter Care team on 0300 330 5580 or email us with information on who approached you, how and when.
UNICEF UK are not currently doing any face-to-face fundraising. However members of the public may fundraise using collection tins on our behalf. Please see below for more information.
If you have any questions or concerns around face-to-face fundraising you can contact our Supporter Care team on 0300 330 5580 or email [email protected].
Many of our volunteer fundraisers organise collections on streets or in private venues. They will be collecting cash and will never ask for bank details. They should have either a UNICEF letter of authority or a UNICEF badge; they will be knowledgeable about UNICEF and its work and be able explain how they are linked to UNICEF.
If they have collection cans or buckets these are cyan, white or dark blue and these should have a sticker or label that clearly displays the UNICEF logo and the registered charity number.
At times UNICEF may contact people by telephone to ask for support. We work with contracted professional telemarketing agencies. At the start of the call you will always be told that you are being contacted on UNICEF’s behalf and the caller should also tell you they are being paid an hourly wage for their time. If you want to support us but don’t like giving your details over the phone please call our Supporter Care team on 0300 330 5580 who will be happy to send you a donation form in the post. Alternatively you can give online.
The caller will be knowledgeable about UNICEF and will be able to provide contact details to confirm if the call is genuine. In all cases you can contact the Supporter Care team on 0300 330 5580 or at [email protected] if you have any concerns. Please include your telephone number if you have a query like this as this will help us to locate your details.
One of our key partners who are calling on behalf of UNICEF to update supporters on our work for vulnerable children uses the number 020 3948 4351. However, other numbers are sometimes used.
We’re sorry if something hasn’t worked, or if you’re dissatisfied with us – your feedback helps us do a better job.
Please email any complaints to our Supporter Care team or call them on 0300 330 5580 (8-6, Monday to Friday).
If you’d like to respond by post, please address your complaint to:
Vicky Johnson
Head of Supporter Care
UNICEF UK
1 Westfield Avenue
Stratford
London E20 1HZ
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The text numbers that we are currently using for mobile giving are as follows:
70020, 70093, 70095
70160, 70002, 70088
70440, 70133, 70135, 70130
Keeping or returning donations is the decision of UNICEF UK’s Trustees.
Charity donations are typically non-refundable and therefore our Trustees need to be able to make an informed decision that is in the best interests of the Charity, when considering refunding any donation made to UNICEF UK.
Please put your refund request in writing to [email protected] and include any relevant information and/or documentation, so that an appropriate decision can be reached, and confirmation of the outcome can be sent to you as soon as possible.