KMFoundation
Support our work
Your support changes lives. Choose how you give.
85% of every donation given to the KM Foundation goes directly to the cause. We operate with minimal overheads — no trustee takes a salary, and we run a lean, professional operation — and we are recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid, meaning your donation is worth 25% more at no cost to you.
How Would You Like to Give?
Give Monthly - Become a KM Foundation Supporter
A regular monthly gift is the single most powerful thing you can do for our work. It gives us the certainty to plan ahead, commit to multi-year projects, and build the deep partnerships — with Orbis, Aravind Eye Hospital, the London Music Fund — that deliver lasting change rather than one-off results. You can start, pause or cancel at any time.
Here is what a monthly gift makes possible:
- £10/month — funds eye screenings for 12 people in Tamil Nadu every year
- £25/month — contributes towards a cataract operation, restoring sight and economic independence
- £50/month — helps sustain one young musician’s scholarship for a month
- £100/month — helps fund airway surgery training in Punjab, building permanent capacity for millions
- Your own amount — every gift, at any level, goes directly to the cause
Give Once
Prefer to make a one-off gift? Every contribution is welcomed and put straight to work. You can designate your gift to a specific cause or leave it undesignated for us to direct where it is needed most.
- £25 — funds eye screening for three people in rural Tamil Nadu
- £50 — contributes to a cataract operation restoring a patient’s sight and livelihood
- £100 — supports one month of a music scholarship for a talented young musician
- £250 — contributes to specialist medical equipment in Punjab
- £500 — funds a month of history education content for UK schools via the Chalke History Hub
- Your own amount — any gift is meaningful
Leave a legacy
A gift in your will to the KM Foundation is one of the most significant things you can do to create lasting change. Legacy gifts allow us to commit to the longest-term, most ambitious projects — the kind of structural, generational change that cannot be funded month to month. If you are considering a legacy gift, we would love to speak with you personally.
Choose Your Cause
If you would like your gift to support a specific project, simply tell us when you donate. Your money goes exactly where you choose.
Eye Care - Tamil Nadu, India
Fund cataract screening, surgery and follow-up care in eight of Tamil Nadu’s most underserved districts. For patients, restored sight means restored independence: the ability to work, to parent, to participate fully in community life.
Airway Surgery - Punjab, India
Support the development of Punjab’s first dedicated airway surgery service, led by world-class Imperial College London surgeons. Building permanent local medical capacity for a state of 31 million people.
Music Scholarships - London & Birmingham
Fund fully-funded three-year music scholarships for exceptional young musicians aged 15–20 from low-income backgrounds. Scholars are already securing places at the Royal College of Music and Trinity Laban Conservatoire.
History Education - UK Schools
Support the Chalke History Hub — a free, curriculum-aligned online platform bringing world-class history education to schools across the UK and beyond, led by the team behind ‘The Rest Is History’.
Where the Need Is Greatest
Leave the decision to us. An undesignated gift allows the KM Foundation to direct funds to wherever they will have the greatest impact — including new projects as they are developed.
Gift Aid — Make Your Gift Worth 25% More
If you are a UK taxpayer, please tick the Gift Aid box when you donate. It costs you nothing but allows us to reclaim 25p from HMRC for every £1 you give. On a £100 donation, that means £125 reaches the cause — automatically, at no extra cost to you. Higher-rate taxpayers can also reclaim a further 25p per £1 through self-assessment.
Income Tax Relief — Make Your Gift Go Even Further
Donating to the KM Foundation can reduce your own income tax bill — not just boost the Foundation’s income. Here is a clear guide to what you can claim, with worked examples for each tax band.
Higher Rate Taxpayer — 40% tax (income £50,271 to £125,140)
You can claim back the difference between the basic rate (20%) and your higher rate (40%) via Self Assessment. For every £1 you donate, your net cost is 60p — while the KM Foundation receives £1.25.
- £50 donated → Your net cost: £37.50 → KM Foundation receives: £62.50
- £100 donated → Your net cost: £75.00 → KM Foundation receives: £125.00
- £500 donated → Your net cost: £375.00 → KM Foundation receives: £625.00
- £1,000 donated → Your net cost: £750.00 → KM Foundation receives: £1,250.00
- £5,000 donated → Your net cost: £3,750.00 → KM Foundation receives: £6,250.00
Additional Rate Taxpayer — 45% tax (income over £125,140)
You can claim back 25p per £1 donated (the difference between 45% and 20%) via Self Assessment. For every £1 you donate, your net cost is just under 55p — while the KM Foundation receives £1.25.
- £50 donated → Your net cost: £34.38 → KM Foundation receives: £62.50
- £100 donated → Your net cost: £68.75 → KM Foundation receives: £125.00
- £500 donated → Your net cost: £343.75 → KM Foundation receives: £625.00
- £1,000 donated → Your net cost: £687.50 → KM Foundation receives: £1,250.00
- £5,000 donated → Your net cost: £3,437.50 → KM Foundation receives: £6,250.00
Personal Allowance Taper — up to 60% effective rate (income £100,000 to £125,140)
Your Personal Allowance (£12,570) is withdrawn at £1 for every £2 earned over £100,000. A Gift Aid donation reduces your adjusted net income and can restore your allowance — creating an effective saving of up to 60p per £1 donated. Figures below assume full Personal Allowance restoration.
- £2,500 donated → Your net cost: £1,000 → KM Foundation receives: £3,125
- £5,000 donated → Your net cost: £2,000 → KM Foundation receives: £6,250
- £10,000 donated → Your net cost: £4,000 → KM Foundation receives: £12,500
- £20,000 donated → Your net cost: £8,000 → KM Foundation receives: £25,000
Actual saving depends on your exact income level and circumstances. We recommend speaking with a qualified accountant.
How to Claim
Higher and additional rate taxpayers should declare all Gift Aid donations on their Self Assessment tax return under ‘Charitable giving’. HMRC calculates your relief automatically. If you do not complete Self Assessment, contact HMRC directly and request form P810.
You can also carry a Gift Aid donation back to the previous tax year on your return — useful if your tax rate was higher last year than this year.
Tax figures are for England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the 2025/26 tax year. Scottish taxpayers should check current Scottish income tax rates, which differ. We recommend seeking advice from a qualified accountant for your individual circumstances.
Corporate & Matched Giving
Many employers match charitable donations made by employees — some pound-for-pound. If your employer has a matched giving scheme, your donation to the KM Foundation could be doubled at no extra cost to you. Check with your HR or CSR team.
We also welcome conversations with businesses interested in a deeper charitable partnership — whether sponsoring a specific project, embedding the KM Foundation in your CSR programme, or co-funding a new initiative.
Why Give to the KM Foundation?
- Registered Charity No. 1189587 — regulated by the Charity Commission for England and Wales
- Gift Aid recognised by HMRC — your donations are automatically worth 25% more
- No trustee remuneration — 85% of donations go directly to the cause
- Transparent reporting — we publish project updates and interim reports from our partners
- World-class partners — Orbis International, Aravind Eye Hospital, Imperial College London, London Music Fund, Chalke History Festival
- Family-led, professionally governed — founded by a Fellow of the ICAEW, led by medical doctors and Cambridge scientists
Thank you
Whatever you are able to give — a monthly gift, a one-off donation, a legacy, or simply spreading the word — thank you. The KM Foundation exists because people believe that targeted, well-governed philanthropy can change lives.
We will always tell you what your support has made possible. You will never wonder where your money went.
