Frequently asked questions

Click on the links below to read the answers to some commonly asked questions:

How do you work out the cost of my gift?

LCD works in Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, South Africa and Uganda. The costs of a particular activity will vary from country to country. For the purpose of this catalogue, we have used the average price of the activity from across all the countries in which we work.

Where does my money go?

Whichever present you buy, your money will go directly to a project fund relevant to your gift. For instance, if you buy the gift of headteacher training, your money will go straight into our Teacher and Community fund to be used in whichever country the need is greatest at the time. Because our fundraising and administration costs in UK costs are covered by other funding, you can be sure that 100% of your gift will go to the project area you want to support. We have five funds:

• Teacher & Community (A)
• Literacy & Numeracy (B)
• Health & Nutrition (C)
• School Development Grants (D) Each year schools get a School Improvement Grant which they can use on urgent needs of the school, this often includes classroom repair and improvement, resources and toilets and sanitation.
• School Sponsorship Scheme (E)

To find out which project each item relates to, just look at the letter next to the gift.

How much money is spent on administration?

So that 100% of your gift can be spent on the fund you choose, LCD covers all administration/management costs with funds raised from events and other sources of unrestricted income.

Can I choose the country in which my gift is placed?

As we direct your gift to the country where the need is currently greatest, we are unable to give gift buyers the choice of a country to support.

When I buy a gift for someone, what do they receive?

When you buy a gift, your friend or family member will receive a card from LCD, a colour photograph with information about the project they will be supporting and a certificate.

How long will the cards or gifts take to arrive?

We will endeavour to process order forms within 48 hours of receiving them and send them to you or the person you have bought the gift for (depending on which option you chose on the order form), by first class post. We advise that you leave plenty of time as we cannot guarantee delivery times due to the increased volume of mail around Christmas. The last day for first class post is the 20th December 2007 – so gifts ordered after this date will not arrive before Christmas.

Can I Gift Aid the money I give for gifts and Christmas cards?

If you are a UK tax payer (and have paid tax above the amount of the donation you are making in the current financial year) you can tick the box on the order form and we can claim an extra 28p from the tax man on every pound you give.

Payment for Christmas cards are however, not eligible for Gift Aid therefore only money for LCD's gifts will be Gift Aided.

Can I buy Christmas cards and gifts if I live outside of Ireland or the UK for someone who lives in Ireland or the UK?

Yes, you can purchase cards and gifts if you live outside of the UK and Ireland. All you have to do is post the form back to us at the London office with payment or telephone us with your credit card details. We will arrange for the gift to be sent to the person in the UK.

Can I buy gifts for someone who lives outside of Ireland or the UK?

Yes you can - however the process is slightly different from if you were buying gifts for someone who lives in the UK or Ireland. As the cost of posting your gift will be much higher when sending outside of the UK/Ireland, we request that you include the full cost of postage in your donation. Before you send us your completed order form and payment, we request you email rebecca@lcd.org.uk to tell us where you want the gift to be sent. We will email back the full cost of the postage which you can include when you send in or telephone in with your order.