Frequently asked questions

Sidney Gives is an exciting new fundraising event. Over 36 hours we will be celebrating the impact of our donor’s gifts across the College, and asking our whole community to come together to nurture talent from a wide range of backgrounds and strengthen Sidney’s offering for the future.

We would like to invite everyone – whether you are a supporter or have not donated to Sidney before - to donate a single gift, of whatever size you are able to contribute.

It will be a transformational day of giving and it’s all about what we can achieve together. With thousands of pounds to unlock in matched and challenge funding, collectively every gift will make a real impact.

This year’s giving day will take place on 12th – 13th June 2024. We’re excited for you to join us!

Who are we?

Sidney Sussex College supports world-leading teaching and research in a beautiful and welcoming environment at the heart of Cambridge. Our diverse and friendly community helps our students grow academically, and explore their interests beyond their studies. We are committed to championing an academically stretching and pastorally supportive environment, knowing that this fosters ground-breaking research and students who go on to make a difference wherever their journey takes them.

Our story

At Sidney, you are part of something rather special. A lifelong community that is committed to providing a transformative educational experience for each generation of students.

Sidney’s success is built on the contributions of alumni and friends like you. Donations of every size help us provide financial security to the students who need it most, opportunities to explore interests beyond the curriculum, and underpin the teaching given by our world-leading academics. It is because of our community that we can provide one of the best educations in the world.

A Sidney education costs more than double the UK undergraduate tuition fees, and the need for financial support and wellbeing provision is increasing. That is why we are inviting you to take part in Sidney Gives, to ensure that the next generation of students benefits from the same world-leading education.

You will have the opportunity to donate directly to our Student Support Fund, or to give to our Unrestricted Fund, which allows the College to direct your gift to the area of greatest need.

Why am I receiving so many emails?

Giving days are time-focused digital appeals and we hope that you enjoy reading our emails. If you feel that you have read enough, you do have the option to unsubscribe in each email. This will unsubscribe you from further emails during Sidney Gives, but not from other Sidney Sussex College communications.

What difference will my donation make?

Your gift today will help us nurture talent from a wide range of backgrounds and strengthen Sidney’s offering for the future.

In recent years, we have faced a number of challenges, including increased financial hardship amongst students, a growing need for emotional and mental wellbeing support, and a fall in the real value of tuition fees.

Much of what makes Sidney special is only possible because of donations from our alumni and friends, including:

• Our outreach programme to widen access to Higher Education

• Bursaries to ensure students from all backgrounds can make the most of their time at Sidney

• Funding to enable students to pursue interests outside the curriculum

• Wellbeing and pastoral support

• Postgraduate studentships

• Early-career research positions

• Investment in our buildings and facilities to create a sustainable future for Sidney

Together, every gift makes a difference. Having a large number of donors encourages others to support us too, so we would love as many members of our community to participate in Sidney Gives as possible.

Throughout the day we will be sharing stories about the difference your donations make – from supporting students to pursue their research interests to providing much needed wellbeing and pastoral support.

It is only with your collective support that we can meet our ambition to be a college than enables everyone to flourish. So we hope you’ll join us by making a gift – whatever the size!

How can I make my gift?

There are several ways to make your gift, whether you’d like to give on the day or before it:

Online: through our Sidney Gives platform (the site you’re currently on).

By post: Cheques made out to Sidney Sussex College can be sent to The Development and Alumni Relations Office, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, CB2 3HU.

Through the Charities Aid Foundation: If you have a Charities Aid Foundation account you can make a gift from your account to Sidney Sussex College. Please remember to let us know that you’ve made the gift so we can add it to our total for the day.

Is my payment secure?

Yes. All payments through the Sidney Gives website will be securely processed by a secure, off-site payment processor called Stripe stripe.com/gb/privacy and Stripe US stripe.com/en-US/privacy.

Why is my payment not going through?

Please check that you have included your postcode in both the address field and the card details field of the gift form. If there is still a problem you may have to contact your card provider and inform them that the payment is valid.

If you continue to have problems making your gift, please email us at development@sid.cam.ac.uk. You can also call us during office hours on +44(0)1223 338851.

If the issue cannot be resolved, you can donate online through the college website. Please let us know if you have donated this way so we can count it towards the Sidney Gives total.

Is there a minimum donation?

The minimum online gift amount is £1.

Can I claim Gift Aid on this donation?

Yes! If you are a UK taxpayer and have paid as much Income Tax and/or Capital Gains tax as the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all of your donations in that tax year, Sidney can reclaim the basic tax rate (25%) on your gift, with no extra cost to you. So, for example, your donation of £100 will be worth £125.

Can I donate tax-efficiently?

Gifts from the USA:

Tax-deductible contributions can be made to Cambridge in America in support of Sidney Sussex College. Cambridge in America is a 501c(3) tax-exempt organisation. If you make your gift via the Sidney Giving Day platform and select ‘Donate in USD’ you will be directed to our US donation form.

Gifts from Canadian taxpayers:

The University of Cambridge is recognised by the Canadian Revenue Agency as a prescribed institution under Section 3503 of the Canadian Income Tax Regulations. Please email development@sid.cam.ac.uk if you would like to request a receipt for Canadian tax purposes.

Gifts from European taxpayers:

If you are resident in Belgium, Germany, Italy or Switzerland you may be able to maximise your gift through Transnational Giving Europe (TGE). Use this link to donate online through Transnational Giving Europe. Please let us know if you have donated this way so we can count it towards the Sidney Giving Day total.

How can I help make Sidney Gives a success?

You can help us make Sidney Gives a success in several ways. We would love everyone to give a single gift, of whatever size you can. Gifts of all size collectively make a real difference when we come together. We would also appreciate your help getting the word out, so please like and share our posts on social media. If you or your friends are not receiving emails from Sidney and you'd like to be included, get in touch with the Development and Alumni Relations Office at development@sid.cam.ac.uk.

How do I opt-out of Sidney Gives communications?

You can opt-out of our Sidney Gives communications by emailing development@sid.cam.ac.uk, calling us on +44(0)1223 338851, or by clicking the unsubscribe link in any of our Sidney Gives emails.

My question hasn't been answered. How can I get in touch?

Feel free to get in touch with Lily, our Development Manager, at development@sid.cam.ac.uk or call the Development and Alumni Relations Office on +44(0)1223 338851.