The WAN guide library
Charity Guides
Understand your options. Find practical guidance on giving, health and emergency relief, then choose how you want to help.
Explore World Aid Network guides to charity donations, Gift Aid, cancer, eye health and emergency aid. Choose a topic, read the relevant sources and follow links to our programmes and appeals. Health information supports a conversation with a qualified professional; it does not diagnose symptoms or confirm eligibility for treatment.
45 guides available · Library updated · Subscribe by RSS
A useful place to start
Selected guides for understanding the need, checking a charity and choosing how to give.
Health
Movember and prostate cancerPlan independent November fundraising for cancer care overseas. Understand Movember, PSA conversations and how donations to World Aid Network are used.
Tax & Giving
Gift Aid explained: eligibility, declarations and tax reliefUnderstand Gift Aid eligibility, declarations, taxpayer responsibilities and higher-rate relief. Check why Gift Aid is not currently available at WAN.
Donor Guide
Best Charities to Donate to: How to Choose, Then GiveHow to choose the best charities to donate to. We do not rank. About £200 contributes towards cataract care. Gift Aid is not currently available; future claims require HMRC recognition and eligibility checks.
Appeals
Pakistan flood donations: a donor’s checklistCheck a Pakistan flood appeal before donating: its purpose, dated evidence, local delivery, use of funds and reporting. Explore WAN’s standing appeal.
Eye Health
Cataract Charity UK: What an Eye Charity Gift FundsDonate to a UK cataract charity and eye charity. About £200 contributes towards cataract care in Pakistan, Indonesia or Malaysia.
Donate
How to Make a Will in the UK: Steps, Executors and WitnessingHow to make a will in the UK: seven steps, two witnesses, executors, intestacy and probate fees. Gifts in wills sit on our legacy giving page. Not legal advice.
Find a guide
No guides match your search. Try a broader phrase, clear the filters or contact us for help.
Which guides cover giving, Gift Aid and tax?
Compare donation methods, understand Gift Aid conditions and find ideas for fundraising, regular giving or remembering someone.
- Giving Tuesday 2026: A UK Donor's Guide
Giving Tuesday 2026 is Tuesday 1 December. Donate here. About £200 contributes towards cataract care. Gift Aid is not currently available; future claims require HMRC recognition and eligibility checks.
Giving Guide · 12 min read
- What is a Nonprofit? A UK Donor's Guide to Giving Wisely
A nonprofit serves a cause, not owners. Learn how UK charities are governed by trustees, what separates a strong one from a weak one, and how to choose.
Donor Guide · 7 min read
- Non Profit Organisation: How UK Charities Are Set Up to Do Good
A non profit organisation delivers public benefit, not private profit. Learn how trustees and written Objects legally limit where your donation can go.
Donor Guide · 7 min read
- Charities: How to Choose, Trust and Give Well in 2026
With over 170,000 charities in England and Wales, choosing well matters. Learn five questions that separate focused, well-run charities from vague ones.
Donor Guide · 8 min read
- Best Charities to Donate to: How to Choose, Then Give
How to choose the best charities to donate to. We do not rank. About £200 contributes towards cataract care. Gift Aid is not currently available; future claims require HMRC recognition and eligibility checks.
Donor Guide · 12 min read
- Donate Your Birthday: Turn Your Special Day Into a Life-Changing Gift
Donate your birthday and ask friends to give instead of buying gifts. See how a birthday fundraiser works, what gifts contribute to and how to start.
Fundraising Guide · 7 min read
- Donate toys to charity: practical UK guidance
Find a suitable place to donate toys, check acceptance and arrange delivery. WAN accepts financial gifts rather than physical goods or collections.
Donor Guide · 3 min read
- Sponsor a Child: Fund Treatment, Not Letters
Sponsor a child: fund a cataract (~£200), cancer treatment or food and water. No named-child letters. Gift Aid is not currently available; future claims require HMRC recognition and eligibility checks.
Donor Guide · 12 min read
- Sponsor an Orphan: A Modern, Dignified Way to Help Vulnerable Children
Most sponsor an orphan schemes pool donations across many children. See how a focused monthly gift contributes to surgery and relief with dignity.
Donor Guide · 7 min read
- Overseas Aid Charities: How to Choose One That Genuinely Changes Lives
Overseas aid charities range from emergency response to long-term healthcare. Learn the four tests that separate the strong ones from the vague ones.
Donor Guide · 8 min read
- Children's Charity Donation: How to Give in a Way That Helps
Donate to a children's charity. Fund cataract surgery, childhood cancer treatment or emergency food, water and shelter in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Donor Guide · 12 min read
- What Is Emergency Aid? How It Works and How to Give
Emergency aid is food, clean water, hygiene kits and shelter in the first days after disaster. How it works, how to donate from the UK, and what it does not fund.
Donor Guide · 14 min read
- UK Corporation Tax Relief on Charitable Donations: A 2026 Business Guide
UK companies can deduct qualifying charitable donations from taxable profits. At the 25% main rate a £10,000 gift costs £7,500 after relief. Learn how.
Tax & Giving · 8 min read
- Sole Trader Charity Donations: Gift Aid, Higher Rate Tax Relief and What You Can Claim
Sole traders cannot deduct charity donations as a business expense, but higher-rate relief can cut a £100 gift to £75. Learn what you can claim.
Tax & Giving · 7 min read
- Donating Goods and Assets to Charity: VAT, Stock, Shares and Capital Gains Tax Relief
Donating goods, stock, shares or land to charity carries VAT, Corporation Tax and CGT reliefs. Learn how a £15,000 share gain can escape CGT entirely.
Tax & Giving · 8 min read
- Donate clothes to charity: practical UK guidance
Find a suitable place to donate clothes, check acceptance and arrange delivery. WAN accepts financial gifts rather than physical goods or collections.
Giving Guide · 3 min read
- Charity shops near you: how to find and donate
Find charity shops near you, check what they accept and understand retail Gift Aid. WAN has no shops or collection points; explore other ways to help.
Giving Guide · 3 min read
- Humanitarian Aid Organisations in the UK: What They Do and How to Choose One
Humanitarian aid organisations respond to floods, earthquakes and medical need. Learn how UK charities are regulated and what to check before you give.
Giving Guide · 8 min read
- Donate Your Car to Charity UK: How It Works and How to Give the Proceeds
World Aid Network does not collect vehicles. Learn how UK car donation usually works, the DVLA steps, and how to give the proceeds of a sale by card.
Donate · 5 min read
- 100% donation policies: how to compare costs and impact
Understand 100% donation policies, fundraising and processing fees. Compare charity costs with evidence of results, and check WAN’s funding approach.
Donate · 4 min read
- How to Make a Will in the UK: Steps, Executors and Witnessing
How to make a will in the UK: seven steps, two witnesses, executors, intestacy and probate fees. Gifts in wills sit on our legacy giving page. Not legal advice.
Donate · 16 min read
- Gift Aid explained: eligibility, declarations and tax relief
Understand Gift Aid eligibility, declarations, taxpayer responsibilities and higher-rate relief. Check why Gift Aid is not currently available at WAN.
Tax & Giving · 5 min read
- Your Top Charity Questions Answered: A UK Donor's Complete Guide
Does giving make you happier? How much should you give? Can you get a refund? Straight answers to the questions UK donors actually ask before giving.
Giving Guide · 15 min read
- Save Children from Blindness, Cancer and Disaster: How World Aid Network Helps Children
World Aid Network helps children through eye surgery, cancer treatment and disaster relief. About £200 is our planning estimate for one cataract operation.
Giving Guide · 18 min read
- Best Charity for Cancer: How to Choose, Then Give
How to choose the best charity for cancer. We do not rank. £50 contributes towards cancer care. Gift Aid is not currently available; future claims require HMRC recognition and eligibility checks.
Donor Guide · 12 min read
Which articles cover cancer?
Read about cancer awareness, inequalities in access to care and how to support patients. Our cancer information hub has separate guides to symptoms, tests and treatment.
- Movember and prostate cancer
Plan independent November fundraising for cancer care overseas. Understand Movember, PSA conversations and how donations to World Aid Network are used.
Health · 7 min read
- Prostate Cancer in Black Men: 1 in 4 Lifetime Risk
Black men in the UK have a 1 in 4 lifetime risk of prostate cancer. Discuss a PSA test from 45. We fund treatment overseas for men who cannot pay.
Cancer · 12 min read
- Basal Cell Carcinoma UK: Symptoms, Treatment and What to Expect
Basal cell carcinoma is the UK's most common cancer, with around 300,000 diagnoses a year, and is almost always curable. Learn the signs and treatment.
Cancer · 12 min read
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC): Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
Squamous cell carcinoma is the UK's second most common skin cancer, with about 16,000 cases a year, and it can spread. Learn the signs and treatment.
Cancer · 12 min read
- Blood cancer: types, tests and treatment support
Understand blood cancer types, possible symptoms, tests and treatment discussions. Find specialist UK support and learn about WAN’s cancer appeal.
Cancer · 3 min read
- Women’s cancer charities: choosing how to help
Compare ways to support women affected by cancer, from patient support to treatment access. Understand WAN’s scope, sources and donation conditions.
Cancer · 3 min read
Which articles cover eye health and sight?
Understand sight-saving care and charitable support. Visit the eye health hub for condition guides, symptoms and questions to discuss with an eye professional.
- How to Keep Your Eyes Healthy: The Complete NHS-Guided Guide
The WHO estimates 80% of visual impairment is avoidable. Learn the NHS-backed steps for healthy eyes: eye tests, UV protection, diet and warning signs.
Eye Health · 12 min read
- Retinal Detachment: Symptoms, Emergency Signs and Treatment
Retinal detachment affects 1 in 10,000 people in the UK each year and is a sight-threatening emergency. Learn the warning signs and why 24 hours matters.
Eye Health · 12 min read
- Colour Blindness UK: Types, Causes, Testing and Daily Life
Colour blindness affects about 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women in the UK. Learn the types, how the Ishihara test works and what it means day to day.
Eye Health · 11 min read
- Lazy Eye (Amblyopia): Causes, Symptoms, Treatment and Patching
Amblyopia, or lazy eye, affects 2 to 3% of people and is the top cause of childhood vision loss. Learn about glasses, patching and NHS eye screening.
Eye Health · 12 min read
- Retinitis Pigmentosa: Symptoms, Genetic Causes and Treatment
Retinitis pigmentosa affects around 25,000 people in the UK and involves over 100 causative genes. Learn the symptoms, genetic testing and treatments.
Eye Health · 13 min read
- Cataract Charity UK: What an Eye Charity Gift Funds
Donate to a UK cataract charity and eye charity. About £200 contributes towards cataract care in Pakistan, Indonesia or Malaysia.
Eye Health · 12 min read
- World Sight Day: practical ways to support eye care
Mark World Sight Day with an eye-care conversation, awareness or fundraising. Understand WAN’s Gift of Sight Appeal and what donation estimates mean.
Eye Health · 3 min read
Which articles cover emergency relief and appeals?
Learn how to give after floods and earthquakes, compare emergency needs and check what an appeal supports before donating.
- The Digital Shoebox Appeal: Gift a Medical Kit Instead of a Cardboard Box
The Digital Shoebox Appeal funds a locally sourced Medical Kit for £25 instead of shipping a cardboard box overseas. See what one kit delivers.
Appeal · 6 min read
- Christmas Appeal: Give the Gift of Sight This Christmas
Donate to the Christmas Appeal. About £200 contributes towards cataract care. Give cancer treatment or emergency relief in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Appeals · 8 min read
- Water Charity: Donate Clean Water After Disaster
Donate to a clean water charity. Fund emergency drinking water — purification, bottles and filters, not wells — after disaster. Give by card.
Appeals · 12 min read
- How to assess a humanitarian appeal
Use a practical checklist to assess a humanitarian appeal: need, funding restrictions, delivery evidence and reporting. Explore WAN’s emergency relief.
Appeals · 3 min read
- World Autism Awareness Day: The Hidden Vulnerability in Disaster Zones
World Autism Awareness Day falls on 2 April. Learn why disaster displacement is especially dangerous for autistic children and how relief reaches them.
Awareness · 7 min read
- Pakistan flood donations: a donor’s checklist
Check a Pakistan flood appeal before donating: its purpose, dated evidence, local delivery, use of funds and reporting. Explore WAN’s standing appeal.
Appeals · 3 min read
Which articles explain how World Aid Network works?
Understand our charitable purpose, how to check an organisation and where to find current registration and funding information.
- Muslim Charity, Christian Charity — a Charity for Humanity
World Aid Network is a secular UK charity, not a Muslim or Christian charity. Muslim and Christian donors are welcome. We never ask a patient’s religion.
About · 10 min read
About the guide library
What is the difference between a guide and a programme page?
Guides help you understand a topic and your options. Programme and appeal pages explain our fundraising purpose, the support intended and how to donate. Follow the related links in each guide.
Is this a newsroom?
This library contains practical guides rather than a daily news service. Use the RSS feed to follow new articles. For a specific emergency, check the dated sources and updates on its appeal page.
How are these articles reviewed?
Our editorial policy explains sourcing, corrections and responsibility. Public health or tax guidance is background information, not evidence of WAN programme outcomes. A clinician is credited only where an individual review is documented; contact a qualified professional about your circumstances.
Make an informed donation
Check what the organisation offers, understand the conditions and choose a way to give that suits you.
- Compare ways to donate
Card giving, monthly gifts and other routes, with current availability.
- Gift Aid eligibility explained
Understand donor conditions and the current status at WAN.
- Where your money goes
Read how funds are allocated and how estimates differ from results.
- Check our registration status
Distinguish the application reference from a registered charity number.
- Practical donor resources
Find answers, useful tools and giving options.