The Conversation That Changed Everything

About eighteen months ago, I went to a school reunion. I expected the usual catching up, a few laughs and a few Beers,the “so, what are you up to now?” conversations. What I didn’t expect was to walk away thinking: how on earth have I never heard of Payroll Giving?

It came up in a chat with an old school friend who’d spent years in government, building the IT systems that underpin Payroll Giving. He mentioned it as casually as you’d mention the weather. I stopped him and said, “Hang on… what’s that?”

I’ve spent the years around the charity world, the corporate world, small business, big business, you name it. Yet somehow, this simple, powerful way of raising unrestricted funds for charities had never crossed my radar.

That small moment opened a very big door.

The More I Asked Around, the Stranger It Got

I spoke with three accountants I know. Experienced, sharp lads who deal with payroll and finance every day. Every single one of them said the same thing: Payroll Giving? Never heard of it.”

Then I spoke to people I used to work with. Same again. My own brother ran a HR consultancy for years, and even he hadn’t come across it. At that point, I started thinking: if they haven’t heard of it, what chance does the average employer or employee have?

Then it clicked. Payroll Giving isn’t underused because it’s complicated.

But because it’s invisible.

Why Something So Simple Ends Up Overlooked

What gets me is that Payroll Giving isn’t complicated or grand. There’s no big launch moment. It’s simple and straightforward.

You give a small amount from your pay each month, before tax. It goes directly to a charity you choose. And over time, those steady contributions turn into a reliable, unrestricted lifeline.

Because it’s not flashy, most people skim past it. It’s the kind of slow, steady progress that doesn’t grab attention but it’s often the thing that makes the biggest difference. Give it a bit of time, and it quietly transforms what charities are able to do.

For organisations that rely on predictable income, the dependable things are the ones that keep them going. That’s exactly why I’ve made Payroll Giving such a big part of what Machto is championing. It’s long overdue for the spotlight, and once you understand the impact, it’s hard to ignore.

Why It Matters More Than People Realise

When I dug deeper, the scale of what Payroll Giving could do hit me hard.

Just 1% of PAYE employees giving the average monthly amount would raise over £121 million a year for UK charities.

And because the average Payroll Giving relationship lasts around seven years, that’s £800 million raised over its lifetime.

Those are transformational numbers. 

The corporate world gains too; community impact, staff retention, CSR, healthier workplace culture, and a sense of shared purpose. Charities gain unrestricted funding, which is rare and incredibly valuable. And staff get the chance to make a difference in a way that genuinely becomes part of who they are, not just what they do.

Everyone wins. Yet hardly anyone knows it exists.

The “Dullness Problem” No One Talks About

To be honest, Payroll Giving doesn’t exactly sell itself. It’s not headline-grabbing and because of that, it falls through the cracks.

We live in a world where attention goes to whatever’s shiny. But the things that genuinely change lives are often the opposite; steady and bit by bit.

And that’s the point. Payroll Giving isn’t meant to be exciting, it’s reliable.

Something businesses can offer without adding pressure, charities can depend on without worrying about volatility, and something employees can do without needing to jump through hoops. Simple always wins.

Why This Moment Still Stays With Me

I keep thinking back to that reunion conversation. Since then, I’ve felt a real desire and  responsibility as well to do something about it. That’s what Machto is built around, connecting corporate teams with charities, championing Payroll Giving, and raising the kind of unrestricted funding that keeps communities moving forward.

We’re non-profit, driven by legacy and impact, and we want people to feel clarity, trust, and even a bit of excitement when they engage with what we do. Because once people see the potential, it’s actually hard not to get excited about it.

A Final Thought for Anyone Who’s Never Heard of It Either

If you’re reading this thinking, ‘I had no idea this existed either’, you’re not alone.

I didn’t.
Accountants didn’t.
HR people didn’t.
Business owners didn’t.
Even some people working around charity didn’t.

That’s the problem, and the opportunity.

Payroll Giving has been quietly sitting in the background for decades since 1987, doing good without ever shouting about itself. Now it’s time to bring it into the light. Not through pressure or guilt, but through simple awareness and honest conversations.

The minute people truly understand how much good a small monthly donation can do over time, it changes their perspective completely. If one chat at a school reunion can spark all of this, imagine what could happen if more people started talking about it.

Mark O’Brien