Caritas Lithuania. We ask for less

Tax season isn’t easy. Lithuanians have to not just complete a tax return and pay what’s due, but also select an NGO to allocate 1.2% of their personal income tax to. Who needs help more: homeless animals, Ukrainian soldiers, or maybe children with cancer? Picking one is difficult. That’s why, together with Caritas Lithuania, in 2024 we invited everyone to split the percentage of their personal income tax (PIT) and share it with not one, not two, but three or even four NGO’s. This, of course, left Caritas Lithuania with smaller donations, but made people’s decision-making burden lighter. While most non-profit organisations requested the whole 1.2% of PIT in their ads, we said: “How about 0.5?”

This question, on posters, banners and the website of Caritas Lithuania, served as an example of how to share one’s PIT contribution across several organisations. If 0.5% goes to Caritas Lithuania, that leaves 0.4% for organisation X and 0.3% for organisation Y. It also played on a popular phrase for suggesting a 0.5 litre beverage. Our gift of a set of half-litre glasses to influencers set off a lively debate.