Road testing panel launched for new fundraising products

New fundraising products can now be fully tested before their launch following the creation of a live panel of reviewers from across the fundraising sector by the Institute of Fundraising.

The Institute’s new ‘Innovation Zone’ allows suppliers to present their new fundraising products and services to the panel of organisational Institute members, who will assess the proposals.

The scheme was piloted earlier this year. The full report from the pilot, however,is exclusively available to organisational members of the Institute.

The Institute's chief executive Lindsay Boswell said: “Fundraisers are well known for their innovative approach, and the last few years have seen the development of many new fundraising techniques.” He said the Innovation Zone aimed to “nurture innovation in fundraising” by providing a forum where suppliers and fundraisers could turn ideas into a real tools.

The launch came after the Institute published its new code of fundraising practice on accountability and transparency for consultation. The code draws together best practice guidelines and can be applied to all fundraising disciplines. It includes information on communicating achievements, fundraising costs and restricted funding. Interested parties have until 25 September to respond to the draft code, which can be viewed at http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/

Meanwhile, small charities are now able to access regular fundraising through a new scheme called Key2Giving, offering donors the chance to pay a £5 a month fee to purchase a charity branded keyfob with a freepost address allowing lost keys to be returned to them.

And Guidestar has used the high profile case of Warren Buffett’s major donation to the foundation set up by Microsoft founder Bill Gates to encourage all givers to use its service to decide which charity to support financially, after YouGov research revealed that almost half of survey respondents felt they did not have enough information about local causes to give to them.

Source: Charity Times