Louise Richards on why philanthropy needs to encompass a fundraising sector attuned to the culture of ‘asking’
How much does fundraising have in common with the philanthropy agenda? If the recent Philanthropy Review is to be believed, the two could be seen to be quite distinct. While the report intends to stimulate giving at all levels in the broadest possible sense, to fundraisers it seems to be missing some critical detail. There was little mention in the Philanthropy Review of the direct influence fundraisers have in facilitating giving, nor of the role of professional fundraisers and the investment required to ensure charities make the most of their fundraising capacity.
But let’s take a further step back and look at the government’s current agenda for our sector. In the most recent Budget, we’ve seen a generous ‘philanthropy package’ – the like of which we’ve not seen for 20 years or so. This certainly sets the tone for a direct relationship between increasing people’s propensity to give by offering charities tangible benefits. These include modernised systems for Gift Aid, affecting the way filing works within organisations, and the introduction of ‘intelligent forms’. Both changes will make the role of those fundraisers within charities responsible for processing Gift Aid claims simpler.
The Institute of Fundraising’s conference on payroll giving, hosted at the Home Office, also majored on improving philanthropy. In this public forum Justine Greening, economic secretary to the treasury, made a point of backing payroll giving. She spoke of the need to ‘dust off’ the giving mechanism and for decision makers within government to take a fresh look at it. It’s a method of giving which isn’t without its critics, but such a declaration of support from government should galvanise our sector to think again about how payroll giving can be improved. Treated correctly, it should also encourage giving from a range of business sectors, with contributions from both employers and employees.
Champion Giving
Philanthropy needs to encompass a fundraising sector attuned to the culture of asking with clear and comprehensive standards covering the breadth of fundraising techniques. This is why our codes continue to be important in supporting the sector, providing those who give to charity with the assurance that they are giving to organisations which are both regulated and professional.
And there is so much that individual fundraisers can do to champion good causes, ensuring that they are fully trained and up to speed with the latest developments and donor and fundraiser trends. All the while, fundraisers need to ensure they are sharing their knowledge of best practice – with events like the recent National Convention providing an ideal opportunity to network and influence.
That said, in creating a culture of giving in the UK, government ultimately needs to lead from the top. While the big ideas are there within the Giving White Paper, the Big Society ethos and so on, it’s important that all of these initiatives work together. We’re only a year on from the voluntary sector cuts, which were keenly felt across the sector, compromising many front line services. Can government guarantee that its philanthropic plans will help to allay the great cost charities have already incurred?
About the author: Louise Richards, director of policy and campaigns at the Institute of Fundraising.
This article first appeared in The Fundraiser, Issue 8, August 2011
