Launch of fundraising benchmark project

Howard Lake | 3 April 2001 | News

This year’s fundraising benchmark project, Fundratios, has been launched.

The Centre for Interfirm Comparison (CIFC) has launched the 2001 Fundratios project, the benchmarking management tool for fundraisers, in partnership with the Institute of Charity Fundraising Managers. Over 70 charities are taking part by providing statistics on a regular basis, covering growth,

costs and returns on fundraising activities.

This year’s study will include looking at the possibility of development industry standards for fundraising activities, based on five years of statistics.

The 2000 project, completed in October, involved 35 charities, with data covering up to March 2000. Voluntary income had grown by 8.4% over the previous year, and 44% over the past three years. Local fundraising income saw practically no increase, and largest growth came from trusts income and committed income.

Total increases in voluntary income has grown by the following percentages over the past five years:

• 1996: 2.3%
• 1997: 2.6%
• 1998: 16.1%
• 1998: 12.5%
• 1999: 8.4%

Fundraising expenditure increased by 18.1% over the previous year. Most of this additional expenditure was spent on legacy marketing and committed giver recruitment, both of which have a long payback period. Income per £1 invested therefore fell from £5.51 to £5.07.

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.