Top 15 charities sign up to ImpACT coalition
Howard Lake | 3 January 2006 | News
Over 50 top charities, including the top 15 by voluntary income, have joined the ImpACT (Improving Accountability, Clarity and Transparency) Coalition, committing themselves to increasing public understanding of charities’ work.
By joining impACT the charities commit themselves to communicating with clarity and openness by fulfilling pledges such as being transaparent about the fundraising process; reporting on achievements, successes and setbacks; and collaborating in actively promoting sector-wide initiatives aimed at enhancing donor understanding that charities operate openly, honestly and effectively.
In particular, impACT members pledge to be transparent about how much is invested in raising money and how this helps meet the needs of beneficiaries.
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ImpACT was set up in July 2005 by Alan Gosschalk, Director of Fundraising at Shelter. As Chair of the ImpACT Coalition he said: “Each of these organisations has made a vital commitment to improving transparency and accountability within their own organisation as well as contributing to improve public understanding of the sector.
“Every charity has the opportunity to play their part in raising awareness around how charities work, in order to improve public trust and confidence of our sector.”
Gosschalk is now assisted by John Grounds, Director of Communications at NSPCC and Campbell Robb, Director of Public Policy, NCVO as Vice Chair and Secretariat of the ImpACT coalition, respectively.
The coalition has already published a principles paper, six key themes to be promoted in their work, a question and answer document that helps charities to answer common questions from supporters and the public in a consistent and coherent way, and the success criteria on which progress can be monitored.
The coalition is using media analysis and evaluation company Metrica to monitor media coverage of the voluntary sector from 2006 onwards, highlighting key issues such as fundraising costs. Metrica will establish a baseline of media coverage and monitor progress against this baseline.
Although the coalition expects to recruit more member charities, large and small, its actions this year will focus on showing charities what they can do and giving them ./guidance about how they can educate and equip staff with the key messages to raise understanding about they way they work amongst their donors.
Current members include the Bible Society, NSPCC, Blue Cross, Oxfam, BOND, PDSA, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Plan International, British Heart Foundation, RNID and Buckinghamshire Community Action.
www.impactcoalition.org.uk
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.