Free fundraising healthcheck online tool from THINK and Institute of Fundraising
Howard Lake | 10 March 2009 | News
The Institute of Fundraising and THINK Consulting Solutions have created a free online diagnostic tool designed to help charities to understand the impact of the recession on their income portfolios over the coming years.
The ‘Fundraising Healthcheck’ has been created in recognition of the fact that charities need strategic fundraising advice and support to help them continue functioning effectively amid the recession. The diagnostic tool is suitable for charities of all sizes that wish to check the viability of their fundraising, anonymously and confidentially.
It offers two analysis routes. The Net Income Report scrutinises a charity’s fundraising profitability across a mix of channels to determine the most profitable income streams and donor groups, and areas needing focus.
The second route, an Investment Report, assesses the mix and risk of a charity’s investment portfolio, looking at recruitment and donor development across techniques and channels to ensure strategic risk management.
Although the participant is asked to register an email address, the identity of the charity can remain anonymous if they do not wish to use a work email address. The name of the charity is not requested during the analysis.
Neither the Institute of Fundraising nor THINK Consulting Solutions will store, nor have access, to any fundraising details submitted. No information is saved and participants will be advised to print their bespoke report before exiting the site.
Lindsay Boswell, chief executive of the Institute of Fundraising, said: “In launching Fundraising Healthcheck we are recognising and responding to the need of fundraisers to present a clear case to their trustee boards and CEOs for continued and vital investment in diverse fundraising strategies.
“It would be easy for the Institute to write to our members to encourage them to continue trying to convince their boards, but we wanted to do more. Fundraising Healthcheck is a powerful tool that can give fundraisers something tangible to help guide and support their strategies”.
He added that he believed that the Fundraising Healthcheck would be particularly useful to small to medium-sized charities “that do not have a corporate business infrastructure or previous recession experience to draw from, nor the funds to seek professional consulting advice.”
Tony Elischer, managing director of THINK Consulting Solutions, said: “We have pooled our consultants’ experience, expertise and time into the biggest pro bono project we have ever undertaken. I firmly believe it is the responsibility of organisations such as ours to rally and go the extra mile to offer support and original thinking.
“We want charities to be able to see clearly and understand the impact the recession may have on their organisations and with the help of expert advice, to be able to come to their own conclusions when planning their course through the recession and out the other side.”
The site will be updated, with new features and tools being added, and users will be invited by email to resubmit data at future dates.
Currently Fundraising Healthcheck is available exclusively to members of the Institute of Fundraising through the members-only area of the organisation’s website.
From the end of March 2009 it will be available to the sector at large at
www.fundraisinghealthcheck.org
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.