Institute of Fundraising reports on latest Innovation Zone companies
Howard Lake | 26 March 2010 | News
The Institute of Fundraising recently evaluated two companies in its latest ‘Innovation Zone’, where suppliers present their products for review by a panel of Institute staff and members.
The two products were Gift to Charity, a scheme which sets out to save customers money whilst also generating money for charity through using a credit or debit card, and Meet the Giants, an online resource for people to benefit from the knowledge of respected individuals in the business world.
Gift to Charity, from Gifting Solutions Ltd, lets individuals use their existing debit and credit cards to raise money. Customers register their debit or credit card on the Gift to Charity website, together with the charity which they wish to support. Individuals can change this preferred charity once each month, and all registered charities can use the scheme.
Meet the Giants provides interviews with successful entrepreneurs and business people. Already used by businesses, it is now being marketed as a fundraising tool that could attract new supporters, as well as providing existing supporters with a new way to support charity through subscription fees.
The Innovation Zone panel rate Gift to Charity 4/5 for practical application, 3.5/5 for innovation, and 2.5/5 for fundraising potential.
It rated Meet the Giants 2/5, 2/5 and 1/5 in the respective categories.
Caroline Howe, Policy and Codes of Practice Manager at the Institute of Fundraising, said: “The Innovation Zone is a great way for fundraisers to find out about new fundraising products or services. February’s event saw two new initiatives that could work for a number of different charities and could provide charities with new tools to help drive up income and attract new supporters.”
The Innovation Zone takes place twice a year. The next event is due to place in October 2010, with all applications to be received by the Institute by 17 September 2010.
www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/innovation
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.