IoF's Innovation Zone reports on online supermarket and CMS
Howard Lake | 25 January 2011 | News
The Institute of Fundraising’s ‘Innovation Zone’ panel has tested two new products for fundraisers, an online supermarket for investors and a content management system aimed at small and medium sized charities.
The two products, INVESTaid and Iris Donor Strategy 4.9, were tested for innovation, practicality and fundraising potential by a panel of fundraising experts, including Institute staff and members.
Iris Donor Strategy 4.9 is a database featuring 12 modules to help the charity, donors and other stakeholders connect and manage information online. It is designed for small and medium-sized charities to help them work more efficiently.
Using a scale of 1 – 5 stars, with one star the lowest, the panel gave Iris Donor Strategy 4.9 three stars for practical application, four stars for innovation, and 3.5 stars for fundraising potential.
INVESTaid is an online supermarket for investors which allows donors to make investments as well as support charities, this system allows investors to send some, or all, of the rebated commission to charity.
The panel gave INVESTaid two stars for practical application, three stars for innovation, and two stars for fundraising potential.
Terence Lovell, Head of Community Operations at Barnardo’s and Innovation Zone panel member, said: “Innovation will be key to every organisation’s long term successes, whether that be through modifications and improvements or something radically different which can be tested and which has the potential to deliver significant income.”
The full findings of the Innovation Zone Panel have been published in a report available only for organisational members of the Institute of Fundraising.
A summary report is available publicly at
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.