Fundraising regulation? Charities should work existing assets harder
Howard Lake | 16 October 2015 | Blogs
In the wake of the recommendations in the Etherington review of the future of self-regulation of fundraising, now is the time for UK charities to review their existing revenue streams to ensure they are working as hard as they can, especially in key areas such as Gift Aid.
Whilst it is not yet clear which fundraising activities may be affected by the review, it is essential for charities to take stock of their existing income streams in order to ensure that they are producing the maximum possible level of returns. Many charities could generate significant additional income simply by improving their existing Gift Aid collection processes, and increasing opportunities for those who want to donate to be able to do so. There are a number of things charities can do to increase the amount of money coming into the charity without having to target new donors or resort to cold-calling and direct mailing. These include:
1. Generate Gift Aid from rags
Many charities do not currently do this effectively enough.
2. Accept tax-effective donations online
Allow people to donate online via your charity’s website. Don’t forget to ask for a Gift Aid declaration in the process.
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3. Improve the Gift Aid donation collection process
If collecting donated clothes for sale to raise funds, why not provide delivery drivers with mobile devices as an integral part of the overall Gift Aid system?
4. Improve Gift Aid collection and reporting through more effective in-store use of IT
BMc Azurri has found that new releases of software have resulted in notable increases in Gift Aid income for the charity customers.
5. Provide better and more regular Gift Aid training for shop staff
Some charity shops have seen a rise in Gift Aid returns of as much as 400% following refresher staff training. East Cheshire Hospice is one of the charities that is already taking steps to improve its existing processes. With less than 18% of the charity’s funding coming from the government, it is essential that the charity achieves its income targets to support their care of over 300 patients every year. Mick Prescott, Retail Development Manager for East Cheshire Hospice said:
“Having the right software in our charity shops was essential in maximising our Gift Aid revenue. With over 80 volunteers involved in our retail operations, we needed an easy to use system suitable for a team of varying skill-sets. Gift Aid is a major source of income for us and so getting it right in-store is one way we are ensuring that we make the most of the donations we have coming in.”
East Cheshire Hospice is currently working on new developments, which include barcode scanning, new stock systems and additional updates to their existing Gift Aid system including integrated chip and pin services – developed in partnership with YesPay – thermal-imaging-based footfall analysis and Gift Aid on rags. Alastair Petrie, BMc Azurri
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.