BBC TV reports on Fruitful's failure
Howard Lake | 1 August 2004 | News
BBC reporter Andrew Burroughs has reported on the demise of Fruitful, the professional fundraising organisation.
The report, available in video format online,
looks at the collapse of Fruitful and in particular its face-to-face fundraising activities. Burroughs reports that “the collapse of one of the businesses supplying similar professional marketing teams has led to questions as the Charity Commission investigates the £800,000 that charities paid for services but never received”.
He acknowledges that face-to-face fundraising has been successful at generating donors and money, and that £125,000 owed to charities was paid back by Fruitful.
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Burroughs report includes an interview with Lindsay Boswell, CEO of the Institute of Fundraising. Boswell explains that “the charities were paying up front for the work and the services. And for a variety of circumstances which I think are internal and personal to this particular company and nothing to do with the sector as a whole, this company has caught a cold and gone under.”
Oxfam and Shelter’s reactions are included. Oxfam isn’t put off by the collapse. “It was unfortunate, but we aren’t associated with them,” says Jane Pleace of Oxfam. “We look very carefully at the companies we work with”.
Liz Monks at Shelter says “for us it’s a great way to engaging new audiences.”
Back on the streets of north London streets Burroughs demonstrates that some members of the public are still not aware that face-to-face fundraisers are paid for their work, even though they announce this when the talk to would-be donors.
He concludes by saying that “charities are being advised not to pay the agencies which supply them in advance.”
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.