MARY ROBINSON
Conservative MP for Cheadle
IN a society where there is an ever-growing number of good causes to donate to, the need for transparency from organisations helping fundraisers with donations is greater than ever.
In order to highlight this issue I recently led a debate in Westminster on charitable giving and fundraising websites, which have made, and continue to make, a great contribution to the charity sector in the UK.
The debate was held on Giving Tuesday, an initiative which celebrates the different ways in which people support charities.
Online fundraising is one of the most popular ways to donate and the key reason for calling this debate was to promote transparency and fairness.
I was keen to raise this after meeting representatives of Wonderful.org, a Manchester-based fundraising website which makes sure that every penny raised is received by the chosen charity, in contrast to other platforms which charge varying fees.
People find using these sites an innovative way to react to tragic events like the Manchester Arena bombing or the Grenfell Fire and are able to raise money efficiently and quickly online.
Immediately following the bombing in May, the Manchester Evening News began an online appeal to raise cash for the victims’ families and those injured in the attack.
Through their fantastic efforts and the generosity of local people and the British public they managed to raise over £2.5 million in donations.
It’s really important that the maximum possible amount of donations made is received by these good causes. However not all users are aware that charges are taken from the total amount raised and that there are differences in fees across all giving sites.
People are often surprised to discover that, after taking part in fundraising activities, not all of their financial efforts goes to their nominated charity. This is why transparency across the board when it comes to fees can only serve to strengthen this growing method of fundraising and increase people’s trust.
Britain is a generous nation and I am determined to ensure that we get more people giving with confidence.