Institute Welcomes Government's Investment in Third Sector Skills and Volunteering

Howard Lake | 24 July 2007 | Newswire

The Institute of Fundraising (‘Institute’) today welcomes the Government’s commitment to developing the skills base of the voluntary sector, as well as its continued investment in volunteering following the publication of the final report of the Third Sector Review.
The Institute is particularly pleased to note the announcement of:
– A new third sector skills strategy;
– £117 million of new resources for youth volunteering alongside other volunteering programmes.
Megan Pacey, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the Institute of Fundraising comments:
There is a shortage of fundraising skills in the voluntary and community sector. Government has a key role to support the professional development of fundraisers within the sector. As a matter of priority, the Institute would urge that Government ensures the development of fundraising skills is at the heart of any new third sector skills strategy, so as to ensure the growth and sustainability of the sector in years to come.
Fundraising is an integral part of voluntary work, and the Government has a crucial role to play in facilitating the dovetailing of volunteering and fundraising initiatives. The Institute hopes that this new Governmental investment in voluntary work will enable youth volunteering and fundraising initiatives to operate in tandem to ensure the success, and ongoing sustainability, of the sector.
Alongside this final report, the Government’s current review of Gift Aid also demonstrates its commitment to supporting fundraising organisations. The outcome of the review will be a fundamental part of ensuring that organisations that fundraise are able to maximise the potential of the Gift Aid mechanism, and we would urge them all to ensure that they take part in the consultation process.”
For further information, visit www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk
-ENDS-
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NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Institute of Fundraising
The Institute of Fundraising (www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk) represents fundraisers and fundraising throughout the UK and is committed to the highest standards in fundraising management and practice. The Institute of Fundraising is the professional body for fundraising and is the largest individual representative body in the voluntary sector with 4500 Individual members and 250 Organisational members. Organisational and Individual members of the Institute agree to abide by the standards set out in the Codes as a condition of membership.
2. The Future of Gift Aid
The Institute is currently carrying out a members review on Gift Aid to co-incide with the Government-led consultation on the mechanism. Investigating a Gift Aid system which raises more money with less administrative burden for charities, the Institute is focussing on looking at how Gift Aid from higher rate donors can potentially be returned to the charity rather than the donor, and how the audit process can be simpler and proportionate. To read more about the Institute’s Future of Gift Aid campaign, visit www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk.

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.