The Institute of Fundraising has launched an ongoing campaign to ensure that fundraising is recognised in future volunteering initiatives.
Prompted by the launch of the Department of Health’s consultation ‘Towards a Strategy to Support Volunteering in Health and Social Care’, which will also act as a blueprint to inform other Government-led volunteering initiatives, the Institute is encouraging fundraising organisations whose work is supported by the efforts of volunteer fundraisers, to complete a survey about volunteer fundraising in their organisations.
The survey findings will help provide the evidence base of the Institute’s submission to the consultation to ensure that the huge contribution that volunteer fundraisers make, both in the NHS and more generally are acknowledged and take the campaign forward in the future.
Megan Pacey, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the Institute of Fundraising, comments:
'Volunteering remains a top priority across Government. Engaging the public in volunteering to increase outputs across a range of sectors and improve civil society is key to many public policy agendas.
'Yet, despite all this energy, the Department of Health consultation barely mentions fundraising, much less acknowledges volunteer fundraising as a significant volunteering activity with the National Health Service.
'Research shows that two thirds of volunteers are engaged in raising and handling money. Volunteer fundraisers raise millions of pounds for good causes each year.
'Yet there is still a distinct lack of recognition, across the board, of fundraising as a valid and valuable volunteer activity – and next to no support in volunteer initiatives to nurture and grow volunteer fundraising.
'The current government consultation provides us with an opportunity to ensure volunteer fundraising is firmly on the volunteering agenda. The Institute of Fundraising hopes that fundraising organisations will support its campaign to ensure that it becomes a firm fixture.'
Responses to the Institute's consultation response are invited until Friday 12th September 2008.
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For further information please contact:
Diana Mackie Tel. 020 7840 1027 / 07793 802 852
Institute of Fundraising
Email Diana Mackie
