Another fund raiser

NOT satisfied with two fund raisers for Canal & River Trust, British Waterways have recruited yet another manager, but still with no real stated plan of action.

British Waterways announcement of the recruitment of a second member of its fundraising team makes no mention of its third member writes Allan Richards.

Joining Head of Fundraising, Ruth Ruderham (annual salary of £70,300) and Individual Giving Manager, Daniel Charles (salary unknown) will be  the strangely titled Leadership Giving Manager (also salary unknown).

Confusion

In case one is confused by what Individual and Leadership Giving Managers actually do then let us say that these two will lead Canal & River Trust's committed giving programme. Still no wiser? A British Waterways marketing paper says that it has taken a decision to focus its committed giving proposition on a regular giving, as opposed to membership, proposition.

Clear as mud!

What it means

Stripping away the marketing gobbledegook we find that British Waterways is running scared of Canal & River Trust being a true 'paying membership' organisation, but fundraising will instead depend on regular donations from individuals (Individual Giving Manager) and corporate sponsorship (Leadership Giving Manager).

The Defra consultation suggested income from all sources of voluntary giving would be less than £1m a year for the first five years of the charity (Fundraising plan offers little return—3/9/2011).

Furthermore, later information suggests that even this was very optimistic, and due to high cost of fund raising, charitable income will actually make a loss in the first three years, only breaking even in year four.

Would you give on the basis that all your money was spent on overheads and none of it would be spent on the waterways?

Donor Promise

British Waterways has seen this particular problem and resolved it. A marketing report reads 'We have also agreed to offer a 'Donor Promise' that tells donors that every penny they give will be spent directly on the waterways. All administration and overhead costs will be covered from our commercial income'.

Commercial income (direct and indirect) from boaters last year was £35m. Indeed, we are British Waterways' largest source of commercial income.

Public giving, it seems, is funded by taking from boaters.