Fundraisers advised to make more of Commission's SIR

Fundraising | Gemma Ware | 1 Sep 2007

Just under two-thirds of the Summary Information Returns submitted to the Charity Commission have no input from the charity's marketing and communications teams, despite the use of the form by donors on the Commission's website.

All charities with an income of over £1m are required to submit a SIR to the Commission, setting out a summary of the organisation's income and expenditure, its achievements and future plans.

An independent research report for the Commission on the use of SIRs by management consultants Compass Partnership found that while 71 per cent of 120 respondents who had accessed SIRs via the Commission's website were either trustees or employed by charities, 30 per cent identified themselves as supporters, donors, volunteers, journalists, researchers, job seekers or government employees.

While 94 per cent of this 'interested public' viewed SIRs as useful and would recommend them to other people, the survey found that 67 per cent of SIRs were compiled without any input from marketing or communications staff.

"The SIR is a great way for charities to tell their story and if other people filled it in and maybe fundraisers, communications people and other people within the organisation were involved, it would have a different feel," said Rosie Chapman, executive director of policy and effectiveness at the Charity Commission. "If fundraisers had more of a role in describing what the charity is doing and its impact then obviously it can only be helpful to general fundraising activity".

Directory: Charity Commission

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