Prospecting teams for Oxfam, Unicef and Cancer Research UK are using hand-held PDAs to collect information from potential donors on the street.

BBC charity appeals are set to lose millions because a strict new BBC policy on premium rate phone lines means they can no longer raise money from calls to shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.

The professional standards for fundraisers and the way they manage volunteers are being reviewed in order to make them more relevant to the needs of practising fundraisers.

The voluntary sector should establish a central data bank where all grant applicants can lodge standard information about their organisations, to be accessed by funders wishing to verify their authenticity and vital statistics.