The Greater Good campaign, a recent Institute of Fundraising initiative to better understand and promote giving, has been suspended.

The project, which had been spearheaded by Alan Clayton, is being “held in abeyance” by the Institute as it observes the work being done around giving by the Funding Commission.

While the Greater Good project was meant to have been separate from the mooted ‘right to give’ or ‘right to ask’ campaigns – which would have involved cross-sector promotion of either giving or charities’ right to fundraise – a spokeswoman for the Institute told Civil Society that those other campaigns had eventually morphed into the now-suspended Greater Good project.

She said that the Institute would be monitoring and feeding into developments with the Funding Commission’s agenda, as well as contributing to the debate on the government’s Giving White Paper.

Director of fundraising at the British Red Cross and Institute trustee Mark Astarita said: “Right now it makes sense to focus on that which has momentum already, especially around the 'better asking campaign' which I would characterise as not just better asking but the need for lots more asking by investing in fundraising and fundraisers.

“To do that some of the ideas behind the Greater Good Campaign will resurface albeit in a different guise and that's just fine.

"What is important is that fundraisers are at the top table whenever and whereever the Big Society agenda is debated. Without us being listened to or engaged it may struggle to get the traction needed to turn a big hope into a big dream. With us and with initiatives to encourage giving and fundraising we just might see some really exciting stuff happen.”

The Greater Good project is unlikely to be revived.