The voluntary sector lost one of its most colourful and respected characters last month when Directory of Social Change researcher Luke FitzHerbert was killed in a car crash in Northamptonshire. A fierce champion of small charities and an ardent advocate of openness and transparency, FitzHerbert was a prominent figure in the sector, with strong views and a reputation for the utmost integrity.

FitzHerbert's career began with jobs in printing, but he found his way into the voluntary sector when he launched the Brent River and Canal Society, an environmental group that successfully campaigned for the creation of a fourmile- long park in West London.

It was around this time that he began looking into the conduct of trusts and foundations, and challenging them to become more transparent in their activities.

Michael Norton, his former codirector at the Directory of Social Change, said: 'He was an iconoclast, he challenged the whole edifice of grantmaking, to make it publicly accountable and relevant to society's needs, not just the private giving of private resources. It's difficult to remember that in 1985 when he started, how little information there was available and how secretive and class-ridden the foundations sector was. He singlehandedly opened up this very private world to public scrutiny and made it a matter of good practice that trustees be publicly accountable for their grantmaking.'

David Emerson, chief executive at the Association of Charitable Foundations, said: 'Although a lot of what Luke achieved was before my time at ACF, he has been a challenging and seminal commentator of the grant sector, pushing it forward into the 21st Century. His input has had an extremely positive impact despite his ideas not always being universally well-received.'

The Directory of Social Change has put a condolence page on its website www.dsc.org.uk.