Posted on 18th August 2009
Charity and donor advisors New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) will take over the work of Intelligent Giving, the charity evaluation and donor advice website, whose future was at risk because of severe funding difficulties.
Intelligent Giving’s website, which features over 500 UK charities and gives them scores for the quality of their reporting and transparency, will stay online without updates for the immediate future. NPC will maintain Intelligent Giving as a distinct brand.
Martin Brookes, chief executive of NPC, told Philanthropy UK that his organisation will offer Intelligent Giving a "more stable berth" and in return benefit from the latter’s knowledge of and focus on transparency: “We think this is an exciting opportunity to look at the links between transparency and effectiveness.”
Richard Marsh, interim director of Intelligent Giving said that although the charity will cease to be an independent entity "our methodology and approach will be able to continue".
NPC is discussing the practicalities of the takeover although Brookes told Philanthropy UK they are keen to publish some form of report on Intelligent Giving’s approach.
Intelligent Giving has attracted a reputation for challenging the sector and received criticism for being a "self-appointed charity watchdog"’ a claim it has refuted.
Marsh accepts Intelligent Giving adopts an "edgy approach" which he hopes will be preserved. “Martin Brookes at NPC is willing to tackle big issues and I hope this will translate into a willingness to maintain the edginess of Intelligent Giving’s work,” he says.
Brookes commented, “We want to emphasise that NPC and Intelligent Giving need to be supportive as well as provocative towards charities, and not antagonistic. Our goal is to help the charitable sector and its beneficiaries.”
Intelligent Giving had been funded by a mix of private donors and organisations, with a plan to generate revenue through advertising and by charging for advisory services to philanthropists and charities. Funding difficulties were highlighted in its 2007 annual report, which said the charity had failed to "earn substantial income from advertising and consultancy services".
Marsh said, “I knew when I arrived that it was a very difficult situation and they needed to explore all the funding options.”
The trustees decided to wind-down the charity so that its work could continue in association with another organisation to avoid bankruptcy, Marsh added.
The move is supported by the Charity Commission, whose chief executive, Andrew Hind, said, “Organisations providing information about and analysis of charities are an important part of increasing transparency and accountability to the public”.
