Friday 3 November 2006

A SMALL CHARITY which preserves butterfly habitats has pipped the huge RNLI on a new charity rankings website. "Butterfly Conservation" is one of the few charities to score over 80% in Intelligent Giving’s "Quality of reporting" rankings.

The editor of the Intelligent Giving website Dave Pitchford says, "This shows that tiny charities which get little airtime and funding can be as professionally run as the mega-charities – and they make a pleasing alternative for thinking members of the public."

Pitchford points out that the RNLI’s result was still exceptionally high, putting several well-known names into the shade including Sue Ryder Care and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Launching this weekend and one and a half years in the making, Intelligent Giving presents over 500 charities in the same way that consumer magazines cover restaurants, cars or mortgages.

Pitchford used to work at the News of the World and has applied a tabloid approach to a traditionally dull area. "The site is a consumer site," he says. "It’s not earnest and worthy - it’s immensely practical, interesting and there’s plenty of humour."

Charities are ranked by the quality of their annual reports, with clear references to their ethical investment policies, the money they have in the bank and their top salary. Visitors can also see the amounts spent on administration and fundraising presented in a user-friendly way.

The site boasts a ‘Karma Calculator’, the country’s first charity shop reviewer (Alain De B’argain), plus advice on where to give things away and a roundup of the best charity credit cards.

Pitchford says, "Intelligent Giving is a one-stop shop for anyone remotely interested in where their charitable donations go. It’s also a fun read."

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