Friday 3 November 2006

A BUSINESSMAN FRUSTRATED by the lack of information about the voluntary sector has launched the country’s first website to independently assess and compare charities.

The site, Intelligent Giving, presents charities in the same way that consumer magazines cover restaurants, cars or mortgages – an approach which seems to embody backer Peter Heywood’s personal attitude.

Charities are ranked by the coverage of their annual reports as well as by their approach to ethical investments, the money they have in the bank, and their Chief Executive’s salary. Visitors also have instant access to the amount spent on administration and fundraising.

"These are services like any other," he says, "only they have until now sat on a pedestal that no-one dares approach or challenge. That hasn’t been helpful to donors, charities or beneficiaries. It has just created a fog of mystery which makes some people more cynical than generous."

Heywood made his fortune last year by selling specialist IT website Lightreading. His frustration arose when trying to establish which charities should feature in his will. "There was a serious lack of readable, independent information," he says. "So I decided to create it myself."

Heywood then met Dave Pitchford, a journalist who was already working on a website along the same lines. "I had the money but not the time to invest in it," says Heywood. "Dave had the time but not the money. It was the ideal match."

Intelligent Giving lists over 1300 charities and has detailed profiles of over 500. Pitchford says, "This is a one-stop shop for anyone remotely interested in where their charitable donations go. It’s not dull and worthy. It’s practical, interesting and free, and it has a cheeky sense of humour."

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