Institute of Fundraising involves sector in drive to improve diversity, equality & inclusivity

More than 400 organisations have participated in an Institute of Fundraising survey to gauge diversity levels within the UK fundraising sector.

The Institute of Fundraising (IoF) launched the Change Collective movement in November along with its Manifesto for Change, which is a blueprint for a ten-year strategy aimed at addressing an under-representation of BAME, LGBT+ and disabled people throughout the profession, as well as unequal progression for women fundraisers.

According to the IoF, 68% of CEOs and almost two thirds of trustees are male, while only 3% of charity CEOs are BAME and just 9% of the sector is non-white.

The Change Collective calls for fundraisers and others in the sector to work together to change this and make fundraising a more equal, diverse and inclusive profession.

To this end, the IoF has asked fundraising charities to complete a survey on fundraising teams to help it set a benchmark of the current make-up of the fundraising profession and the existing barriers, which will inform the development of its ten-year equality, diversity, and inclusivity strategy and help it work out what the IoF, and its members, can do to create a more inclusive and diverse fundraising community.

Fundraising organisations had until 4 February to give their views in the survey, with the findings and next steps to be announced in due course.