Swissfundraising launches special interest working groups

Swissfundraising’s member volunteers are taking on new responsibilities this year, with the launch of working groups focusing on topics of special interest, including data protection legislation and digital fundraising standards.

The new Swissfundraising working groups will be a vital resource to help members stay on top of relevant changes in the marketplace and to get to grips with common fundraising issues.

This includes the working group for GDPR and other data protection legislation, which is responsible for lobbying to influence change where necessary, as well as producing checklists and templates to help members meet legal requirements.

Swissfundraising has also launched a monitoring group. This will see volunteer members concentrate on preparing the fundraising community for any upcoming changes that may affect them, such as new laws, change of techniques or media, public perception of charities, or economic challenges.

A further working group is also in the pipeline, charged with preparing the launch of a Digital Fundraising Panel. This will follow Swissfundraising’s Direct Mail Panel, which has been used as a benchmark tool for the output of mail packages since 2009 in Switzerland, and since 2015 in Austria and Germany.

The Swiss fundraising association’s volunteers already carry out a wide range of activities including running the association’s regional chapters and meetings, helping to organise its annual conference, judging its awards, and working to grow the reach of Giving Tuesday in the country.

Andreas Cueni, Swissfundraising’s project manager and fundraising consultant, said: “Swissfundraising not only counts on its staff and the board, but also on dozens of members volunteering and helping to produce services and information useful for all our 700 members. We have up to 30 members volunteering and they are integral in enabling us to provide and add to the services we are able to offer.”