Gill Astarita Memorial Fund raises nearly £24,000

In its first year the Gill Astarita Memorial Fund has raised almost £24,000 to support the development of fundraisers and fundraising in India and Africa.

Gill Astarita was a widely respected fundraiser and chief executive of Volunteer Reading Help, who lost her battle against cancer last year.

The Fund was set up Gill's husband Mark Astarita, director of fundraising at the British Red Cross, and is run, as part of The Fundraisers Fund, by global capacity-building charity, the Resource Alliance.

Fundraising for the Fund will continue at next week's International Fundraising Congress (IFC) in Holland, aiming to enable the Fund to meet growing demand for fundraising training in the developing world.

The Fund has now provided bursaries for 20 fundraisers from 8 countries to attend the 9th International Workshop on Resource Mobilisation (IWRM) in Bangalore, India in May and for 30 individuals to attend the 15-day intensive course on resource mobilisation and communications in India, Malaysia and Africa.

The Resource Alliance will be hosting a Fundraisers Fund Reception at the IFC with the aim of raising £5,000.

"Gill would have been delighted that so many fundraisers have now benefited from essential training as a direct result of her peers’ generous donations to this fund," said Mark Astarita.

"She was passionate about supporting fundraisers in Africa and India and I hope that, with continued support, the Fund will provide funding for many more bursaries in this part of the world."

www.fundraisersfund.org