REaD Group offers £25,000 Data Bursary

Data management specialists The REaD Group is offering £25,000 worth of data cleansing, consultancy and associated services over a twelve month period to the UK charity that wins its new Data Bursary, offered in association with UK Fundraising.

"No, hell hasn't frozen over," said The REaD Group's CEO, Mark Roy, in launching the new Bursary. "But with charity direct mail complaints to the Fundraising Standards Board hitting an alarming high recently, we feel compelled to offer some REaD-powered database management assistance at this time."

Mr Roy has criticised charities' apparent direct mail excesses in the past, so added: "We're cognisant of the considerable financial and technical constraints faced by charity and volunteer organisations, so it's time to stop hollering from the sidelines and muck in to help make life easier and more efficient for fundraisers, I've decided."

All UK registered charities are eligible to be considered for The REaD Group Charity Data Bursary, which will apply a suite of REaD Group products, including the Gone Away Suppression File (GAS), Xpression and The Bereavement Register (TBR), alongside the MPS and PAF-checking filters to the Bursary recipient's database or mailing list, with the aim of eliminating inaccuracies, increasing ROI and decreasing adverse environmental impacts.

Interested charities can apply online. Whilst priority will be given to charitable organisations that currently do not use any data cleansing and/or bureau services, all submissions will certainly be considered.

The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Friday 18 July, 2008. Representatives from The REaD Group will select the successful Charity Data Bursary recipient in association with UK Fundraising, which will announce the successful applicant on 8 August 2008.

Howard Lake, UK Fundraising's publisher, said: "Accurate supporter data is an essential component of successful fundraising. The REaD Group's Charity Data Bursary is therefore a valuable opportunity for one charity to ensure it can catch up with best practice and enjoy even greater direct mail fundraising success."

Mr Roy added: "We look forward to working with UK Fundraising and our inaugural Bursary recipient over coming months. Hopefully this can be the start of a robust and mutually rewarding new dialogue with our charity marketing colleagues."

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