Justgiving is a private for-profit company formed for the administration of charitable donations in 2000. The company's website provides online fundraising tools to enable the electronic collection of donations. Justgiving provides its service for more than 2,100 UK registered charities. The administrative function includes the automatic reclaiming of Gift Aid on all donations from UK taxpayers.
More than £100 million has been raised through Justgiving since its launch. Charity Times claimed the company had “transformed the face of donating in the UK”.
Justgiving has received public criticism for using the business model of a private for-profit company including in their own internet forums. Justgiving deducts 5% from every charitable donation as a fee to cover the cost of running the business. As a for-profit organisation this fee may be used just as any income may be used within a company, and this may include distribution by way of dividends to shareholders in the company. Hence it may be argued that individuals are personally profiting from the charity donations.
Rod Schwartz, previously the Chairman of Justgiving, provides arguments to support the business model in an article in Alliance Magazine .
• Winner - Fundraising & IT Services, Charity Times Awards 2004
• Winner – Grand Prix, New Media Age New Media Awards 2002
• Winner – Best Use of the Web, New Media Age New Media Awards 2002
• Runner-up – Fundraising & IT Services, Charity Times Awards 2002