21/09/07
The merger of two UK-based charities, GuideStar UK and Civil Society Systems, was announced in London at an international meeting of 100 civil society leaders from over 20 countries. The union of the two charities, which will be known as GuideStar International, has been made possible by a £3 million grant from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.
The two charities will combine their strengths in technology, operations and outreach into one efficient, technologically-advanced information platform. While ensuring the continued quality and development of the GuideStar service in the UK , the merger will help GuideStar International respond to the growing interest in the GuideStar model around the world.
GuideStar systems help to illuminate the work of charities in countries around the world. The GuideStar model was first established in the United States in 1994 and GuideStar UK was launched in December 2005. Through the development of independent, national systems, GuideStar International is building the world’s first library of information on the aspirations, activities and finances of charities.
Mathew Cherian, CEO of HelpAge India, said, “Without a GuideStar system, anyone seeking to support the work of a charity—be they a donor, grant maker, employee, trustee or volunteer—is flying blind, unable to gain a clear view of who is doing what, where and how. In India , we recognise the need for high-quality, transparent information and are developing our own GuideStar system to ensure that trust in the vital work of these organisations is maintained and that they have the resources necessary to undertake their work effectively and efficiently.”
Following the success of the GuideStar model in the US and UK, nationally operated systems are now under development in South Africa, India, South Korea and, with support from the European Commission, in four European countries: Germany, Hungary, Ireland and the Netherlands. The shared technology platform will dramatically reduce development costs for these and other countries.
Bill Dietel, the retired President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and chair of Civil Society Systems, will chair the united charities’ board of trustees. Dietel said, “GuideStar International works to support information-rich voluntary sector development in other countries, and our vision is a great global fleet of independent but aligned national GuideStar entities. GuideStar UK, beyond serving the UK ’s voluntary sector information needs directly, is, along with GuideStar in the US , the inspiration for the development of GuideStar systems in countries throughout the world.”
Hilary Browne-Wilkinson, founder of the London-based Institute for Philanthropy, a founder of GuideStar UK and now a member of the board of the new combined charity, said that “I believe that comprehensive, accurate information is vital to the strength of civil societies and the development of their role in every country of the world. GuideStar provides this. The benefit of the UK experience in developing a database, and an easy to use search engine can be passed on to other countries at the beginning of the process. I see this new global organisation as a fitting and exciting evolution of the work we began in London exactly five years ago.”
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