American donors, although some charity officials said it may not be welcomed by all.

The International Charitable Committee of Bermuda was set up in accordance with US tax laws, and is reportedly an initiative of the Centre on Philanthropy.

US taxpayers can earn tax rebates by contributing to Bermuda charities though this corporation, said director Mrs. Margaret Hern, who is also a trustee of the Centre on Philanthropy.

But moves by the Centre on Philanthropy to bring local charities together by issuing information and publishing a register of Bermuda charities, have been greeted with some resistance in the past.

"Charities working together is not always going to be popular,'' said Mrs.

Penny Powell, case worker of the Committee of 25 for Handicapped Children.

Salvation Army Captain Max Barritt agreed, saying: "There are some charities that don't want to network.'' However, he added, the Salvation Army was very happy about the Charitable Fund, calling it a "watchdog''.

He said, "It keeps people honest.'' Local charities should work together, Capt. Barritt said, even though they are all looking for ways to raise money, and sometimes not everyone wins.

He compared charities and charitable interests to churches, saying: "You'll never get all the churches together to form one church.'' Mrs. Hern denied that the corporation was like the United Way, an American umbrella charity which some believe has reduced donations to individual charities.

In a press release issued last week, Charitable Committee directors Mr. Tom Conyers and Mrs. Hern said a number of Bermuda charities had found setting up their own US non-profit organisations was "not an effective use of money or human resources''.

"They saw that one `umbrella' US organisation, that would be available for all charities to use, on a shared-cost basis, could be of great advantage -- both to donors and in meeting the community's growing needs,'' said the press release.

Individual charities would be responsible for their own advertising and soliciting, but US taxpayers' donations will go through the Charitable Fund to that charity, earning them tax deductions, explained Mrs. Hern.

"Even small US donors are more encouraged to make a donation to a tax-deductible organisation than a non tax-deductible one. Large donors are often influenced to make a larger donation if tax-deductible,'' she said.

Participating Bermudian charities need not be registered, but, under US IRS law, must operate only for charitable and educational purposes, and may not influence legislation.

"We hope to generate a bit of interest with this,'' said Mrs. Hern. "It's the end of the US tax year, and people wanting to make a charitable donation for the 1994 tax return can take advantage of this.''