All Bermuda?s charities could eventually conduct their operations according to a common set of high standards and best practices, if a joint initiative proposed by the Centre on Philanthropy and the Donor Forum becomes reality.

Cummings Zuill, chairman of the Centre, said yesterday that Bermuda needs to acknowledge and understand the scope and impact of volunteerism on the Island?s GDP.

He was speaking during a joint presentation with the Donor Forum (which includes major corporate givers such as Bank of Bermuda Foundation and the ACE Foundation) at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute to invited guests representing a cross-section of Bermuda charities and companies.

He said that the (related) spirit and energy displayed by Bermuda?s vast volunteer and charitable community should be harnessed to create a more effective ?third sector? of the Island?s economy ? philanthropy.

?Increasingly in the developed world this spirit has been growing impressively in a more organised way to the extent that it is now large enough to stand on its own as a vital third sector of every democratic country with its own foundation, infrastructure and institutions,? he said.

Accordingly, the proposal seeks to bring together charities, the corporate community, volunteers and Government in a collaborative effort that will develop a formal support structure and accreditation service for philanthropic activities in Bermuda.

The proposal is based on research conducted last year by the COA among the business community regarding their experiences with charitable giving here.

Feedback they received showed there is a need for donors as well as charities to receive greater levels of formal assistance with education and training on philanthropy. Also, the standard at which charities operate in terms of general management and fundraising policies is apparently inconsistent, with the result that the viability of some organisations may eventually be threatened.

Mr. Zuill said that there is ?a real need for cooperative and coordinated effort? to address these issues.

?To begin and sustain this collaborative effort for the inclusion and development of the third sector we need a vehicle, a platform... to act as the catalyst and focal point for the development of the many initiatives and necessary infrastructure,? said Mr. Zuill.

The proposal suggests that the COP could expand its current role from giving a base level of education and training to non-profits and the corporate sector to establishing best practice standards; coordinating Government, corporate and non-profit philanthropic efforts; and providing management consulting services to charities. Organisers estimated a three-year timeframe for developing the COA to provide these services and subsequently to implement all the initiatives in the proposal.

?We have the opportunity to take philanthropy in Bermuda to the next level,? said David Lang, chairman of the Donor Forum. ?It?s exciting and will mean that donors and the charities can operate more effectively together to meet the needs of the wider community.?

Feedback from the audience in the question and answer period indicated that the proposal was well-received, with the general feeling that better management skills and accountability among non-profits will result from such an initiative.

The prospect of pooling intellectual capital from the private sector, to generate more volunteers as well as donated professional services for charitable organisations, was also discussed. It was also recognised that any existing or potential duplication of efforts across the spectrum of charitable organisations here could be addressed more effectively.

Responding to a question from the audience suggesting that current legislation governing charities is inadequate and could not necessarily support this kind of initiative, Philip Butterfield, CEO of the Bank of Bermuda stated that without the support and participation of Government the philanthropic sector could not get to where it really needs to be.

?Their role in terms of regulatory support is vital,?he said. ?For example we need to add teeth and substance to things like the registration process (for charities); this would be part of the overall process of getting charities to operate at a higher standard from the get go.?

The organisers intend to get buy-in to the proposal in the coming weeks from government, the broader business community and charitable organisations not represented at the yesterday?s event in order to lay the groundwork for moving forward with development plans.