Philanthropist hands reins to social entrepreneur at the Localgiving Foundation

Charity match funding platform, Localgiving Foundation, has appointed a new Chair to succeed its founder, the philanthropist Marcelle Speller OBE. Marcelle founded Localgiving in 2009 and has steered the foundation through a sustained period of growth, in which it  distributed more than £18m to voluntary groups and charities across the UK and raised awareness of the importance of local charities for our communities. Marcelle commented: “After nine wonderful years at Localgiving, it’s time for me to pass the baton to a younger, dynamic leader who shares my vision for the Foundation – and who can build on the great progress we’ve made in strengthening the UK’s local voluntary sector. I’m totally convinced Tom Latchford is that person – he has the philanthropic pedigree and passion to achieve even more impact for local charities.” Tom is the CEO of the technology company Raising IT, which has grown to become the UK’s largest provider of charity websites. It powers the websites, online marketing and fundraising of more than 400 charities of all sizes, helping them to raise tens of millions more in donations. He founded the London-based firm in 2009 with a clear and compelling vision – to help charities unlock the power of digital. It now has a team of more than 70 people and is expanding rapidly. Tom said: “Marcelle has been inspirational in founding Localgiving Foundation, using it as a channel for her own extraordinary philanthropy and to build a network of like-minded funders to drive more money to vital local causes. “Together with the talented team at Localgiving Foundation, she has built a marketplace connecting efficient local charities to philanthropists, donors and otherwise inaccessible public funding. “The donations of Marcelle and other philanthropists have been leveraged to help millions of people in communities across the UK. “Localgiving is also the only online giving platform that allows unregistered charities and community groups to benefit from Gift Aid and I’m keen to use my experience in digital marketing to boost these vital voluntary groups’ online fundraising power. “Our next campaign, Grow Your Tenner, goes live on 17 October 2017, where local charities and community groups will have £10 donations match funded by the Localgiving Foundation. This includes match funding £10 direct debits for six months. “This is an exciting time for the Localgiving Foundation. My fellow trustees and I are determined to consolidate the great strides it has made already. By growing its scope and ambition, we aim to make it a trusted fundraising partner for many more small groups – enabling them to drive social change and help their communities from the ground up.”