BT has launched a free online charitable fundraising service as it looks to up its corporate social responsibility game.
The telecoms giant announced the MyDonate service today, saying it was the first not-for-profit fundraising service not to charge a subscription fee, set-up fee or commission.
The service purportedly guarantees 100 per cent of donations will go to the charity - outside of credit and debit card charges.
The MyDonate site is now open to both charities and fundraisers. BT said it will be encouraging many others outside of the initial 20 charities to get on board in the coming months.
MyDonate was the brainchild of Ian Livingston, BT chief executive (CEO), who told IT PRO the company wanted to help the UK, just as it was doing through its fibre broadband rollout.
"We're investing in a long-term future and the long-term future of the UK," Livingston said.
"It's a long term payback with next generation broadband, it really is, and we've committed 2.5 billion to doing it, but we do hope over time we will get the demand and we will get a return on it. It is a long term risk."
The CEO said the company expects to see 50,000 days of volunteering from its employees in 2011.
"We think it is very important to give back to the society in which we operate in. Our customers like it, they want their suppliers to be contributing," he said.
"It's not just what a company does, it's how it does it."
As for the rest of the telecoms industry, Livingston said generally the sector had done well in social responsibility efforts.
"I think the telecoms industry does a pretty reasonable job around the world. We like to measure ourselves against the best in the world," Livingston added.
"Particularly what I think is important is that businesses gain that leverage from their technology."
Virgin is another company which uses its technology expertise to offer a donating service known as Money Giving.
