Challenger bank Virgin Money is to close down a website that has helped charities and volunteers raise millions of pounds.
Virgin Money Giving, which was set up in 2009 when the bank began sponsoring the London Marathon, will close for donations on November 30, following Virgin Money’s last sponsorship of the event.
Some staff from the project will be offered alternative roles within the business, which has major offices in Newcastle, Leeds and Glasgow. But around 25 jobs are expected to be lost.
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The platform has helped 20,000 charities and more than a million fundraisers raise more than £900m online.
But Virgin Money said there was now a much wider choice of online giving platforms that charge lower fees, and it had made decision to close the Giving website after a ‘strategic review’.
The bank said it would help charities find alternative fundraising platforms where necessary.
Helen Page, chief brand officer at Virgin Money, said “Virgin Money Giving was created to support our sponsorship of the London Marathon and disrupt the online charity giving market. The not-for-profit service has helped millions of fundraisers and donors raise over £900 million for good causes and has changed the sector for the better.
“Following the end of our sponsorship of the London Marathon, it is the right time to bring the service to a close and help our charity partners to move to an alternative and sustainable giving platform.”
Virgin Money Giving is contacting all charities registered with the service, fundraisers with live pages and regular donors with details of the changes.
