DEC appoints new fundraising manager

The Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) has appointed Shankar Vipulanandarajah as its new fundraising manager.

The role will involve managing relationships with major service providers, overseeing the implementation of the fundraising components of a new database and leading the surge capacity for fundraising during future appeals.

Vipulanandarajah had previously worked in senior fundraising and supporter care positions at Christian Aid, one of the DEC's members, for nearly five years.

His most recent role was as supporter services manager where he oversaw all emergency fundraising appeals and Christian Aid Week, raising up to £60m per year.

He previously worked for WaterAid on a temporary contract and prior to that at the Children's Society.

Shankar Vipulanandarajah said: "It is hugely exciting to have joined the DEC during their extremely successful Haiti Earthquake Appeal. This is a time of major change as we implement our first fundraising database.

"Because of the unique roll of the DEC in raising funds for major overseas emergencies on behalf of our members, we focus on one-off donations rather than regular gifts. We can however use the database to encourage donors to continue their support from one appeal to the next."

The DEC's most recent appeal, for Haiti, raised £94m in just over two months. During this appeal DEC's members, which are the 13 largest UK aid agencies, seconded fundraising staff to the DEC to provide some of the surge capacity.

The organisation is in the process of implementing a ThankQ-based fundraising database which will help it manage its relationship with donors notifying them when we launch appeals and how we use the funds raised.