How to raise charity funds without spending a penny

Dan Whiteman, managing director of data-processing company Oblong UK, and his colleagues have developed a new website, Home4charity, through which people can generate income for the BBC’s Children In Need without spending a penny themselves.

Mr Whiteman explained: “If someone clicks on an advert on the website, the company that generates income from that will pay us.

“We also have a search page which uses a Google search engine, for which Google pay us for when it is used. On average, each search on our website raises three pence.

“We then donate 100 per cent of that money to charity.”

The website is currently supporting Children In Need, but Mr Whiteman is hoping to get other charitable causes involved as the venture progresses.

He said: “We are hoping to soon be able to give people a choice of causes they want to support.

“The aim is that one user will be able to generate at least £10 a year.”

Mr Whiteman, who has been with the Harbury-based Oblong since it formed in 2006, is also planning to ask the various businesses his firm deals with to match Home4charity’s fundraising in exchange for free advertising on the site.

He said: “It’s an idea I had a long time ago, but did not have the time to push it. I have always wanted to do something that can earn good money for charity.

“A lot of people do use Google. It’s a way of helping a good cause without any hassle or effort.”

People can set Home4charity’s search page as their default search engine by clicking on the ‘set’ icon on the lefthand side of its search page.