Elly Woolston, MD, DMS

Elly Woolston, MD, DMS I wholeheartedly support Cancer Research’s move to allow donors to choose where their money goes (nma 6 May 2010). With the public taking a greater interest in how their donations are spent, the charity’s MyProjects initiative will help donors feel more involved in the giving process. This type of innovation is what’s needed to encourage engagement with charitable causes.

Cancer Research is also taking a bold step by allowing people to see how their money is affecting real people’s lives on a video-led website. Brands, particularly charities, are often reluctant to open lines of communication with consumers for fear of what they might post.

Cancer Research’s approach addresses the idea that some people want and need to share experiences and feelings on a matter that affects one in three of us. With social media part of the fabric of our daily interactions, the charity’s response to these developments is exactly the right way forward.