Freelancers cut their rates for charity

Freelance professionals are abandoning their normal hourly fees to work for charities of their choice at discounted rates of up to 85%., Not-for-profit organisations seeking skills in PR, Marketing and IT, are tapping into charitable freelancers signing up to the staffing website people4charity.com. , From a dedicated Web-page, the self-employed seller can spell out their expertise, availability, commercial rate and charity rate – normally a discount of 15%., But speaking to a recruitment magazine, people4charity revealed some freelancers have cut their commercial fee by up to 85%, in order to supply a cause they support., Emma Wood, a former freelance who now runs the site, told OnRec: “Charities often need the support of professionals for projects – just like commercial organisations – but what they also want is complete price transparency and, where possible, support from people who share their values.”, The online database of freelancers includes those skilled in law, administration, education; research, finance, accounting and construction, among other industries., Registered charities search for candidates by sector, skills, track-record, location and price, before the two parties deal direct so they can agree project scope and contract terms., The site earns revenue by applying a fixed 10% margin to the seller’s chosen rate, but says it is “committed to returning 5 percent of profits to the voluntary sector.”, The seller, however, may earn a finder’s fee for introducing new charities or freelancers to the service, which includes invoice management and payment to candidates within five working days.