Mark Roy, the Read Group's CEO, said that charity direct mail complaints to the Fundraising Standards Board are hitting an alarming high and that Read feels compelled to offer some database management assistance.
All UK registered charities are eligible to be considered for the bursary, which will apply to a suite of Read Group products including the Gone Away Suppression File, Xpression and The Bereavement Register.
Interested charities can apply online. Priority will be given to charitable organisations that currently do not use any data cleansing and/or bureau services but all submissions will be considered.
The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Friday July 18. Representatives from the Read Group will select the successful recipient in association with UK Fundraising, the online resource for fundraisers, which will announce the winner on August 8.
Howard Lake, UK Fundraising's publisher, said: "Accurate supporter data is an essential component of successful fundraising. The Read Group's charity data bursary is therefore a valuable opportunity for one charity to ensure it can catch up with best practice and enjoy even greater direct mail fundraising success."
Roy said: "We're cognisant of the considerable financial and technical constraints faced by charity and volunteer organisations, so it's time to stop hollering from the sidelines and muck in to help make life easier and more efficient for fundraisers, I've decided."