Charities should invest in fundraising training to help tackle problems that have caused voluntary sector employment to shrink by 9 percent, the Institute of Fundraising (IoF) said today.

Commenting on figures released by Skills – Third Sector that show the UK voluntary sector has lost a massive 70,000 posts in the past year, the IoF also urged funders to carefully consider where they make their investments.

Peter Lewis, IoF Chief Executive, said: “"This data makes sombre reading. It emphasises the need for charities themselves to really invest in fundraising and fundraisers to properly diversify their funding streams."

The figures from Skills – Third Sector show jobs being lost as statutory funding cuts begin to bite, putting increasing pressure on charity funds.

Peter added: “This research suggests that the Government and other funders of the sector should think more strategically about their investment.

“At this time of cuts everyone understands that they can't just continue funding the same projects forever. They can, however, help the sector to move to a more sustainable and diverse funding base through investing in fundraisers."