JustGiving bosses gave themselves a £2 million pay rise after bringing in £27 million through fees charged on donations last year, it has been revealed.
Founders Dame Zarine Khaas and Anne-Marie Huby shared a salary bump of £90,000 to bring their earnings to £530,000 after US software giant Blackbaud bought the platform for £95 million,The Mirror reports.
The website’s ‘key management personnel’ – including directors and certain senior managers – cashed in as JustGiving saw a £2million rise in revenue to £27million last year, according to company accounts.
JustGiving founders Zarine Khaas (left) and Anne-Marie Huby (right) shared a salary bump of £90,000 to bring their earnings to £530,000
The company paid its 122 staff members – including directors, technicians and admin workers – a total of £12.6 million, leaving it with a profit of £3.5 million last year.
MailOnline has contacted JustGiving for comment.
The revelations come after JustGiving scrapped its controversial 5 per cent fee for crowdfunding for natural disasters and terror attacks following a backlash.
Neil Coyle, Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, said last month that he was sickened to learn JustGiving took £500,000 pledged for the victims of major incidents, such as the London Bridge attack, Manchester Arena bombing and the Grenfell fire.
Following the criticism, JustGiving announced last month that its 24 million customers will be able to use the personal crowdfunding service without paying ‘platform fees’.
The changes also mean the removal of fees for money being raised following major incidents including acts of terrorism and natural disasters.
Third-party processing fees on card payments will still be charged.
JustGiving bosses gave themselves a £2million pay rise after the charity site was bought by US software giant Blackbaud. File photo
People have previously pledged money to appeals through the website following major atrocities such as the Manchester Arena attack and the Grenfell Tower fire.
JustGiving said the fee removals mean more funds raised via the crowdfunding platform will go to the people and communities who use it – making it easier to reach their targets.
At the time, Jerry Needel, JustGiving’s president, said: ‘These changes mean our users can raise money for personal causes, using our world-class technology, all without paying a platform fee.’
He added: ‘We know people want to help those affected as quickly as possible after these events and we want to do everything we can to support that.’
He added that users have donated £3.5 billion for charitable and personal causes since it launched 18 years ago in 2001.
JustGiving said that, as of January 1, 2019, card processing fees for crowdfunding will be set at 2.9 per cent plus 25p, ‘in line with other major crowdfunding platforms’.