This year's edition of Bermuda's Centre on Philanthropy's annual Directory of Registered Charities, now available to the public, includes, for the first time, financial information on many of the 291 organisations listed.

"We asked all of the charities to submit their annual operating budgets,'' says project manager Pam Shailer. "A law has just been passed whereby charities will become more accountable to the public, and out of the total number surveyed, 217 charities supplied us with full information. This will give the public some idea of the size and scope of charities and what sort of resources they have available.'' The 1998 edition -- the sixth in the series -- which has a new layout, now includes the name of every registered charity, even if no information has been supplied. "Previously we have omitted these but, this time, we decided to give them coverage,'' explains Mrs. Shailer.

Also included for the first time, is a section listed `Volunteers Needed'.

"This should help people who are thinking of becoming volunteers.'' The Directory, which is now also available on the Internet (www.charity.bm) is free of charge. "It's compiled by volunteers and, thanks to the Bank of Bermuda who, from the very beginning have paid for the printing, we are able to offer it to the public free of charge,'' says Mrs. Shailer.

There are three indexes under which charities are listed according to ten major charitable activities, an index by beneficiary and a cross-reference index. "If someone wants to give to education, for instance, they will find that the index is broken down into separate fields.'' Mrs. Shailer, who has now produced four Registers, says that on her return from several years in Europe, she was amazed at the extent and depth of charity work that goes on in Bermuda. "Nancy Smythe, executive director of the Centre, who instigated the project, got me involved in putting it all together and I've been doing it for three years now. I was surprised by the variety of people and organisations who use it -- from schools to hotels to individuals.'' The Centre on Philanthropy was established in 1991 specifically to assist Bermuda's charities. Its mission is "To nurture Bermuda's philanthropic spirit and strengthen the community's non-profit initiatives''.

Also now available is the Centre's new Bermuda Donor Directory. Besides listing donors and an accompanying profile of each organisation, the guide for charity leaders sets out the basic steps involved in fundraising and making charity appeals either for their own groups or on behalf of those requiring help.

Copies may be obtained from the Centre on Philanthropy, Terceira House on Par-la-Ville Road, Hamilton, Mondays to Fridays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.