Should the loud voices get louder?

AN ARTICLE IN TODAY'S Guardian reveals the country's most valued charity brands. Frankly, there's little that will surprise: Cancer Research UK tops the table, the National Trust comes next, and the list is bulked out by the Usual Suspects: big, national charities that work for 'cuddly' causes.

More interesting, though, is the criticism these charities get from the people who compiled the list. They're brand consultants, and rail against trustees who they think fail to see how much charities could make by selling their logos. They commend organizations like the British Heart Foundation, which endorses Shredded Wheat (amongst other things).

This is a difficult area for us. On the one hand, charities should do all they can to attract donations. But on the other, donors should be able to choose the best charity to suit them, and shouldn't be blinded by snazzy marketing.

The obvious solution is for everyone to visit intelligentgiving.com and make up their own mind. But what about those people who don't?