PIN - Software for Individuals

PIN is regularly updated throughout the year. The online version automatically contains the latest data. If you have the desktop version, PIN can automatically download the latest date via the Internet. For those who prefer to get their updates on CD, we send out an annual update in the post.

Whether you are using the desktop version or the online version, the way it works is much the same.

To do a search, you need to provide some essential information, such as age, gender, where the person who wants a grant currently lives, and what their needs are.

If you think it might be relevant, you can provide additional information. So if the person is visually impaired or used to work in the banking industry (or even had a father who used to work in the banking industry), you could enter that information and retrieve specialist charities that fit the profile you have created.

Once you've entered as much information as you want, you can search. For each funder found, you see their name, a description of their policy, information about how to make an application and the contact details - who to write to, address, and so on.

The other way of using PIN is to 'look up one funder'.If you know its name or charity number or want to scroll through a list, you can bring up the details of a trust without doing a search.

Neither the desktop nor the online version of PIN is as disability friendly as we would like. In order to make the hierarchical trees of terms work in a web environment, the pages in Online PIN have fixed dimensions and no scroll bars, making them less friendly to people with a visual impairment than some other web pages. If you have a visual impairment or use a screen reader and are thinking of buying PIN, contact us if you would like to discuss the matter further or 'try before you buy'.

Online PIN comes in two flavours. The standard version provides access via a username and password. Everyone that uses the username and password has access to everything. They can, for instance, change the password. The provider version has two different levels of access: one for the licencee and the other for 'members' - for instance library members or students at a university or branches of a network. Members can't see administrative details. Access for members can be by username and password, fixed IP addresses, a specified url or via a library card membership number.

For more information

• Watch a video of a PIN search.
• Take a look at some screen shots
• Check out prices
• Check out conditions and technical requirements