Scots charities didn't call for abolition of the fundraising regulator, which has become a "whipping boy for failure"
The lead consultant in Scotland’s fundraising review has questioned the need to disband the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB).
Richard Hamer, lead partner at Animate Consultancy, told the Institute of Fundraising Scotland conference that while a single fundraising body was needed, Scottish charities didn’t call for it to be replaced.
Sir Stuart Etherington’s review of fundraising in England said the FRSB was not fit for purpose and called for it to be replaced with a new more effective body.
The Institute of Fundraising should also be stripped of its responsibility for overseeing the Code of Fundraising Practice, the report stated.
But the FRSB, said Hamer, had become a “whipping boy for failure" when there was no evidence any other regulatory body would have done a better job.
To this end the Etherington report contradicted itself, Hamer told delegates, and that a better funded body would have undoubtedly been more effective.
He said: “The FRSB cost £500,000 to run while the new body, according to Etherington, is to be well funded.
“But would the same cash have made the FRSB better, more effective? If it had, say £2.5 million a year, would it be able to perform its role more effectively?
“Scotland didn’t actually see the need to replace the FRSB. A single entity was an important factor but the issue for Scottish charities was more around effective self-regulation.
“To this end it looks like the FRSB has become something of a whipping boy for failure when it was bound to have performed better had it been given the resources.”
Later on the conference heard how fundraisers were confident Scotland could create a new regulatory regime where public confidence in charities will thrive.
Charities are due to be consulted on what regulatory regime they would like to see in Scotland, with a meeting taking place in November to kick-start the process.
Martin Sime, chief executive of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), said the sector had three options but, critically, had to take ownership of the process.
“The principal recommendation (of the Scottish review) is charities should take ownership of self-regulation of fundraising in Scotland,” he said.
“We have three options: go with the English set up and extend to Scotland; establish our own arrangements in line with our own circumstances; or engage with the institutions in England to develop a hybrid model of regulation that would give us best of both worlds.
“The important part is the decision rests with charities operating here whether that are local, cross border or international.
“I carry no brief for any of these options but I do want to see as many organisations as possible taking part.”
There is however a danger Scotland could sleepwalk into accepting a solution made in England that didn’t have ownership among Scottish organisations, the conference heard.
John Brady of St Andrews Hospice said it was crucial charities got regulation right because they could be landed with an option not of their choosing.
“For example, the ludicrous Telephone Preference Service is something we’ve been landed with but how many charities actually want it?” he said.
“We need to guard against accepting these schemes when they are disliked, complex and do more harm than good.”
Judith Turbyne, head of engagement at the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, added that it was important for the sector to make "substantial changes" and work towards more effective self regulation as there had been clear issues with the previous system.
