Group of 17 charities apologise for not always meeting the standards expected when it comes to fundraising
Fundraisers have admitted they have failed to live up to the high standards expected of them.
Oxfam, Save the Children, Marie Curie and the British Red Cross are among 17 charities which put their name to a letter this weekend which also called for the establishment of a single fundraising regulator that can "impose strong penalties".
The letter – coordinated by the Institute of Fundraising and sent to a Sunday newspaper – was penned after a summer of negative fundraising stories have appeared in the press.
Reviews into fundraising practices in Scotland and England have already been launched as a result.
“No one should ever feel pressured into giving. The vulnerable should always receive the strongest protection,” the charities said.
No one should ever feel pressured into giving. The vulnerable should always receive the strongest protection
“As some of the UK’s leading charities we are absolutely committed to fundraising in a way that respects the rights of individuals and meets the expectations the public has in us. Where we need to change the way we seek the support of the public we will do so.
“We will only ever behave in an open, honest and respectful way towards our donors and the public.”
Currently charities are regulated by three bodies, the Institute of Fundraising, the Fundraising Standards Board and the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association. It is believed that England's review of fundraising will recommend replacing these separate functions with a single regulator.
The charities wrote that they would support the establishment of a new regulator with the power to proactively investigate, audit and impose strong penalties on any charity that breaks the rules on fundraising.
They also commited to a strengthened code of fundraising practice to guide how charities contact people and ask for support.
Richard Taylor, chair of the Institute of Fundraising, added: “I don’t know any fundraisers who wouldn’t be shocked if they thought they’ve created anxiety and distress to members of the public.
“Where that’s happened I want to apologise for that and say sorry, we have fallen below the expectations of the public.
“The vast majority of fundraising is done to high standards but I was very surprised and shocked at some of the examples of individual charities and agencies we have seen.
“We want to set the code at a higher level and stop certain practices that we don’t find acceptable.”
One of the most recent stories criticising fundraisers appeared in last week’s Daily Mail.
The paper alleged that 87-year-old Samuel Rae had been scammed out of £35,000 after charities bought and sold his personal details as he hadn’t ticked a box in the small print.
“Data selling shouldn’t be buried in the small print and I expect that to be dealt with so you ban the size of text where it’s so small it can be lost,” Taylor continued.
“The regulator needs to have more teeth and more sanctions.
“Now is our chance to show that we really do care about regaining the trust and confidence of the public.”
Letter in full
“We live in an incredibly generous country. For generations, British people have dug deep to support a wide range of great causes here at home and overseas.
“This generosity places a big responsibility on all UK charities to behave well in everything we do - especially in how we ask for support
“We know that there have been times where fundraising practice has failed to live up to these high standards. We are determined to change that.
“No one should ever feel pressured into giving. The vulnerable should always receive the strongest protection. And we need to act quickly and decisively when any fundraising practice is found wanting.
“As some of the UK’s leading charities we are absolutely committed to fundraising in a way that respects the rights of individuals and meets the expectations the public has in us. Where we need to change the way we seek the support of the public we will do so.
“We will only ever behave in an open, honest and respectful way towards our donors and the public.
“We welcome Sir Stuart Etherington’s current review of self-regulation of fundraising and will continue to work closely with governments and charity regulators around the UK to assess the need for any further safeguards that might be required.
“We will support the establishment of a new and independent regulator with the power to proactively investigate, audit and impose strong penalties on any charity that breaks the rules on fundraising.
“We will commit to a strengthened Code of Fundraising Practice to guide how we contact people and ask for support.
“We will ensure at all times that we protect and safeguard those who might be vulnerable from undue pressure.
“There is nothing wrong with seeking donations. Everybody leads busy lives and, no matter how deeply they care about a good cause, they often only give when asked.
“If charities simply waited for donations, the many millions raised for good causes each year through the long standing and unwavering generosity of the public would be at risk. From protecting children from cruelty, helping tackle hunger to funding research into disease, we would achieve far less.
“The trust put in us by our supporters demands the highest standards of fundraising. We must always strive to meet them.”
Signed by:
Paul Boissier, chief executive, RNLI
Mike Adamson, chief executivee, British Red Cross
David Canavan, acting chief executive, RSPCA
Dr Jane Collins, chief executive, Marie Curie
Lesley-Anne Alexander, chief executive, RNIB
Harpal Kumar, chief executivee, Cancer Research UK
Chris Simpkins, director general, The Royal British Legion
Mark Atkinson, chief executive, Scope
Jon Sparkes, chief executive, Crisis
Peter Wanless, chief executive, NSPCC
Mark Goldring, chief executive, Oxfam
Justin Forsyth, chief executive, Save the Children
Lynda Thomas, chief executive, Macmillan Cancer Support
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive, Alzheimer’s Society
Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive, Breast Cancer Now
Henny Braund, chief executive, Anthony Nolan
Philip Goodwin, chief executive,VSO International
