Report finds the Dogs Trust breached code of conduct
An animal welfare charity has fallen foul of the Code of Fundraising Practice over an unsolicited call to a member of the public.
The Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) said the Dogs Trust breached the code after NTT, a fundraising agency, made the call on its behalf to an individual who had registered on the Telephone Preference Service.
The body also found Dogs Trust had breached the Code by “failing to have sufficient oversight of the marketing leads that were secured for its donor acquisition campaign.”
In its report the FRSB said: “Organisations must not make direct marketing calls to Telephone Preference Service-registered numbers unless the person who registered the number has notified the organisation that they are happy to receive calls for the time being.”
Charities working with third parties must do all they can to ensure third parties comply with the Code
Andrew Hind, chair of the FRSB, said: “It is essential that organisations secure appropriate levels of consent for any charity fundraising calls, particularly when it comes to contacting people registered with the Telephone Preference Service.
"Charities working with third parties must do all they can to ensure that those third parties comply with the Code and secure the necessary permissions for any fundraising calls that will be carried out in the charity’s name.”
A Dogs Trust spokeswoman said: “This is was an isolated case but one we take very seriously and measures have already been put in place to ensure we not only continue to meet donor expectations, but also comply with all best-practice guidance notes as they are published.
“The extremely low level of complaints that we receive demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of activity we undertake meets with our wonderful supporters’ expectations.”
