Discredited regulator refunds members and donates surplus to charities
The Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) has now officially closed, having issued cheques returning unspent membership income to over 1,800 of its member organisations.
In addition, as part of the winding up process there is expected to be a residual surplus, estimated in the region of £20,000, which will be donated to the Small Charities Coalition.
It is hoped that the donation will be finalised in the next six to nine months.
The FRSB was the most high profile victim of the crisis which followed the death of 92 year old poppy seller Olive Cooke in 2015.
The last 18 months has been a period of great change for the sector and a challenging time for all charities
She had been inundated with charity contacts in the period leading to her death, though her family subsequently absolved charities of any blame.
In the review which followed, the FRSB was damned as not being fit for purpose, and it was replaced by a new Fundraising Regulator for England and Wales.
Scotland, which was relatively untouched by the fall-out from the Olive Cooke case, now has its own means of scrutinising fundraising, following the set up of the Fundraising Complaints Service.
Andrew Hind, chair of the FRSB, said: “The past decade has seen over 2,000 organisations come together to commit to best practice and accountability in fundraising, as members of the Fundraising Standards Board.
“We thank all those charities and commercial organisations for their commitment to the scheme, which has laid the foundations for the new regulatory framework, now led by the Fundraising Regulator.
“We hope that this new regulatory regime, together with recent improvements to fundraising standards, will help the sector to rebuild and strengthen public trust, supporting charity fundraising as it develops now and into the future.”
Speaking about the donation of the FRSB’s remaining funds to the Small Charities Coalition, Alistair McLean, FRSB chief executive, adds: “The last eighteen months has been a period of great change for the sector and a challenging time for all charities to adapt, particularly smaller organisations working to limited budgets.
"When deciding what to do with any residual funds remaining in the FRSB accounts, the board considered the instrumental role of the Small Charities Coalition in providing advice on fundraising and governance to thousands of small charities across the country. We hope that this donation will be a welcome boost to their funding of essential resources and skills for small charities.”
John Barrett, chief executive of the Small Charities Coalition, added: “We are delighted that the FRSB has recognised the importance of helping small charities fundraise and are hugely grateful for their support.
“Our members typically look to us to help them develop improved skills and adapt to best practice techniques for fundraising and governance. Any additional funding will help us ensure that even more charities can gain access to affordable training, resources and one-to-one support."
