The Institute of Fundraising has announced a new taskforce to tackle harassment, after claims that inappropriate behaviour within the sector is rife
Fundraisers who are found guilty of sexual harassment could be named and shamed.
The Institute of Fundraising (IoF) has said it could expose and expel members who are found to have committed misconduct.
The membership body announced last week that it will set up a taskforce on sexual harassment in fundraising.
The move comes after fundraiser Ruby Bayley-Pratt penned an article for Fundraising magazine about the prevalence of inappropriate behaviour in fundraising.
She wrote: “Women already face an overwhelming number of barriers when it comes to handling and reporting this kind of behaviour; from the risk to their physical safety to the likelihood they will be disbelieved and subsequently vilified. BAME, disabled, and LGBT+ women have it even harder.
“What nobody in the charity sector seems to be talking about is how these barriers play out when you are a fundraiser. Standing up for yourself can compromise a relationship or partnership and thus donations. It has the potential to mean we don’t reach our targets, bringing repercussions for our careers and the charity we care so much about.”
She added it was common knowledge some senior male fundraisers could get "a little bit handsy".
The IoF’s new taskforce will investigate historic as well as new allegations of harassment. The institute's board could then take sanctions against those found guilty.
It is understood that expelling individuals, details of which would be made public, would be the ultimate sanction taken by the institute.
Amanda Bringans, chair of the institute, said the IoF is committed to tackling unacceptable behaviour.
"There is no place for sexual or any other form of harassment within our fundraising community. We have been listening to the recent anonymous testimonials of sexual harassment in the fundraising sector collected by Ruby Bayley-Pratt.
"We want to actively encourage people to come forward and report complaints if they have experienced sexual harassment by a member of the Institute or at an Institute event, no matter when that incident happened. Those incidents will be investigated fully, even if the person complained of resigns their membership of the Institute.
"We expect our member organisations to tackle sexual harassment in the workplace, to create an environment for fundraisers to share their experiences and to protect those who are affected. Harassment will not be tolerated, no matter whether this comes from an employee, board member, a beneficiary or a charity’s most important donor.”
Bayley-Pratt has been invited to join the taskforce, which will be led by IoF board members Claire Rowney and Isobel Michael. The review will be used to inform a sector-wide approach to tackling sexual harassment in the fundraising community, and will also look at how to strengthen the institute's code of conduct and existing complaints policy.
The institute has 6,000 individual members and 460 organisation members.
