Scotland to clamp down on rogue fundraisers
Scottish third sector leaders are to investigate ways to drum out poor fundraising practice and improve public trust in the sector following a series of scandals.
The Scottish Government has asked the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) to undertake an informal review of fundraising in Scotland and report by the end of August.
The move follows a Westminster Government announcement of tough new measures to crack down on bad fundraising practice in England and Wales.
Under new laws, contracts between charities and fundraising firms south of the border will be required to state how they intend to protect vulnerable people who give to charity from excessive pressure.
Charities will also be required to state in their annual report what fundraising methods they use.
SCVO believes its vital that the industry can effectively tackle bad behaviour so the public can enjoy the experience of donating to charity
National Council for Voluntary Organisations chief executive Sir Stuart Etherington is to lead a review into whether self-regulation of fundraising is working or not – a move that could lead to government regulation.
As charity law is devolved to Scotland, any similar moves north of the border would involve the introduction of new legislation to extend the powers of the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland has a strong and supportive view of charities and its own fundraising legislation. Our controls have served Scotland well so far, however we are always looking at improvements so will consider the UK Government’s proposals closely.
“In the meantime we have asked the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations to undertake an informal review of our fundraising position with the findings due to be reported by the end of August. Any changes will be tailored to suit the needs of people in Scotland.”
The death of 92-year-old poppy seller Oliver Cooke in Bristol earlier this year brought to light problems with some areas of fundraising. Soon after her death, it was revealed she had been overwhelmed by direct mail and telephone fundraising calls.
Several weeks later, a reporter for a national tabloid newspaper working undercover at a fundraising call centre suggested high-pressure tactics were used to target vulnerable older people.
A recent Third Force News investigation also found that face-to-face fundraisers work in a highly-pressured target-focused environment with very poor job security.
John Downie, director of public affairs at SCVO, said: “Recent media stories about poor practise in some areas of fundraising impact on the public reputation of the whole sector. SCVO believes its vital that the industry can effectively tackle bad behaviour so the public can enjoy the experience of donating to charity safe in the knowledge their money is well spent.
“We therefore welcome the Scottish Government decision to launch a review into fundraising in Scotland to run alongside the review being carried out in England. SCVO will announce in due course more details of how this review will be carried out.”
Last week Save the Children announced it was to stop cold calling members of the public and introduce a Supporters Promise to outline its commitment to ethical fundraising practises.
It is believed some Scottish charities are considering similar moves.
