Guidelines for fundraisers should not be shaped by public opinion, conference hears
Scotland can become a world leader in fundraising if it rejects the English model of regulation and creates its own regime, a conference has heard.
Charities are still reeling from the effects of fundraising scandals in England but Scotland's reaction should be far more proportionate than south of the border, delgates were told at a fundraising summit held in Edinburgh.
The UK government is pressing the sector in England and Wales to accept a new regulator and a fundraising preference service, which will give the public greater powers to opt out of contact from charity fundraisers.
However, a Scottish review of fundraising, commissioned by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), suggested this wouldn't be necessary in Scotland.
Ian MacQuillin, director of the philanthropy think tank Rogare, said restricting fundraising would be damaging to the sector. And Scotland had the opportunity to reject knee jerk reactions and use fundraising to its advantage.
We need to trust fundraisers and the job they do; not demonise them
"There is the danger fundraising is governed in the same way as commercial enterprises," he told the conference in Edinburgh's EICC. "That's hugely restrictive. We have to be realistic in understanding that most people give to charity because they are asked to do so. Despite being moved by causes and concerns, direct fundraising works."
"If it was left to the public to give, and to define the guidelines, then it would be disastrous," he said. "We need to trust fundraisers and the job they do; not demonise them."
While the focus of concern has been on vulnerable people affected by charity requests, McQuillan pointed out that this overlooks the fact that many vulnerable people benefit from the services provided by charities.
He added: "As it it stands Scotland has an opportunity to shape it's own regime and reject increased regulation. Scotland should absolutely lead the way on this."
Teresa Shearer, chief executive of social care charity Enable, said that public confidence was vital and that charities had to be more open, more transparent and more engaging.
"If we do not find a system allowing the public to be confident in the work we do then we're in real danger? Small dips in cash have a critical impact on vital services so we need to engage the public better and let them know what we do more."
Trustees, said Shearer, had an important role to play here as effective management was critical in how fundraisers operated.
"We cannot ignore the role of charity trustees. If you look at the Kiltwalk and One Plus, two charities which had serious governance issues, the common thread is they needed more effective trustees. That's key to this whole debate."
Stephanie Fraser, chief executive of Bobath Scotland, said education and engagement are also key to shaping the fundraising culture in Scotland.
"The general public won't care what code we come up with," she said.
"They care about responsible use of their cash more. The public need to know they are taken seriously, that their complaints are heard and their cash isn't being misused. We are responsible for creating that environment of confidence and we need to ensure it happens."
The full-day conference was organised by SCVO with the aim of collecting views and building consensus for a system of self-regulation of fundraising in Scotland.
