​Stephanie Fraser of Bobath Scotland on why changes to the fundraising landscape are neither as drastic or worrying as has been suggested

The development of new fundraising regulations for charities in Scotland has given me as a charity chief executive an opportunity to reflect on how we talk to our supporters.

What is good practice and how do we know that we’re getting it right?

I am not fearing the new fundraising regulations or worrying about how we get round them, rather I’m seeing it as the moment to take a rain check on how we do things and an opportunity to understand from the sector how we might do things better.

We know that if we truly trust and respect our donors then they in turn will value our organisations and their support will continue.

Whilst Scotland has chosen a different path we have done so on reasonable and logical grounds

Stephanie Fraser

As a member of both the Working Group and the Implementation Group I am comforted that Scotland has developed its own framework within the context of what works already.

It is not new that we have our own legal system. It is not new that charity law is a devolved issue. It is not new that all charities in Scotland report to our own regulator, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator. It is not new that charity trustees “are responsible for taking control of how their charity fundraises.”

It’s disheartening to read of “toxic” relations with the new Regulator in England and Wales.

Whilst Scotland has chosen a different path we have done so on reasonable and logical grounds.

It is our intention to work together across the UK wherever possible. For example, the new Code of Fundraising practice will be shared.

Yes it’s true that the Fundraising Regulator wants to review the code, but that’s fine.

The Scottish Government in accepting the findings of the consultation and report of the Scottish Fundraising Working Group also want to be able to review. We all want to be sure that the code works for us.

Should things not be working then the Independent Panel will be able to keep a watching brief on developments and be able to suggest alternatives.

Similarly we have chosen in Scotland not to adopt the Fundraising Preference Service (FPS) but as that rolls out down south there is nothing to prevent the Scottish public from signing up should they wish to although it will only cover communication from UK wide charities.

In reality, for members of the public, it is probably the big household names that people will seek to have more control over, especially given the fact that only fifteen of the UK’s household-name charities were responsible for 62% of all complaints made about fundraising last year.

The new snappily titled Independent Fundraising Standards and Adjudication Panel for Scotland has as it’s first objective to promote and oversee fundraising standards in Scotland.

This is tremendously positive. It is a “carrot” not a “stick” approach.

No matter how well we currently think we’re doing, we can all always get better and an opportunity to learn from each other how to better communicate with those who support us is one that I hope charities in Scotland will grasp.

Stephanie Fraser is chief executive of Bobath Scotland.