Stricter Fund Raising Rules For Charities

A government-commissioned review revealed concerns about aggressive fundraising tactics used by charities, often targeting the vulnerable.

16:53 23 September 2015

A government-commission review has recommended the creation of a new register to allow people to opt out of all charity contact following concerns over aggressive fundraising tactics such as cold-calling or mailshots. It added that main fundraising regulator should be scrapped.

 

Sir Stuart Etherington, from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, who led the review, said that the regulator, the Fundraising Standards Board, “really doesn’t have the clout or the sanctions” to prevent bad practice.

 

Meanwhile, heads of several major UK charities explained that improper fundraising tactics were used by outside agencies working on their behalf. Sir Stuart responded by saying that charities must “really carefully scrutinise what these agencies are doing” to improve standards. At present, the FRSB regulates standards set by fundraisers themselves.

 

The new report recommends appointing a new regulator to have control over the rules and naming and shaming charities that seriously or persistently breach the rules.

 

Sir Stuart said of the new regulator: "It will be able to say to charities, 'That fundraising method that you're using, you're using inappropriately and we're going to stop you using that for a while.'"