Fundraising Standards Board is having an impact on charity fundraising

Impact on charitable fundraising standards, handling and resolving public complaints and heeding public opinion are all reported in the first annual review of the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) which administers the scheme for self-regulation of fundraising practice.

Contrary to early expectations that most complaints about fundraising would predominantly be about face to face fundraising, experience in the first year suggests otherwise. Annual returns received from the scheme's 826 members, show that 8434 complaints were received. As expected, members resolved the majority of these complaints themselves at stage one of the FRSB three stage complaints process. There were four areas in which scheme members reported receiving significantly high numbers of complaints:

• 31.1% of the total complaints received related to direct mail
• 21.7% of the complaints received related to data protection issues
• 21.1% related to telephone fundraising
• 13.6% were about face to face fundraising

"Taken together with the findings from our first public attitude research report(1), it appears that the practice of direct mail is causing concern and problems for many charities and supporters alike" says Jon Scourse, FRSB Chief Executive. "The hight number of complaints about data protection issues is a worrying statistic given this issue is bound by legal requirements."

Complaints escalated to the FRSB and resolved at stage two of the process related to direct mail, telephone fundraising and legacy fundraising. One complaint was escalated to final adjudication.

"There's clear evidence, illustrated in the annual review, that many members are taking their joining of the scheme very seriously by overhauling internal systems concerned with compliance of relevant Institute of Fundraising (IoF) Codes of Fundraising Practice and their complaints procedures, says FRSB Chairman Colin Lloyd. "The IoF Codes of Fundraising Practice are being read and used more whilst individual fundraisers are having personal objectives set against code and FRSB compliance. Some grant givers are now asking applicants about FRSB membership. This is clearly contributing towards improving standards in the sector."

A major responsibility of the FRSB is to be the voice of the public and to ensure that sector codes of fundraising practice take its interest into account. People's opinions are important, the review points out, and their views should not only be heard but heeded if public trust and confidence in charitable fundraising is to be built. "The results of our research into public and committed supported attitudes to direct mail, which indicated strong views about this method of fundraising, were fed back to the IoF consultation on a new Code of Fundraising Practice on direct mail" reports Colin Lloyd. "This is the first time ever that the public view has been sought and utilised in this way".

Phil Hope MP, Minister of the Third Sector said: "The Fundraising Standards Board has made good progress in its first year and we are pleased with the support the sector has given so far. Public trust and confidence in charity fundraising is vital. The widespread use of the FRSB 'tick' logo on fundraising materials enables donors to give with confidence, in the knowledge that scheme members follow best practice underpinned by an independant complaints process. As awareness increases, we would expect to see more charities that care about their fundraising joining the scheme."

While confidence in charities remains high, these is evidence from recent research (2,3), that would suggest that this may be coming under pressure. "This illustrates why the Fundraising Standards Board, which exists to help the public give with confidence, is important" said Jon Scourse. "The charity sector has been given the privilege to launch and make self-regulation work. The impact of state regulation on the telephone marketing industry through the Telephone Preference Service had a huge impact. If self-regulation for charitable fundraising fails, the Government has powers to impose statutory regulation with resulting negative economic effect it will have on our sector."

If a member of the public has a concern about a charity's fundraising, they can find out what to do by visiting the FRSB website at www.frsb.org.uk

Driving up standards, the 2007/2008 FRSB Annual Review is available in pdf format.

Ends.

Sources:

1. Signed, sealed and delivered - what the public thinks of charity direct mail. FRSB, November 2007. The full report is available in pdf format.  

2. Charity Awareness Monitor 2007, nfpSynergy 2008. www.nfpsynergy.net

3. UK Giving Report 2007, National Council for Voluntary Organisations/Charities Aid Foundation December 2007. www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/research/index

For further media information contact: Bonnie Green. Direct tel: 07774 650391. Email bonnieg@frsb.org.uk