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'Tremendous' Hodgson review provides great opportunity, says FRSB

Fundraising | Celina Ribeiro | 19 Jul 2012

The Fundraising Standards Board has come out in support of the Hodgson review recommendations, arguing that there is both willingness and opportunity for the fundraising umbrella bodies to work together.

After the Institute of Fundraising's chair Mark Astarita asserted that Lord Hodgson may have handed the fundraising community a “poisoned chalice”, FRSB chief executive Alistair McLean said that the review “is a tremendous piece of work”.

“His report is measured and encouraging, particularly in the areas of fundraising self-regulation and public collections.”

Hodgson’s review of the Charities Act 2006, released on Monday, included the recommendation that there be one public-facing, self-regulatory scheme for fundraising and noted that the current set-up can be confusing for donors.

McLean said that the FRSB has already been in contact with the Institute of Fundraising and Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA) about how to move forward with Hodgson’s suggestion to address overlap and confusion.

“The Institute, ourselves and the PFRA, I think, can resolve very easily some of these issues of overlap,” he told civilsociety.co.uk.

He dismissed the idea of merging the three bodies, arguing each organisation has its own distinct role to play in the fundraising arena and that the only real area of overlap is between the PFRA and FRSB on the issue of public complaints handling.

“That’s the thing we can deliver,” he said. “There is ample willingness to iron these [issues] out.

“With the help of the Institute, the Charity Commission and the Cabinet Office these issues can easily be resolved.”

In delivering his report Hodgson admitted that fundraising had been the most difficult subject to address in his review, and warned that if there was no improvement in coordination among umbrella bodies in addressing “public concern” then the government may impose statutory regulation which, he cautioned, “will be expensive”.

Astarita had agreed that there is confusion at present, but said that Hodgson underestimated the challenge of consolidating the system. The Institute chair said that having fundraising umbrella bodies come together would be helpful, but hard.

McLean, however, is far more positive. “Where there is an undoubted challenge is in the area of public collections,” he said. “Far from being a ‘poisoned chalice’, this is a great opportunity for the regulatory bodies, sector representative organisations, the Local Government Association and other licensing bodies to work together.”

Directory: Charity Commission | Fundraising Standards Board | Institute of Fundraising | Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA)
Who's Who: Alistair McLean | Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts | Mark Astarita