The Charity Commission has today launched a consultation on draft guidance which says that charity trustees must “take responsibility” for their organisation’s fundraising activities.
The draft guidance, CC20: Charities and Fundraising, identifies “six key principles” that trustees must adhere to if they are to fulfil their responsibilities when it comes to fundraising.
They are: effective planning, supervision of fundraisers, protecting the assets and reputation of their organisation, full compliance with fundraising laws, following recognised standards and being open and accountable.
The Commission said in a statement accompanying the guidance that while “trustees have always had to lead” when it comes to setting a charity’s fundraising activities, the events of the summer and the resulting backlash against the sector shows that “that some trustees have not overseen fundraising effectively”.
The Commission said its new guidance “reflects the need to put public trust back at the heart of charity fundraising” and that the new guidance will be more “succinct and accessible” for all trustees.
The consultation on the guidance will run until 11 February 2016.
A spokeswoman for the Charity Commission said that it hoped the consultation would not only take in trustees but would be "much wider than just the sector".
Sarah Atkinson, director of policy and communications at the Charity Commission (pictured), said: “We recognise that raising money from the public is vital to the success of many charities and that achieving this, whilst providing a positive experience for donors and the public, can be challenging.
"But we have seen this summer what happens when donor and public confidence in charity fundraising is damaged, and as a result the reputation of charities as a whole. No-one wants to see such critical headlines again.
“The revised guidance reflects the need to put public trust back at the heart of charity fundraising. It makes absolutely clear that trustees are in the driving seat of their charity’s approach to fundraising.
"This doesn’t mean that we expect them to become expert fundraisers themselves – but the buck really does stop with them. This guidance explains what we as the regulator expect of them.”
