The Charity Commission has today published its updated CC20 guidance outlining the responsibilities of charity trustees when it comes to their charity’s fundraising activities and values.
According to a statement released by the Charity Commission today, the updated guidance emphasises the need for boards to have “effective oversight over fundraising” and to focus more on “donor care”.
Charity fundraising: a guide to trustee duties (CC20) also aims to ensure that all charity trustees “are confident and informed enough to challenge fundraising practices where necessary and safeguard their charity’s reputation”.
The guidance again sets out the ‘six key principles’ of fundraising that the Commission originally mapped out in its draft update in December 2015.
The guidance said: “Many charities need to ask the public for money. They rely on public generosity – an enduring feature of our society, but one that can never be taken for granted”.
The updated CC20 was predicated by the findings of both the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee report into fundraising practices and the Etherington Review, which both found that “trustees were not providing appropriate oversight of their charities fundraising practices”.
The Charity Commission said that trustees now have “ultimate responsibility for fundraising and must ensure their charity complies with the law and follows best practice”.
William Shawcross, chair of the Charity Commission, said: "The commission has been impressed by the recent response of charities to the challenges of the last year. Charity is a vital part of our national life and it is essential, for the reputation of all, that trustees take seriously their duty to protect the reputation of their charity. This guidance will help them in that mission."
Sarah Atkinson, director of policy and communications at the Charity Commission, said: "Fundraising and public generosity play a vital role in making the good work of charities possible, and getting fundraising right can be extremely rewarding and valuable for everyone involved.
"We recognise that fundraising is complex, and that some boards may need to skill up in order to make sure their organisations are getting it right and providing acceptable donor care.
“Our new guidance - particularly the six principles - is here to help trustees do that, and feedback has told us that publishing this now provides clarity and certainty about what is expected of trustees as we enter a new regulatory framework.
"It is designed not just to be used to address negative fundraising activities, but also to make good ones better."
Peter Lewis, chief executive of the Institute of Fundraising, said: “It is crucial that trustees, in their governance role, take an active interest in fundraising as an activity to help ensure that the values of their organisation are reflected in the way they raise money.
"We hope that this revised guidance will support trustees by enabling them to better understand their duties when it comes to fundraising.
“To further support this, the IoF is working with other sector bodies on a new practical toolkit to complement this new guidance. Launching later this summer, our toolkit will provide practical advice and support for trustees involved in fundraising within their charity.”
Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of NCVO, said: "The principles set out in the guidance ensure trustees understand what is expected of them and in particular, how general trustee duties apply to fundraising.
"They will enable trustees to effectively oversee and, if necessary, challenge their charity’s fundraising practices. The focus on reputation throughout the guidance is prudent at a time when charities need consistently to demonstrate that they are working to the highest standards.
"I hope the publication of the new guidance will in itself be a reminder to trustees of their responsibilities in this potentially sensitive area."
