The International Liberty Association placed “undue pressure” on donors to give up to £11,000, the Fundraising Regulator said as it publishes the findings of its investigation into the charity.
ILA is a registered charity set up with the aim of promoting respect for human rights in the Middle East.
The Fundraising Regulator said it had named the charity “because of the seriousness of the concerns”, but from April it will routinely name charities once it has concluded its investigations.
After receiving complaints that the charity’s volunteers visited people’s homes seeking significant donations of up to £11,000, including two instances where it was suggested that people take out a loan to cover the donation, the regulator opened an investigation.
Gerald Oppenheim, chief executive, Fundraising Regulator, said: “The fundraising practices of ILA clearly contravene the Code of Fundraising Practice and represents a risk to donors as well as the organisation itself. We were particularly concerned about the methods used by fundraisers and lack of oversight from trustees.
“This decision includes clear recommendations to ensure that improvements are made in order to mitigate the risk to the public and the charity. We will be reviewing ILA’s compliance to ensure that their fundraising practices improve.”
It has published a summary of its findings online.
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