The ImpACT Coalition has instigated talks with the PFRA about creating a unit dedicated to combating negative press coverage about charities and fundraising.

The rapid response unit would be called into action whenever negative and potentially damaging stories about charities and the sector made it into the media, and would represent civil society as a whole rather than one specific activity or interest group.

Liam Cranley, head of ImpACT, told Civil Society that ImpACT is in discussions with the PFRA about building the reactive response unit, and is confident that the creation of the media response body “is definitely going to happen”.

After holding discussions with a public relations agency and its steering group, ImpACT decided that the unit should be reactive rather than proactive in influencing media coverage about charities and fundraising techniques.

Discussions are still underway, but Cranley said ImpACT would be “focusing on that in the next year or so”.

Cranley said that the PFRA and ImpACT “are still trying to figure out” how the unit would be funded. ImpACT is not currently in discussions with any other sector organisations about developing the unit.

ImpACT was moved out of the Institute of Fundraising and under the auspices of Acevo a year ago.