The Institute of Fundraising Standards Committee has decided to implement three of the FRSB’s eight recommendations and will set up “specific task-groups” to investigate four others.
On Tuesday the FRSB presented a series of recommendations to strengthen the Code of Fundraising Practice, in an interim report following the apparent suicide of Olive Cooke, a 92-year-old woman the newspapers said was "hounded to death" by fundraisers.
The Code is set by the Standards Committee and enforced by the FRSB.
In a statement released this morning, the IoF said that it would be immediately implementing three FRSB’s recommendations:
- Changing the wording of the IoF Code’s clauses from ‘ought’ to ‘must’
- Standardising ‘opt-out’ messaging across the sector
- Strengthening compliance with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).
The IoF have also promised to set up “four specific task-groups to look at the full range of issues raised by the FRSB report,” with each reportedly looking to focus on “vulnerable people”.
The task-groups will focus on:
- The frequency and volume of approaches to individual donors so that donors do not feel “bombarded” by correspondence or “pressurised” into giving
- How individuals can more simply and easily manage their preferences on what fundraising communications they receive from charities
- What standards charities should have to comply with, over and above legal requirements, in relation to the buying, sharing and selling of data
- Standards specifically related to telephone fundraising, including the introduction of Telephone Preference Service certification requirements
Peter Lewis, chief executive of the Institute of Fundraising, said: “Charities do an incredible amount of good work across the UK and abroad, a large proportion of it supported by the generosity of individual donors. It is critical charities retain their trust and confidence.
“I believe the combination of raising the standards of fundraising, alongside our commitment to introduce a new compliance regime, will further strengthen charities’ relationships with their supporters and ensure the very highest levels of accountability and transparency.
“I also want to work with partners and Government to reach out to charities who are currently outside the self-regulation system, to ensure they embrace best practice standards by signing up to our Code of practice and joining the FRSB.”
