It is “nonsense” to respond to criticism about charities by saying the sector is under attack, an audience of fundraisers heard yesterday.
Speaking during a panel debate at yesterday’s Fundraising Live conference, hosted by Civil Society Media and Fundraising Magazine, Flannagan told delegates that fundraisers need to get better at responding to criticism.
Flannagan said that individuals and certain charities had received unwarranted negative attention but that for the sector to have a “woe is me” attitude about being attacked is unhelpful.
He said that large charities needed to take action to improve their behaviour, rather than focusing on improvements in education and communication.
Ian MacQuillin, director of think-tank Rogare, said the reason “that charities are so defensive is that they are always being attacked”. He said that it is “OK to defend yourselves”.
“You can fight back, but the question is how you do it. And this is why we need to change how we think internally about this,” he said. He went on to say that we need to get out of this mind-set that charities are “creatures of evil”, and they need to think differently.
Flannagan said this was “nonsense”. He said: “That is a ridiculous idea that we are under attack.”
He said if “there is something wrong, acknowledge it and move on. Don’t shoot the messenger.”
He also said it is very “unempowered” and very “charity” to say that we are under attack, but it is not true.
Flannagan compared the sector to the NHS, saying that when doctors and nurses recieve critcism they don't come out and say that they are under attack.
He told delegates that the larger charities need to admit that they have done wrong, and that they had contributed to the damaging of the reputation of the sector as a whole. He added that smaller charities should be speaking out and helping set the agenda for change.
He said that otherwise it is like "Tesco dictating market conditions for every corner shop".
External agencies should be audited
Liz Tait, director of fundraising at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, said that charities need to audit their external agencies more, and that last summer’s media reports about the agencies charities use showed that.
She said most of these external agencies do a great job, but that “we can’t afford, particularly in the current climate, for anything to go wrong”.
Flannagan said that his charity has taken a decision to have an annual audit of all fundraising practice. He added that he thinks this is something that all charities should do, and that it should be included in the annual report and form part of the SORP.
