DOBBIES CHARITY POLICY 2016/17
Local Charity Partners Each Dobbies store will nominate and appoint one Local Charity Partner at the start of each financial year (March). This charity is the first recipient of all fundraising activities at Dobbies individual stores for 9 months of the financial year (excluding 3 months at Christmas). Dobbies reserve the right to extend partnerships for two years if both parties agree. The selected charity will also receive funds from our UK wide fundraising channels such as the 5p carrier bag charge*, and any other avenues Dobbies deems suitable. Each Dobbies store selects its Local Charity Partner at the end of February. Selection Process: We will select an appropriate charity via a selection panel comprising representatives from across each garden centre, chaired by the General Manager and Community Champion in that centre. Applications are open from January until mid-february. Applications are available online only through the community section of Dobbies.com: (https://www.dobbies.com/about-dobbies/dobbies-in-the-community/). Selection criteria is published on Dobbies website (as above). Staff and customers are encouraged to put forward nominations, but all charities who wish to apply must fill in the online application form. Charities must select the store they are applying to this is so that applications are sent directly to that store s Community Champion. Due to the volume of applicants, Community Champions will only notify the successful charity or charities that were shortlisted. Selection Criteria: The local store selection panel will base their selection on the following criteria: The registered charity must operate within a 20 mile radius of our Dobbies Garden Centre and must provide services or projects in the local community and/or social enterprises. Must benefit a substantial number of customers local to the store and the local community. The charity is concerned with Health and Welfare: of children, elderly people or people with disabilities or major health concerns OR concerned with sustainability: environmental or conservation issues. Charity purpose cannot be the following: a political purpose, unlawful or against public policy, or intended to serve a non-charitable purpose. The cause is well-known and/or can be easily understood by the public and the local community. Projects funded will have practical outcomes. The projects/charity funded are sustainable after the partnership with Dobbies ends. The charity must be responsible for collecting all monies raised on-site regularly either weekly or bi-weekly and an absolute minimum of once a month. The charity is then responsible for reporting how much the partnership has raised for each quarter including confirming a final total.
The charity must not have been a Local Charity Partner for the previous three years. The charity cannot be a regional arm of the previous National Christmas Charity Partner, so that customers recognise that there are two different charity partners adjacent to each other in a 12 month period. National charities that operate at a local level can apply to multiple Dobbies stores if they meet the selection criteria and detail on the application form the other stores they are applying to. Local Charity Partner Responsibilities Providing written contracts to stores. Collection of funds: All money raised must be taken away from site to be counted and banked by the charity. Local Charity Partners should update on the total of money raised through the partnership at the end of each quarter to the regional Community Connector: community@dobbies.com. Dates will be advised to charities at the start of the partnership. National Christmas Charity Partner Dobbies will select a National Christmas Charity Partner each year and this charity will be the key recipient of all Christmas fundraising activities and events at all 34 Dobbies stores and online over the Christmas period (October December). Dobbies Garden Centres Ltd. reserves the right to extend this partnership for two years if both parties agree. The selected charity will also receive funds from our UK wide fundraising channels: such as the 5p carrier bag charge*, Pennies (the digital charity box) and any other UK wide avenues Dobbies deems suitable. Selection Process The Dobbies Charity Committee, comprising representatives from across the business, will select an appropriate charity based on how well the charity demonstrates they can meet and fulfil the selection criteria in their application. Applications are open from May until the end of June (unless a partnership has been agreed to be extended). Applications are public and made available online only through the community of Dobbies.com: (https://www.dobbies.com/about-dobbies/dobbies-in-the-community/). Selection criteria is published on Dobbies website (as above). Staff and customers are encouraged to put forward nominations, but all charities who wish to apply must fill in the online application form. Applications will undergo an initial review from the Dobbies Communications team. After the initial review, applicants who have successfully met the criteria and demonstrated they can support a national partnership with Dobbies, will undergo final review by the Dobbies Charity Committee.
Unfortunately we are not able to provide detailed feedback to charity applications that do not meet our criteria or make it through to the final review stage. Please note that being shortlisted is no guarantee of being chosen in future years. Any decisions made by the Charity Committee about selection or the selection process will be final. Selection Criteria: Charities that would like to apply to become Dobbies National Christmas Charity Partner must meet the following criteria: Registered UK charity with own UK registered charity number. Charity funds must be for UK-based projects. The charity is concerned with the health and welfare of children, and considers itself a charity who supports families; affecting/benefiting a substantial number of people across the UK. Charity purpose cannot be the following: a political purpose, unlawful or against public policy, or intended to serve a non-charitable purpose. National charities should have an annual income between 5m and 30m. Provides services or projects throughout the UK which are local to all Dobbies Garden Centres throughout the UK. The cause is well-known and/or can be easily understood by the public. The charity has sufficient national/regional structure to support a National Charity Partnership must be able to secure volunteers to attend every Christmas event at all of Dobbies 34 stores and detail how this would be achieved in the application. Confirmation that the charity is not running a campaign with a company perceived to be a direct competitor of Dobbies between October and December inclusive. Has not been selected as Dobbies National Christmas Charity partner in the previous three years. Charity must be happy that Dobbies banks all funds raised and payment will be made after the partnership has come to a close. Throughout the partnership, the selected charity will be required to provide the Dobbies Communications team with information and case studies. Please demonstrate you can provide the following in your application: Case studies of individuals who have benefited or are benefiting from the charity s work. Case studies can be used for media purposes e.g. print, online etc. Images/literature or other materials that can be used to support the promotion of the partnership. Dedicated Account Manager to be Dobbies point of contact for the duration of the partnership. National Christmas Charity Partner Responsibilities It is the responsibility of the National Charity Partner to provide a written contract to Dobbies Communications team.
Charitable Collection Bookings Policy and Procedures (Non-partners) Booking Collections We welcome charities into our garden centres to fundraise. General Managers, with the help of Community Champions, are responsible for approving all charitable collections for their store between January and September inclusive. Charitable collection bookings generally cannot be accepted between October and December due to commitments to our National Charity Partner during this time. Charities are not expected to pay a promotional fee to fundraise in Dobbies stores. Over and above Dobbies Local Charity Partner and its charitable collection bookings, it is at the discretion of the store General Manager to support national fundraising appeals throughout the year, for example Marie Curie Cancer Care s Great Daffodil Appeal and The Royal British Legion s Poppy Appeal. Please note, all charities wishing to fundraise in store must have a registered charity number, and sports teams do not fall under our criteria. Any other local groups without a registered charity number, or charities seeking to raise awareness rather than money, should contact Space and People, for space in our stores. Arranging a charitable collection request with a Dobbies Garden Centre Charitable collections must be booked directly with the store only the General Manager has final approval on collections from parties who are not partners. Our garden centres can welcome up to a maximum of four different charitable collections per month (January September inclusive) over and above the support we provide to our local charity partners. Charities that are not local partners can only collect in the same Dobbies store over the maximum period of two days, once per month. Charities can agree a mutually suitable date and time to collect with us. Charity collections can be held on days of the week deemed suitable by the General Manager. The charity requesting a collection must have public liability insurance (for a minimum of 1 million limits) currently in force and can supply a certificate of insurance to the store to confirm this upon request. Individuals are unable to hold a collection i.e. to raise money for their sponsorship for their event, for example, someone collecting for their charity marathon sign up fee or a collection for an individual to take part in an overseas project. Managing collections Charities must ensure collectors under the age of 16 are accompanied by an adult. Charities must ensure all collection boxes are properly sealed and labelled with charity name and registered charity number. Volunteers must not inconvenience or harass customers, nor should they approach customers shaking tins.
A maximum of two volunteers can collect at any one time near the exit doors, but not so close as to create an obstruction. Bag packing services from charities is permitted if the store deems this to be suitable, however charities must be clear that 5p carrier bag charges go to official charity partners (Local or National)*, any money customers give towards bag packing would go to the charity offering that service. Volunteers must wear appropriate clothing, making it clear they are representing the charity. Charities are not allowed to take down any customer information i.e. signing up customers to direct debit schemes or marketing distribution lists. Marketing materials: Pop up banners or tables may be brought to store, so long as they do not block any Dobbies point of sale / product display and are not disruptive to customers; Charity marketing material such as pins/broaches may be given out to encourage or in return for a donation; The sale of goods, including raffle tickets and competitions, is not permitted; All marketing materials must be disclosed, and their approval will be at the discretion of the General Manager. Those collecting must be able to prove 100% of the funds collected go towards the charity itself Dobbies will not be able to give space to third parties who take a percentage of donations to cover fundraising costs. It is the charity s responsibility to update Dobbies on the amount raised we will not chase for this. * 5p carrier bag charge at our store in Northern Ireland goes directly to the government to spend on green projects/causes. VAT is applicable for carrier bag charges so in all other stores 4.17p goes to charity and 83p goes to the UK government. Any charity that does not comply with these guidelines in a matter satisfactory to the discretion of the store s General Manager may have their collection cancelled and may be prevented from collecting at Dobbies stores in the future. Signed Date: April 2016 Andy King Managing Director Dobbies Garden Centres