Fundraising Policy Context and overview Crohns and Colitis UK is committed to improving the lives of people with IBD and fundraises in order to increase the impact of its charitable work for as many people as possible. We greatly value and rely upon the trust of our supporters. Our fundraising is conducted both in compliance with the law and to the highest standards in order to maintain that trust. This policy describes how we meet our ethical and social responsibility within fundraising and comply with the law. All Crohn s and Colitis UK staff and volunteers involved in fundraising have a responsibility to be aware and have a thorough understanding of this policy. Legal requirements The Charities Act 2016 introduced new rules for charity fundraising starting on 1 st November. They affect the trustees annual reports of larger charities that fundraise from the public, as well as the contents of the agreements that must be in place when professional fundraisers or other businesses ( commercial participators ) raise money for charities. Crohn s and Colitis UK was already complying with the reporting rules introduced and does not use commercial participators in its fundraising. The Fundraising Regulator was established following the cross-party review of fundraising self-regulation (2015) to strengthen the system of charity regulation and restore public trust in fundraising. Crohn s and Colitis UK is registered with The Fundraising Regulator which: holds the Code of Fundraising Practice for the UK; sets and maintain the standards for charitable fundraising; ensures that fundraising is respectful, open, honest and accountable to the public and regulate fundraising in England and Wales; regulates the same standards in Scotland where the charity is registered primarily in England and Wales. Crohns and Colitis UK adheres fully to all guidelines and standards produced by The Fundraising Regulator and will display its logo on all public fundraising materials. Fundraising at Crohns and Colitis UK is also governed by, and remains compliant with, all other legislation applicable to fundraising activities within the UK.
Crohn s and Colitis UK fundraising promise: Every day, our supporters help us fight Crohn s and Colitis and enable us to provide information and advice to help people living with these conditions. We couldn't do the work we do without our supporters, which is why we value their trust so highly. It's also why, when someone makes the decision to support us, we promise we will: Only contact you if you have expressed an interest in our work and have given your consent for us to do so; Communicate with our supporters and beneficiaries with respect and sensitivity; Provide information about our charitable spend so you can see what a difference you re making; Change how we communicate with you or stop communicating with you if you ask us to; Abide by the fundraising regulators codes of practice; Ensure all our activities are open, fair, honest and legal; Only work with agencies that reflect our values and commit to train, educate and monitor these fundraising agencies to ensure they live up to this promise; Make it easy for you to contact our supporter care team with any questions or queries you have about our fundraising; Protect your data, taking every effort to ensure it is both safe and up to date; Never sell or share anyone s contact details with other organisations; and Not conduct our fundraising with the use of persistent hard sell techniques or unreasonable pressure to elicit your support. Corporate supporters Crohns and Colitis UK is committed to working in partnership with diverse stakeholders including commercial organisations. The charity will not enter into partnerships that hold significant ethical or issues such as those engaging in activities that could cause detrimental impact on the charity s reputation disproportionately decreasing overall donations. This will be decided in the first instance by the senior leadership team on a case by case basis and ultimately the charity s Trustees.
The charity also has a separate policy to regulate its involvement with pharmaceutical companies conducting business within the field of IBD and complies with the standards laid down by the Association of Medical Research Charities. Restricted donations Where possible the charities fundraising activities are aimed at raising unrestricted funds for core activities. However in cases where there is a financial advantage to raising funds restricted to a specific operational priority this decision will be made by the Director of Income Generation and the Director of Finance and Corporate Services. The charity will restrict donations in line with a supporters request where the following conditions have been met: - The restriction was communicated in advance of the donation being made. - The restriction is in line with existing planned activities of at least the value of the donation. Refusal of donations The charity reserves the right to refuse donations where this is judged to be in the best interest of the charity. The decision to refuse a donation will be made by the senior leadership team. Gifts in kind Gifts in kind, also referred to as in-kind donations, is a kind of charitable giving in which, instead of giving money to buy needed goods and services, the goods and services themselves are given. Gifts in kind are distinguished from gifts of cash or stock. If Crohn s and Colitis UK is given facilities or services for its own use which it would otherwise have purchased, those will be included in the charity s accounts when received, provided the value of the gift can be measured reliably. Sponsorship Sponsorship is a financial arrangement or support in-kind to be paid to NACC Merchandise on behalf of Crohn s and Colitis UK in return for a commercial opportunity for the sponsor. Unlike donations, sponsorship is a business contract and therefore VAT-able at standard rate, currently 20%. This must be clearly outlined in a written agreement together with the sponsor s benefits, terms and conditions and clear use of the sponsor s logo in relation to the charity s logo, which must comply with the Fundraising Regulator s guidelines.
Gift aid Crohn s and Colitis UK are committed to maximising the impact and value of each and every donation. We will give our supporters regular opportunities to make Gift Aid declarations, optimising the value of their gift. We will claim and process all Gift Aid payments in a timely manner in accordance with HMRC regulations. Financial processes All involved in financial processing will take utmost care to ensure protection of supporters funds and the good reputation of Crohn s and Colitis UK. All financial procedures are governed by relevant regulation and processes will uphold both current regulation and best practice. We will ensure that third parties who may process data on our behalf are held to the same high standards and have signed the relevant data handling and non-disclosure agreements. Networks Volunteer led local networks represent Crohn s and Colitis UK locally and are a vital way that the charity achieves its aims. If a network or fundraiser informs their donors that they are raising funds for a specific restricted purpose, including local use, then all donations must go to that purpose but otherwise be allocated to unrestricted general funds. Legacy Recognition Policy That all income from Legacies is recognised once probate has been obtained and there is a reasonable level of certainty of the value receivable in line with section 5.32 5.36 of the current charity SORP. The only broad exceptions to this are: We will not recognise legacy income whilst an estate is challenged or where a challenge is likely until this has been resolved. We will not recognise residuary legacy income where a significant proportion of that residuary value is in property or shares until these have been sold. Data protection and Privacy We will respect the privacy and contact preferences of all donors. We will respond promptly to requests to cease contacts or complaints and act as best we can to address their causes. The charity will ensure that all fundraising activities will be carried out fully in line with all legislation and best practice as detailed in the charity s data protection and other associated policies.
Review This policy statement together with any related policy will be reviewed by the Fundraising Committee every two years or when: There are changes in legislation or government guidance. As a result of any other significant change in fundraising practice within the charity. Following any review of a serious incident ether within or outside of the charity that potentially increases the risk of fundraising activities undertaken by the charity. Where revision is recommended the Governance Committee will determine whether this should go to the Board for ratification or is within the Fundraising Committee s delegated authority to approve. 21 st October 2017 Sue Cherrie - Chairman