Ethical Fundraising Policy

Childlife is committed to its mission to help it member charities raise regular income though all forms of individual giving in order to provide long term income for them. We commit at all times to train our fundraisers to be open, honest, fair and legal.

This policy seeks to cover the ethical issues and social responsibility within fundraising. All Childlife staff involved in fundraising have a responsibility to be aware and have a thorough understanding of the ethical issues referred to in this policy.

1. Childlife respects the rights of donors to clear, truthful information on the work of Childlife and to openly report how we manage donors’ information responsibly.
2. We will comply with the Fundraising Regulator’s Codes of Fundraising Practice as amended from time to time and UK law in every respect, including those regarding openness and honesty with members of the public.
3. As members of the IOF and Fundraising Regulator, we follow their Code of Conducts, which, amongst other things, helps to ensure that organisations raising money for charity from the public do so honestly and properly.
4. 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.
5. All complaints will be logged and be a standing item on the Board meeting agenda.
6. We will adhere at all times to the legal requirements the Charities Act 1992 and the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016 and any amendments made to them. We will ensure that equivalent fundraising activities carried out in Northern Ireland are managed in the same manner.

 Our fundraisers will at all times:

1. Provide clear and adequate, written or verbal, information to the public about possible follow‐up, including any applicable telephone procedures or other contact details as required by the Data Protection Act 1998 and comply with other provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998;
2. Act honestly and in a manner that does not mislead and will not knowingly or recklessly disseminate false or misleading information in the course of their fundraising duties, nor permit others to do so;
3. Utilise materials as agreed previously with the fundraising organisation;
4. Ensure that in the event of a complaint, a record of the name, address and telephone number of the complainant is made and the complainant is referred immediately to the organiser of the activity and to the CEO of Childlife as per our complaints procedure;
5. Not directly encourage existing donors in any way to change an existing charitable donation to another fundraising organization;
6. Use a courteous manner that will not bring Childlife, or our members into disrepute;
7. Ensure that donors are aware that committed giving schemes are intended for long‐term donations; that the donor has the right to terminate the agreement at any point; and that charitable organisations’ needs may be better served by a one‐off donation if the donor does not feel able to undertake a long term commitment;
8. Terminate any contact politely and immediately upon request;
9. Ensure that all materials, especially completed donor forms, are held securely and in accordance with their obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 and our own privacy policy;
10. Wear photo identity badges in a visible place at all times,
11. Ensure that sufficient safeguards exist and are followed throughout the solicitation process to avoid pressurising potential donors, though reasonable persuasion can be used;
12. Ensure that donors are aware that they have the right to terminate an agreement to donate to a fundraising organisation at any point;
13. Make legally compliant statements as to how the fundraisers are paid;
14. Process information as swiftly as possible and ensure that information relating to new donors is passed to the relevant parties as soon as possible;
15. Above all the fundraiser must ensure that the public are protected from unreasonable intrusion on a person’s privacy, unreasonably persistent approaches or undue pressure to give, as per the Charities Act 1992 and the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016.
16. Before any approaches to solicit donations are made to individuals Childlife will agree conditions of councils and gain a letter of authorisation or appropriate licences.

Last updated: May 2019