I hope that you all have a policy on the acceptance (or not) of donations. It isn’t right to leave this to individual fundraisers or fundraising managers, or to make ad hoc decisions each time something occurs to prompt a discussion.
There are some very good free resources available, including:
- Charity Commission guidance on due diligence, monitoring and verifying the end of us charitable funds https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/charities-due-diligence-checks-and-monitoring-end-use-of-funds
- CIoF guidance on accepting, refusing and returning donations https://ciof.org.uk/events-and-training/resources/acceptance,-refusal-and-return-a-practical-guide-t
So why do we mention it now? Well, in the last week the CIoF has said that it has paused some sponsorship agreements with companies linked to the US gun lobby organisation, the National Rifle Association (“NRA”). You can read the statement from The CIoF CEO and Board here https://ciof.org.uk/convention/news/a-message-to-members-from-katie-docherty-and-board
Whether it relates to sponsorship, corporate partnerships or individual donations, are you clear on your policy and does everyone know about it? If not, perhaps you would benefit from a facilitated workshop where we will guide you through the process of debating, agreeing and documenting such a policy, and offer guidance on how to promote it internally – contact us for an informal chat using the link https://zorva.info/about-us/contact-us