10/01/12

By Andrew Holt

The Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) is, today, issuing its annual call for members (both charities and suppliers) to complete their complaint return form, summarising all fundraising activity and complaints received during 2011.

For the first time, from June 2012 the FRSB’s public-facing website will show whether each member has filed its return; a core membership obligation.

Alistair McLean, chief executive of the Fundraising Standards Board, said: “Although we currently have a very high submission rate for complaint returns at 80%, we are determined to see that return level rise still further , enabling us to monitor both fundraising volumes and complaint levels as accurately as possible.

“By publicly acknowledging those members that have completed their returns we believe that we are giving others an extra spur to action ensuring greater transparency to the public.

“At the same time, the team here has worked hard to ensure that the return itself is even easier to complete and members understand what is expected of them and when complaints must be filed. Nevertheless, we are of course on hand to help members complete their returns if they have any problems along the way.“

With more than 1,370 members now signed up to self-regulation, it is anticipated that members will report greater fundraising volumes and complaints than in previous years.

Members are being encouraged to ensure that they include volume figures for fundraising activity undertaken, enabling the FRSB to take a proportionate view of complaints.

Three core fundraising areas will be explored in detail; telephone fundraising, direct mail and data protection.

And, as in 2011, leading fundraising academic, Professor Adrian Sargeant will provide an analysis of complaint trends which will be published within the FRSB’s Annual Report in June 2012.

All FRSB members that joined the organisation before July 2011 are required to complete a return and submit it before the deadline of 16 March 2012.

In the FRSB’s 2011 Annual Report, the self-regulatory body revealed that 18,442 complaints were received during 2010. Key findings included:

Direct mail (addressed and unaddressed) accounted for more than half (53%) of all complaints

‘Poor’ data and data protection led to one sixth of all complaints

Street fundraising incurred the highest proportion of complaints against volume at 0.17%.

For more information go here here

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