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The Self-Regulation
Steering Committee set up by the Institute of Fundraising has today announced
details of the scheme it is developing for the self-regulation.
Closely modelled on
the Institute of Fundraising’s (IoF) Codes of Fundraising Practice,
the document proposes setting up an independent council of fundraisers
and members of the public to run the scheme. This council, operating under
powers delegated powers from the IoF’s trustees, will be responsible
for ensuring that organisations signed up to it are committed to the IoF
standards.
Members will pay a
fee, the amount of which will depend on the size of their organisation,
and will have to promote the scheme to the public by displaying a best
practice logo on fundraising materials.
Simon Hebditch, chair
of the committee and executive director at CAF, said: “It is vital
that the charity sector creates a robust and effective self-regulation
scheme for fundraising that will give the public greater confidence in
charities themselves. The Steering Group is working hard to put forward
a comprehensive scheme which can be disseminated widely in the sector
and submitted to the Home Office for funding.”
Under the proposals,
groups would also be required to set up a suitable internal auditing system
to document compliance and maintain a complaints register.
The IoF put forward
its ideas for the scheme earlier this year, after rejecting proposals
from the Buse Commission. Buse had initially recommended that groups should
join the scheme through a sponsoring body such as the IoF or the Public
Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA) and that an independent oversight
body should be in place to publicise the standards, oversee complaints
and ensure systems were in place to ensure members comply with the scheme.
Since the IoF’s
response to the commission, the Steering Committee, which comprises ten
representatives from the sector including the IoF, PFRA, Charities Aid
Foundation (CAF) and the Charity Commission, has been refining the new
framework.
The finished document
is due to be published early November, with introduction of the scheme
intended for April 2005.
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