Fundraising Regulator consults on code of practice

The Fundraising Regulator has opened a consultation on the Code of Fundraising Practice, with the view to understanding its accessibility as a ‘straightforward and practical’ tool for fundraisers.

The Code of Fundraising Practice and its associated rulebooks for street, door-to-door and private site fundraising outline the standards expected of all charitable fundraising organisations across the UK.

According to the regulator, its consultation will focus on the style, presentation, clarity and accessibility of a new draft of the code, with respondents asked to feedback.

The new draft includes the following:

- A new table of contents and a simpler ordering of the code’s content
- A “plain English” review of the language used in the code
- A new code introduction
- A glossary of key terms used within the code
- A table of those rules proposed for deletion or amendment
- The face-to-face fundraising rulebooks being incorporated into the “collections” section of the code

The regulator said the decision to consult on the code follows "careful consideration and feedback" from the regulator’s first consultation last year; roundtable sessions with smaller charities; conversations with other regulators and bodies in the sector and queries and comments from members of the public.

The consultation will run for 10 weeks and will close on Friday 16 November 2018.

A summary of responses is set to be published on the consultation web pages together with the Fundraising Regulator’s final decisions regarding changes to the code. The regulator will be encouraging the sector to feed in its views during this period.

Commenting on the consultation, the Fundraising Regulator’s chair of the standards committee, Suzanne McCarthy said: “The Code of Fundraising Practice underpins the behaviours that we expect from fundraisers and organisations across the charitable fundraising sector.

“It is vital that all fundraisers can use and understand the Code confidently and with ease to ensure their organisation’s compliance. We are confident that this consultation will result in an improved experience for both fundraisers and the general public alike.”