Making safeguarding an organisational priority

At the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, we believe that every fundraising organisation should offer a safe and supportive working environment and culture for staff and volunteers alike; an environment where there is a zero tolerance approach to discrimination, bullying and harassment, and where people’s privacy and right to confidentiality is respected. 

Typically, this will mean incorporating relevant recruitment, training and health and safety procedures, as well including safeguarding clauses within relevant organisational policies. Some organisations will require a standalone safeguarding policy, and every organisation will need to consider safeguarding within the following organisational and fundraising policies.

This section includes links for to our own guidance, as well as resources from the Fundraising Regulator, NCVO (Knowhow Nonprofit) and Acas.

• Equal rights and diversity; ensuring nobody is discriminated against on account of their race, religion, gender, disability or any other factor.
• Sickness, stress and absence; the organisation’s approach to managing absence or poor health, supporting staff and their colleagues.
• Managing volunteers; implementing appropriate recruitment, induction and training processes, supervision, guidance and support for all fundraising, paid and volunteers.
• Data protection; never compromising someone’s privacy or using someone’s data in a way that contravenes their wishes or legislation.
• Accepting or refusing donations; being fair, responsible and consistent in terms of the donations that your charity will or will not accept.
• Vulnerable people; always treating people fairly and never pressurising someone into giving.
• Handling donations; providing safe and secure collection facilities that safeguard donations and limit the opportunity for fraud.
• Alcohol & drugs; stating that fundraising under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs is not acceptable.
• Bullying & harassment; taking a zero tolerance approach to bullying or harassment from anyone (including employees and volunteers, board members, beneficiaries or supporters).
• Complaints; having a transparent and accountable approach to complaints, focusing on addressing any problem areas and learning from them.
• Disciplinary and grievance; having a robust disciplinary and grievance process in place for dealing with misconduct or any behaviour that puts another’s safety at risk.
• Whistleblowing; employees should be encouraged to raise any safeguarding concern with their manager or external authorities, without fear of repercussion.

If your organisation works with ‘at risk’ groups, which include children or young people and adults in potentially vulnerable circumstances, you will need a specific safeguarding policy and procedure.

• State your commitment to safeguarding; that you will protect your beneficiaries, supporters, employees and volunteers from any abuse (physical, emotional or sexual).
• Make it clear who is responsible for what, emphasising that everyone in the charity has a commitment to play their part in protecting people from harm.
• Set out the procedures for reporting and recording any concerns and/or incidents.
• Include practical guidance for staff and volunteers about what they should do.
• Detail the complaints and disciplinary procedures for handling concerns.
• Underline that there will be disciplinary action for those who fail to follow procedure for recording safeguarding issues.