Responding to sector challenges and evolving fundraising practices, and in the wake of the Fundraising Regulator’s Market Inquiry into sub-contracting in face-to-face fundraising, the guidance sets out clear expectations for charities and fundraising agencies, with new sections covering sub-contracting arrangements, safeguarding of fundraisers, transparent job advertising and robust due diligence.
The updated framework – which is the first major revision to this guidance since 2016 – provides advice for charity leaders and trustees on how they should manage outsourced fundraising responsibly, understand and ensure transparency in payment models, and protect frontline workers through fair working conditions, whistleblowing policies, and support in potentially isolated roles like door-to-door fundraising.
Claire Stanley, director of policy and communications at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, said: “Working closely with our membership, and our Public Fundraising Advisory Panel in particular, we have created an in-depth piece of guidance exploring the relationship between charity and agency, highlighting best practice in adherence to the Code. The Fundraising Regulator has been clear that trustees and senior leaders of any charity engaging in face-to-face fundraising need to be aware of which organisation is representing them, and we have set that out in this guidance.
“We have also set out expectations for the safeguarding of fundraisers within this guidance – that they have fair working conditions, full transparency over payment models, and that they are being fairly and appropriately remunerated for the work they are doing, and the hours they have worked. In addition to this, we expect policies to be in place to safeguard fundraisers in the field – particularly if they are participating in more isolated roles like door-to-door fundraising. Appropriate whistleblowing policies should also be in place to ensure that fundraisers feel safe to raise concerns if they have them.
“This guidance has been created for the sector, by the sector, and we would like to thank everyone who was involved in this piece of work.”
Jim Tebbett, head of proactive regulation and projects at the Fundraising Regulator, said: “We welcome the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s updated guidance on charity-agency partnerships and payment models, which responds directly to a key recommendation from our 2024 market inquiry into subcontracting in face-to-face fundraising.
“This new guidance supports charities and agencies to build strong, transparent, and accountable fundraising partnerships: something our inquiry showed is essential to maintain public trust in the sector. Many charities and agencies have already taken steps to learn from and implement the recommendations from the market inquiry, and this guidance will help them to continue to do so.”