Equity, diversity and inclusion policy

The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) policy is part of a suite of policies which supports the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s (the “Chartered Institute”) commitment to a safe and inclusive culture.  

The purpose of this policy is to set out the Chartered Institute’s approach to equity, diversity and inclusion. The Chartered Institute is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion in the fundraising profession. By enabling and supporting fundraisers and donors from diverse and intersecting identities, perspectives and experiences we can fulfil our Vision of Excellent Fundraising for a Better World. Our approach to equity, diversity and inclusion strengthens our ability to achieve these objectives and helps us to be a responsible membership organisation as well as a good employer. 

Equity(i) means that the Chartered Institute recognises the systemic and institutionalised differences in how people are treated and provides fair and adjusted treatment. We commit to challenging the misuse of power and our biases that limit people’s equitable treatment. Diversity(ii) means that the Chartered Institute actively welcomes people from diverse backgrounds and reflects this attitude in its policies and culture. Inclusion(iii) is about providing a safe space for everyone to meaningfully contribute and access opportunities without barriers or judgement.  

The policy supports those who challenge all forms of bullying, harassment, discrimination, abuse and harm and is underpinned by the UK’s Equality Act 2010 which protects employees, volunteers, contractors, job applicants or visitors from discrimination(iv) because of the protected characteristics of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. The Chartered Institute recognises and protects those impacted by intersectionality(v), a principle not included within the Act, where individual protected characteristics(vi) “intersect” and overlap with one another to create unique experiences of discrimination.  

As the professional body for fundraising, the Chartered Institute of Fundraising has responsibility to lead a safe and inclusive fundraising community for all. The Chartered Institute does not tolerate bullying(vii), discrimination or harassment(viii) of any form.  

The Chartered Institute creates and embodies a safe and inclusive culture. This means that we demonstrate mutual respect, trust, dignity, acceptance and inclusion. We are valued in all our intersecting identities, and we all feel confident to speak-up knowing we will be supported and listened to. Our culture is the result of our collective and continuous learning, our individual behaviours, our personal commitment, and our care for ourselves and each other. 

We recognise the importance of leadership to create, promote and nurture a safe and inclusive culture and to act fairly and with compassion when things go wrong.  

We work together to achieve this safe and inclusive culture statement through upholding the following principles: 

1. Leading together - We lead a safe and inclusive fundraising community. We engage in participatory, collaborative and empowering relationships where we are all responsible for our behaviours and held accountable for them. We are open-minded and transparent with each other, our members and the wider fundraising community.  
2. Safe culture - Together, we maintain a safe and inclusive Chartered Institute and fundraising profession. We are all responsible to act with honesty and integrity to safeguard, protect and support one another. We listen to, value and respect one another to continue to develop a positive fundraising culture.  We do not tolerate bullying, discrimination or harassment of any form. Our words are powerful, we are not only responsible for words that cause offence or hurt intentionally but also the impact and aftermath of our use of language that no matter how well intentioned creates a negative feeling or impact with our colleagues, volunteers and members. 
3. Recognising power - We recognise misuse of power as the root causes of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. We challenge and speak up about behaviours that maintain negative use of power and that contribute to bullying, harassment, discrimination, abuse and harm. We check and challenge our own biases on intersecting identities including but not limited to, sex, gender, class, race, ability, and organisational role status and create a space for others to do the same. 
4. Supportive response - We communicate our expected behaviours clearly and people know what to do when expectations are not met. We welcome all concerns and complaints of bullying, discrimination and harassment of any kind. These will be responded to with respect and sensitivity.  
5. Learning - We are honest and transparent about our successes and failures and support one another to learn from them. We regularly review and reflect on our work, our culture, our policies and processes through dialogue and collective challenge. We intentionally seek diverse experiences and focus on continual improvement for the safety and well-being of all.  

This policy applies to all staff and volunteers, board members, trainers, mentors, consultants, contractors, interns and anyone else when they are acting on behalf of the Chartered Institute. These are collectively known as Representatives.  

The EDI policy applies to all members of the Chartered Institute and to anyone who engages with the Chartered Institute including, but not limited to, attendance at any events, training courses, National, Regional and Special Interest Group activities, conferences and social media interactions. 

The EDI policy applies at all times including in the workplace (together with hybrid working), on work related travel and events (including residential events).  

The Chartered Institute welcomes complaints from external sources such as members of the public, partners and official bodies, these should be made using the Complaints Policy.  

This section is guided by our first, second and third principles: Leading Together, Safe Culture and Recognising Power, respectively.  

We want to recruit, develop and retain the most talented fundraisers and for everyone who comes into contact with a fundraiser to be treated with dignity and respect. This means we are an inclusive employer of choice for employees in all their diversity. As such, we implement this policy together in the: 

a. Promotion of this policy 

We ensure that this policy is known, understood and available to all in a variety of inclusive formats. The Head of Professional Conduct and Inclusion, the EDI Committee, Executive and Senior Leadership Team, and the Board of Trustees are responsible for raising awareness of this policy and for ensuring that the contents of this policy are communicated to fundraisers and those who come in contact with the Chartered Institute, including applicants, partners and event attendees. All Representatives are trained on the policy, including their rights and responsibilities under the policy. 

b. Recruitment and selection of staff, volunteers and contractors 

Opportunities for employment, volunteering and contracts are open for all and advertised widely. Advertisements respect the Chartered Institute’s commitment to welcoming a diverse range of applicants. Pay scales are transparent and advertised as part of the recruitment process. We strive to understand and mitigate the existing or potential barriers that hinder the inclusion of under-represented groups(ix) in fundraising including Black, Asian or individuals from a specific minoritised community, LGBTQ+(x) individuals, people with disabilities as well as individuals at the intersections of these identities.  

Applicants are selected for interview without knowledge of their identity characteristics. We select Representatives on merit, aptitude and ability to fulfill the needs of the opportunity. However, special consideration or process modifications may be required for some applicants to ensure equitable participation and assessment. We follow standards as set out in the Recruitment Policy.  

The Board of Trustees works to ensure equitable representation through all levels of the Chartered Institute.   

c. Terms and conditions 

We offer employment and volunteering terms and conditions that comply with current legislation and reflect good practice and equity. We specifically: 

• appoint Representatives within an agreed framework of terms and conditions; 

• make Representatives aware of the policies which support flexible ways of working; 

• be aware at all times of equity, diversity and inclusion, and consider needs for reasonable adjustments when designing and introducing new terms and conditions. 

d. Induction, training, promotion and development 

All Representatives have access to equitable induction and development opportunities to support them to carry out their roles successfully. We recognize that everyone has a contribution to make. The provision of induction, training and development will be transparent and fair to all. The Chartered Institute: 

• provides information and training to all Representatives on a regular basis to promote the understanding of and the Chartered Institute's commitment to a safe and inclusive culture; 

• ensure that all Representatives are aware of promotions, trainings and development opportunities and are encouraged to take advantage of them; 

• monitor promotion, training and development activities to ensure equity of access across all groups;

• ensure that development and performance management activities such as appraisal are transparent and competency based; 

e. Service delivery 

The Chartered Institute promotes diversity in the delivery of its services to members and to the general public. Our objective is to make our services more accessible by taking steps such as ensuring that our spaces are free of physical and non-physical barriers for all and especially people - living with a disability.

The Chartered Institute uses inclusive language in all internal and external communications and seeks to remove all barriers to accessing our information. For example British Sign Language, Interpreters, bursaries for learning and engagement, accessible environments. We will actively communicate our safe and inclusive culture, our principles and our EDI commitments with the aim of making the wider fundraising community a safe and inclusive space, especially for under-represented groups. 

f. Monitoring 

Where possible, the Chartered Institute will monitor the impact of the suite of policies for a safe and inclusive culture, including this one (see Part 9: Learning). We want to identify and prevent the structural barriers that hinder the participation of under-represented group. We will monitor: 

• The make-up of representatives (i.e. age, sex, race, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and disability); 

• The impact of the EDI policy in mitigating discrimination in pay, benefits, terms and conditions, dismissal, redundancy, leave requests, flexible working requests, selection, promotion, training and development opportunities; 

• The protected characteristics of individuals reporting complaints and grievances. 

This section is guided by our fourth principle: Supportive Response.  

If you wish to raise a concern about the way the Chartered Institute is run or about the behaviour of its Representatives, you can seek to raise this informally or formally.  

5.1 Enabling reports 
We recognise unequal power as a barrier to reporting breaches of this policy. As the Chartered Institute, we challenge and speak up about behaviours that maintain negative use of power and that contribute to bullying, harassment, discrimination, abuse and harm and seek to remove this barrier. We ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting concerns are made available to all staff and associates. 

The Chartered Institute welcomes complaints from external sources such as members of the public, partners and official bodies in line with the Complaints and Disciplinary Policy.  

5.2 Informal reports and resolution 
The Chartered Institute welcomes Representatives, members and others raising issues and seek to resolve all problems fairly, with respect and sensitivity.  

An informal report can be made to your line manager (or Director of Volunteers and Learning for volunteers), or another member of the senior leadership team. This can be a quiet word, or a structured meeting. You can ask someone, such as a colleague, to go with you to the meeting, and you can bring someone for support such as a carer or interpreter.  

During the meeting you should explain what the problem is and what you would like the Chartered Institute to do.  It is important to bring any supporting information that you may have of the concern, e.g. emails, social media posts, details of discriminatory language used by whom, where and when. The person you are talking to will take notes and add a summary of the discussion on Talktospot(xi). Talktospot is monitored by the Head of Professional Conduct and Inclusion.  

It won’t always be possible for the Chartered Institute to solve the problem in the way that you want, but hopefully we can find a solution together. If this does not resolve your concern, you can use the formal reporting processes described below.  

For serious issues, an informal report may not be the best approach in which case you can report formally using the process outlined below. On very rare occasions your manager may assess that your concern is too serious to remain an informal matter. If this is the case, they will talk to you and encourage and support to you make a formal report yourself. If you do not want to do so, and do not want your manager to make a report in your name, your manager will make a report using Talktospot and will not include any identifying details such as name, role or workplace of those involved.   

5.3 Mediation  
Mediation is a confidential way to resolve relationship problems at work. You can use mediation at any stage of the procedure. Mediation involves an independent, impartial person helping both sides to find a solution. Both sides will need to agree to mediation.  

The mediator can be someone from inside or outside the Chartered Institute.  

5.4 Anonymous reports 
We hope that you will feel confident to make the report on your behalf. However, in circumstances where you want to make an anonymous report this will be taken seriously and treated equally to those bearing a name, but they are harder to investigate as we cannot get additional information and we cannot contact you to discuss the outcome. However, this should not be a barrier for anyone who feels that this is the best course of action for them.  

5.5 How to report 
Anyone with suspicions or concerns about breaches of this policy should speak up as soon as possible and report the concern to:  

• Talktospot, an online tool to confidentially and anonymously report Code of Conduct violations which can be found here
• The Head of Professional Conduct and Inclusion via complaints@ciof.org.uk (The responsibility to receive complaints will be delegated to another senior leader when the postholder is on leave. If the postholder is the subject of your concern, you can report to the Safeguarding and Whistleblowing trustee – safeguarding@ciof.org.uk)  
• Staff/volunteer responsible for an event 
• Local authorities, if appropriate  
• Support services, such as health, counselling, or legal services, if appropriate
• Police, welfare or regulatory bodies, if appropriate

5.6 Responding to reports  
We act fairly and with compassion when we respond to reported breaches of this policy. The Chartered Institute upholds its commitment to duty of care (Appendix A). We follow up all reports and concerns according to policy and procedure, and legal and statutory obligations.  

We treat all those involved in the reported breach with respect and sensitivity.  

The Chartered Institute offers support to survivors of harm caused by staff or associates whether or not a formal internal response is carried out (such as an internal investigation).  Information on available support is provided to those affected by bullying, harassment or discrimination so they can decide what support they would like to access. 

The Chartered Institute applies appropriate disciplinary measures to staff and Representatives found in breach of policy, up to and including termination of contracts. The Chartered Institute recognises that breaches of policy may be due to failures in systems and failures and acts promptly to rectify these.  

We reflect upon, and review, all policy breaches and identify actions to prevent future breaches.  

It is essential that confidentiality is maintained at all stages of the response process.  Information relating to the reported policy breach and subsequent response are shared on a need-to-know basis only.  

Data protection obligations are met.  Data collected from the point at which the individual makes the report is held securely and accessed by, and disclosed to, individuals only for the purposes of dealing with the disclosure. 

Any staff or associate that report concerns or complaints through formal whistleblowing channels (or if they request it) will be protected, as far as possible, by the Chartered Institute’s Whistleblowing Policy. 

Whistle-blowers can make anonymous reports using Talktospot 

The Chartered Institute are members of Protect who provide confidential advice to whistle-blowers.   

Maliciously making a false allegation is a disciplinary offence under the Disciplinary Policy. 

Individuals who fail to comply with the terms of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action and may incur sanctions that could include contract termination, dismissal and/or exclusion from any further involvement in the Chartered Institute’s activities. 

This section is guided by our fifth principle: Learning.  

The Chartered Institute recognises that breaches of policy may be due to failures in systems and failures and acts promptly to rectify these. We reflect upon, and review, all reported breaches to identify ways to prevent future recurrences.  

Safe and inclusive culture is incorporated into the organisation’s risk register and quarterly and annual reporting processes. Senior management and the Board of Trustees will regularly review the risk register and organisation reports to ensure that all measures to create and sustain a safe and inclusive culture are in place and effective. Systems and practices will also be updated to ensure learning transfers into organisational changes and improvements.   

This policy will be reviewed in one year and then at minimum of every 3 years or when it is shown necessary that additional issues need to be identified and addressed through this policy, such as following a breach of policy or change in legislation.  

The safe and inclusive culture is informed by a clear policy framework. We will ensure that those who work with us and support our work know and apply these policies: 

1. Policies which apply to everyone in contact with the Chartered Institute: 

• Code of Conduct 
• Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy 
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy  
• Anti-bullying and Harassment Policy  
• Health and Safety Policy  

2. Policies which apply to all staff and volunteers (including board) of the Chartered Institute 

• Grievance and Disciplinary Policy  
• Whistle-blowing Policy 
• Volunteer Problem Solving Guidance 
• Recruitment Policy 

3. Policies which apply to anyone external to the Chartered Institute 

• Complaints and Disciplinary Policy  

As the professional body for fundraising, the Chartered Institute for Fundraising (“the Chartered Institute”) has responsibility to lead a safe and inclusive fundraising community for all. This includes ensuring that the health, safety and well-being of all those in contact with the Chartered Institute is taken seriously.  

We all owe a duty of care to our colleagues, the Chartered Institute, members, ourselves and the public. Duty of care means the obligations we all have to support our health, safety and well-being to the best of our ability and to explain if there are reasons why we cannot do so. The duty of care is implicit in all our roles as staff, volunteers, and members of the Chartered Institute.  

Our commitment to duty of care includes:  

• Not tolerating bullying, discrimination or harassment of any form 
• Having participatory, collaborative, and empowering leadership and organisational structures 
• Living a safe and inclusive culture  
• Having effective policies and procedures which are consulted upon, known and implemented 
• Investing in fair workload management and well-being  
• A shared confidence to raise concerns safe in the knowledge that they will be responded to fairly and with compassion 
• Clearly communicating our expected duty of care so people know what to do when expectations are not met.