The decision to accept or refuse a donation is not always straightforward. Whilst trustees and charity staff must always act in the best interest of the charity- which means making sure the organisation has sufficient funds to carry out its charitable objectives - it also means protecting its reputation and credibility. 

Although this has always been an important part of running a charity, evolving societal opinions on certain industries and activities mean that the reputational risk of accepting donations from certain sources might be higher than previously and trustees need to be conscious of not alienating their beneficiaries or supporters. Furthermore, staff opinion on whether to accept or refuse a donation from some sources might differ within the charity itself.  

It is therefore important to have a clear acceptance and refusal policy in place so staff and trustees understand how to make decisions that align with charity law and ensures the organisation fulfils its charitable objectives.

1. What do the rules say? - An overview of the different rules and regulations to account for in the policy
2. Developing a policy – Including different reporting structures and when you might refuse a donation
3. Putting the policy into practice – Giving staff the tools to carry out the policy and advice on due diligence
4. What would we do if...? - Common scenarios that might come up and how to approach them.