Using the code
Introduction
The Code of
The code was initially developed by
The code aims to:
- promote a consistent, high standard of
fundraising ; - make sure
charitable institutions, their governing bodies and fundraisers know what is expected of them; - set out the standards we use when considering complaints;
- provide a benchmark for organisations and
fundraisers to assess their practices against so they can identify necessary training and monitor and set policy priorities for theirfundraising ; and - develop a culture of honesty, openness and respect between
fundraisers and the public.
The following four values support all standards in the code.
Legal: All
Open:
Honest:
Respectful:
The code and the law
The code includes standards that reflect the law, but it is not designed to be a legal handbook. We have revised the code to make it as clear and understandable as possible for everyone. But
You are responsible for making sure that you get the advice you need to meet the requirements you have to meet by law. If there is a difference between the code and the relevant legislation or regulations, you must follow the law rather than the code.
Applying the code
Each standard uses the term ‘you’ (and ‘your’). To make it easy to use, we have set out who we mean by ‘you’ at the beginning of each section, and the code includes a glossary of terms. Unless we say otherwise at the beginning of a section, ‘you’ (and ‘your’) means the following.
- A
charitable institution which asks for money or other property forcharitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes .‘Charitable institution’ means charities (r egistered or unregistered) and voluntary organisations established for purposes which may not be strictlycharitable , but which are benevolent or philanthropic. This includes ‘exempt’charities , such as charitable higher education institutions. (Exemptcharities are those which are not required to be directly regulated by theCharity Commission for England and Wales because they are regulated by another body or authority.) - A
t hird-party f undraiser which asks for money or other property forcharitable ,benevolent or philanthropic purposes . ‘Third-party fundraiser’ means an organisation or person acharitable institution has authorised to ask fordonations on its behalf. This may be avolunteer, professional fundraiser or commercial partner if they are fundraising .
The code also applies to other organisations that carry out
You must make sure you meet the standards in the code and must be able to justify the decisions you make. You must make your staff and
We use ‘must’ and ‘must not’ for all of the standards in the code.
- Standards where ‘must’ and ‘must not’ are in bold text indicate a standard based on a legal requirement (for example, a piece of law or case law).
- Standards where ‘must’ and ‘must not’ are not in bold text indicate a regulatory standard that is not based on a strict legal requirement.
All of the standards are equal, and trust and confidence in
Commitment to the code
By registering with us,
Organisations who register also commit to the Fundraising Promise. The promise sets out the commitment that those who register with us make to
Investigating complaints
We may investigate:
- complaints from the public about
fundraising , if these cannot be resolved by thecharities themselves; or fundraising that has caused or could cause significant public concern.
When considering complaints we will use the version of the code that was in effect at the time of the incident. Our complaints process provides more information about how we investigate complaints.
In Scotland, complaints about Scottish-
We and the Scottish