Face-to-Face Code To Be Revised To Cover Prospecting Trend

Howard Lake | 2 August 2007 | Newswire

The Institute of Fundraising (‘Institute’) is inviting individuals interested in amending the Code of Fundraising Practice: ‘Face-to-Face Fundraising’ to join a new working party on a voluntary basis. The working party is to ensure that face-to-face fundraising ./guidance incorporates ‘prospecting’, where fundraisers’ initial contact with a prospective donor is not in the form of a ‘direct ask’, and a request for a donation by telephone or email is made with the member of the public at a later stage
The Code of Fundraising Practice: ‘Face-to-Face Fundraising’ sets out best practice for both on the street and house-to-house fundraising; the Institute’s Codes of Fundraising Practice are the benchmark for standards in UK fundraising, setting out the legal requirements, obligations for members of the Institute and Fundraising Standards Board and issues of best practice.
At present, the fundraising technique of ‘prospecting’ is not covered within the scope of the Code of Fundraising Practice: ‘Face-to-Face Fundraising’. The Institute believes s that practitioners of the ‘two-step’ fundraising technique of ‘prospecting’ need to adhere to the same standards of practice as those making a direct ask of a member of the public on the street. The membership body is to set up a new working party to ensure regulation of this new fundraising technique is included in the Codes.
Members of the new working party are required to have:
– Knowledge of face-to-face fundraising and an awareness of ‘prospecting’
– Knowledge of fundraising activities and the importance of investing in fundraising in the voluntary sector
– Knowledge of the Institute of Fundraising’s Codes of Fundraising Practice
– The ability to think creatively and analytically about communicating complex messages about fundraising
– Commitment to adhere to the working party’s draft timetable, and;
– Commitment to accountability and transparency in the voluntary sector
Nominations to join the working party should be submitted to the Institute of Fundraising by Friday 31st August; the first working party meeting will be held during September 2007, with the revised Code published by the end of the year.
Megan Pacey, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the Institute says:
It is vital that the Codes of Fundraising Practice are flexible enough to take on board evolving practice. To the general public on the street ‘prospecting’ looks very much like face-to-face fundraising, but at present it is not covered within the scope of the Face-to-Face Code of Fundraising Practice.”
Face-to-Face fundraising is already regulated through the Code of Fundraising Practice: ‘Face-to-Face Fundraising’ which provides best practice ./guidance for charities and service providers seeking to raise funds effectively and sensitively, without causing a public nuisance or disturbance.
Expressions of interest to join the working party should be sent either by email to

co***@in**********************.uk











, or by post to:
Policy and Codes of Practice Officer
Institute of Fundraising
Park Place
12 Lawn Lane
London
SW8 1UD
For further information, visit www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk
-ENDS-
For media queries, please contact:
Diana Mackie Tel. 020 7840 1027
Institute of Fundraising email:

pr***@in**********************.uk












NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Institute of Fundraising
The Institute of Fundraising (www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk) represents fundraisers and fundraising throughout the UK and is committed to the highest standards in fundraising management and practice. The Institute of Fundraising is the professional body for fundraising and is the largest individual representative body in the voluntary sector with 4500 Individual members and 250 Organisational members. Organisational and Individual members of the Institute agree to abide by the standards set out in the Codes as a condition of membership
2. Codes of Fundraising Practice
There are now 26 Codes of Fundraising Practice, covering a range of fundraising practices, a Donor’s Charter and a Code of Conduct. Organisational and Individual members of the Institute agree to abide by the standards set out in the Codes as a condition of membership. The full set of Codes are available in hard copy or may be downloaded free of charge from the Institute’s website. Codes are developed by a working party of volunteers, undergo a consultation period of at least one month and finally must be approved by the Institute’s Standards Committee and Trustees.

About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale. He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.