WIREDGOV

The Fundraising Regulator has recently announced its first consultation on the Code of Fundraising Practice.  The consultation will enable charities, fundraisers and the general public to feedback on suggested changes to the Code.

The consultation was launched earlier this month and will run until the end of April. It marks the first major development of the Code since it was transferred to the Fundraising Regulator from the Institute of Fundraising in July 2016.

The proposed changes are not a “root and branch” overhaul. Instead they focus on issues like people in vulnerable circumstances, fundraising communications, the delivery of charity collection bags and how charities oversee their third-party contracts.

The consultation will not include the Fundraising Preference Service, with guidance for this to be announced closer to its launch.

It will also not cover data and consent. The Fundraising Regulator will consult on this issue separately once the ICO’s guidance on GDPR is released to ensure the full implications for the sector are taken into account.

The consultation is being led by Suzanne McCarthy, chair of the Fundraising Regulator’s Standards Committee, who said:

“The Code is crucial to ensuring that fundraising is carried out to the high standards expected by the public. Given its importance, it is essential that the Code develops to meet new challenges and does so in a fair and consultative manner. This process will enable us to understand and, where appropriate, address the sector’s concerns.”

The Regulator will be holding events and webinars with key stakeholders throughout the consultation period.