Guest blog: Fundraising Regulator meeting with the Board of the Commission
In June 2022 Celia Currie joined the Fundraising Regulator as its Stakeholder and Policy Manager for Northern Ireland. The Fundraising Regulator is the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It works to improve fundraising standards and build public trust in charitable fundraising.
An important part of Celia’s role is working with charitable organisations across Northern Ireland to raise awareness of the Fundraising Regulator and the Code of Fundraising Practice.
In advance of a meeting later this month with the Board of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, to explore how the two regulators can work closely together to build public trust and confidence in charitable fundraising, Celia reflects on some of the current areas of work for the Fundraising Regulator.
Subcontracting Inquiry
On 12 October 2023 the Fundraising Regulator launched a market inquiry to look into issues relating to the use of subcontractors by charities in face-to-face fundraising. The inquiry aims to better understand how door-to-door and on-street fundraising subcontracts are arranged and monitored in the sector, and to produce targeted support to help charities and agencies comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice. In a recent article, the Fundraising Regulator’s Head of Policy, Paul Winyard, considered issues relating to the use of subcontracting by fundraising agencies and the risks trustees should be aware of. He urged charities to review their subcontracting relationships as a matter of urgency.
Review of the Code of Fundraising Practice
The Fundraising Regulator is currently in the middle of a 12-week consultation as part of its ongoing review of the Code of Fundraising Practice. An in-person event in Belfast on 14 September, hosted by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA) and CCNI, was attended by a diverse range of stakeholders from across NI who heard about the regulator’s plans and discussed ideas for improving the code. At the event the Fundraising Regulator reminded Trustees, staff and volunteers of charitable organisations of their respective fundraising responsibilities as set out in the Code of Fundraising Practice. The consultation is open until 1 December 2023.
Review of the Fundraising Levy
The Fundraising Regulator is funded by an annual voluntary Fundraising Levy on charities spending £100,000 or more each year on fundraising, 26 of which are located in Northern Ireland. For the first time since it was founded, from September 2024 the Fundraising Regulator is to increase the yearly levy it asks charities to pay to fund its work so it can continue to provide robust self-regulation and promote public trust of the fundraising sector. The regulator will be consulting on potential changes to the levy in early December 2023.
Looking ahead to the meeting with the board the Fundraising Regulator’s Chief Executive Gerald Oppenheim said: “Along with our Northern Ireland board member, Lisa Caldwell, and Celia Currie, our Stakeholder and Policy Manager for Northern Ireland, I am very pleased to be meeting with the CCNI Board and Commissioners to share intelligence, discuss some of our current areas of work and consider how we can continue to work closely together to maintain public confidence in fundraising across Northern Ireland.”
Learn more about the Fundraising Regulator
If you would like more information about the Fundraising Regulator’s work you can contact Celia on celia.currie@fundraisingregulator.org.uk or you can visit the regulator’s website at https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk to access guidance and other helpful resources on best practice in charitable fundraising.