NCVO warns fundraisers that more robust self-regulation is needed
Howard Lake | 11 June 2002 | News
Doing good isn’t good enough, was the clear message today for fundraisers at the 2002 Fundraising Forum in London.
Delivering the keynote speech, Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), told delegates that they may get a warning shot across their bows from the Government when the PIU reports back to Ministers next month.
Opening the day-long event organised by Professional Fundraising Magazine, Mr Etherington argued that fundraisers should not assume that their more controversial methods, such as face-to-face fundraising were not posing any significant threat to public trust and confidence in the voluntary sector. He said: “the profession should be less defensive and more open about this still young, but promising, technique.”
Advertisement
However, he added: “It is my belief that we in the sector can and should manage these issues ourselves: government regulation is neither necessary and indeed would be inappropriate. I strongly suspect that the PIU is not minded to make recommendations to regulate. But I believe that it will fire a shot across our bows¦So we will need to act quickly to improve management practices and fully develop the self regulatory framework.”
Warning against complacency, Etherington said: “Doing good isn’t good enough – not only do we need to ensure that we have ways to demonstrate the good that we are achieving. But we also need to have ways of assuring the public of the ethical practices we are employing to achieve that good. We are masters of our own destiny. The PIU may well play the ball firmly back into our court and will expect a decisive reaction if we are to pre-empt the imposition of regulation. But more importantly we owe it to ourselves and our supporters to properly address this issue.”
Aruging for better self-regulation, he listed the various initiatives already in place or underway which are designed to protect public trust and confidence in the sector. These included:
- The Donors’ Rights Charter and Giving with Confidence initiative
- The Public Fundraising Regulatory Association
- A project being undertaken by the Voluntary Sector National Training Organisation to develop National Occupational Standards in Fundraising
- A Code of Conduct and ongoing development of Codes of Practice for members of the Institute of Fundraising.
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.