12 members of Commission on the Donor Experience announced
Howard Lake | 7 March 2016 | News
The members of the Commission on the Donor Experience were announced today at the formal launch of the initiative to improve fundraising in the UK.
It was established following public and political concerns about some fundraising practices by some charities last year. It aims to build on and identify best practice in fundraising and share it amongst charities so that it becomes common practice.
Chair of the Commission on the Donor Experience, Sir Martyn Lewis, said:
“As a nation, we must take pride in the charitable instinct that gives so much back to all of us without exception. This is one of the most powerful expressions of a caring, supportive culture where people look out for one another. We are at risk of taking this for granted and forgetting the essential role we all play in making this our reality. We must protect, build on, and celebrate charity and charitable giving – and this is what the new Commission aims to do.”
Four objectives
The Commission, announced in October 2015, has been established to address a number of issues:
• To improve how fundraising works so that it is good for everyone, by agreeing a set of best practices that charities should adhere to.
• Help charities to change the way in which they raise money and instil responsibility and enthusiasm to work to improve the donor experience.
• Continue to protect, build on and celebrate charity and charitable giving.
• Rebuild the public reputation of charity fundraising.
Giles Pegram CBE, commissioner and former deputy director of the NSPCC, said:
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“No one should ever feel pressurised into giving. Fundraisers need to do more to ensure that the needs of the donor are respected, considered and balanced appropriately with the needs of the beneficiary. Changing the fundraising approach requires a change to fundraising culture. This means focusing on longer-term goals as well as immediate financial outcomes.”
Daphne Clarke, commissioner, writer, donor and champion of better fundraising, said:
“There has to be a more directed approach if kindly people are not to be turned off giving altogether. Without the goodwill of the public, many, many needy causes will be unable to give invaluable help to desperate situations.”
Stephen Dunmore, Chief Executive of the new Fundraising Regulator, said that he welcomed the launch of the Commission. Indeed, its creation was welcomed in the Etherington report on the future of fundraising self-regulation, published in October 2015.
The Commissioners
- Sir Martyn Lewis, CBE (Chair)
- Giles Pegram, CBE
- Dr Beth Breeze
- Daphne Clarke
- Grant Leboff
- Harpreet Kondel
- Jeremy Hughes, CBE
- Laila Takeh
- Lucy Siegle
- Rachel Hunnybun
- Tim Hunter
- Vibeke Ulmann
400 people have asked if they can help the Commission on the Donor Experience. Good to see #fundraising changing. pic.twitter.com/GvJkkkkYT8
— Karl Wilding @Ka*********@ms***.social (@karlwilding) March 7, 2016
We're at the official launch of the commission on the donor experience @DonorExperience proud to be sponsoring this important commission.
— Vicky Reeves (@vickyreeves) March 7, 2016
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.