# FRSB adjudication warns charities to document complaint communications

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/03/17/frsb-adjudication-warns-charities-document-complaints-communications/
- Published: 2016-03-17T09:23:12+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) has stressed the importance of charities
clearly documenting all communication with complainants in its latest adjudication.**

The adjudication addressed a complaint about unwanted charity fundraising approaches
from the RSPB. It was not upheld by the FRSB adjudication panel due to insufficient
evidence of a breach of industry standards. However, the regulator expressed dissatisfaction
that the RSPB had failed to retain relevant records. It described the lack of evidence
about the way the RSPB handled the complaint as ‘unacceptable’ and instructed the
charity to keep relevant records in future.

The complainant was contacted by a telephone fundraiser acting on behalf of the 
RSPB and asked if he wished to increase his existing Direct Debit donation. He informed
the RSPB that he wished to be removed from the [charity’s ‘marketing list](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/12/12/charity-marketing-strategy-lottery-raffle/)’,
but later received a mailing from the charity.

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The regulator was unable to determine whether the charity had breached the Code 
due to lack of evidence regarding whether the request to be removed from all marketing
approaches had been clearly communicated.

The FRSB instructed the RSPB to retain all communications relating to future complaints
in line with the _FRSB Complaints Process – A Member’s Guide_, which stipulates 
that member charities must keep “all relevant emails, letters and details of any
phone conversations” relating to complaints.

Andrew Hind, chair of the Fundraising Standards Board, said:

> “It is entirely unacceptable for a charity not to retain adequate records on supporter
> communication or contact preferences, particularly in relation to any dialogue
> that may be pertinent to a complaint and that restricts our ability to investigate.”

The full adjudication report is available on the FRSB’s [latest adjudications webpage](http://www.frsb.org.uk/complaints/latest-adjudications/latest-adjudications/).

 * **[FRSB turns down complaint but issues guidance recommendation](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/05/20/frsb-turns-down-complaint-issues-guidance-recommendation/)**(
   20 May 2016)
 * **[Complaint about charity collection bag not upheld in last FRSB adjudication](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/08/31/complaint-charity-collection-bag-not-upheld-last-frsb-adjudication/)**(
   31 August 2016)
 * **[Fundraising Regulator announces new approach to complaints report with ‘pause’ until 2020](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/12/14/fundraising-regulator-announces-new-approach-complaints-report-pause-2020/)**(
   14 December 2017)

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