# A single professional membership body ready for the future of fundraising

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/03/18/single-professional-membership-body-ready-future-fundraising/
- Published: 2016-03-18T13:22:58+00:00
- Author: Peter Lewis

**This has been a year of challenges and changes for fundraisers and fundraising
organisations. We are now at the start of a new era for the sector: there will be
a new, universal fundraising regulator and media, political and public interest 
in the sector is likely to continue.**

Within this new context, we are moving forward with plans to create a single professional
membership body for fundraisers working with and for the whole fundraising community.

The IoF and the PFRA have been the two membership bodies for the charity fundraising
sector, with distinct roles and remits. However, changes over the last year have
made it clear that now is the time to look afresh at how we can best pool our experience,
expertise and resources. With the merger of our two organisations now agreed unanimously
by both our boards, we are starting the process to build an even better organisation
to support and promote fundraising.

## Advertisement

At the heart of the merger is a renewed focus on supporting our members to rise 
to the challenges presented by the new environment. A new fundraising compliance
service will be established within the Institute to drive the very best fundraising
practice by combining and expanding the PFRA’s respected track record in compliance
work with the IoF’s expertise in advice, guidance, training and qualifications. 
The merger will allow us to combine and strengthen our role as the voice of fundraisers,
ensuring that we are able to play an even greater role championing the work of the
fundraising community.

![Peter HIlls-Jones](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2016/03/peter-hills-jones.
jpg)

_Peter Hills-Jones_

We believe that the creation of this new, single membership organisation is in the
interest of our members, the fundraising community as a whole, charities, donors
and the wider public. This is the start of a process of consultation and engagement
with members through which we will work to answer any questions you may have ahead
of the final decision on the merger in the middle of June.

The fundraising environment we work in has changed dramatically in a short period
of time. Change brings with it opportunities. For the Institute and the PFRA we 
believe that the merger will provide our members and the wider fundraising community
with a stronger, single professional membership body that is fit for purpose in 
the new world in which we find ourselves. Great fundraisers and fundraising organisations
who raise billions of pounds every year to make the world a better place deserve
nothing less.

 

_**Peter Lewis**, Chief Executive of the Institute of Fundraising_

_**Peter Hills-Jones**, Chief Executive of the Public Fundraising Association_

 * **[Dominic Will joins IoF Board of Trustees](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/04/04/dominic-will-joins-iof-board-trustees/)**(
   4 April 2016)
 * **[PFRA launches private site mystery shopping trial](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/04/13/pfra-launches-private-site-mystery-shopping-trial/)**(
   13 April 2016)
 * **[IoF and PFRA postpone merger vote](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/06/16/iof-pfra-postpone-merger-vote/)**(
   16 June 2016)

![Loading](https://fundraising.co.uk/wp-content/plugins/page-views-count/ajax-loader-
2x.gif)