# IoF’s Peter Lewis issues response to Lord Grade’s recent Telegraph comments

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/07/05/iofs-peter-lewis-issues-response-lord-grades-recent-telegraph-comments/
- Published: 2017-07-05T09:30:27+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**CEO of the Institute of Fundraising Peter Lewis has said he is “frustrated and
saddened” by Lord Grade’s comments made in The Daily Telegraph ahead of Thursday’s(
6^(th) July) launch of the Fundraising Preference Service.**

In a piece in [The Daily Telegraph](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/03/charities-pester-donors-cash-face-fines-25000-told-restore-reputations/)
yesterday (4^(th) July) which highlighted £25,000 fines for charities that ‘pester
donors for cash’, Lord Grade, chairman of the Fundraising Regulator, said that the
new system was required because “Too many charities are proving to be laggards’,
and failing to change their fundraising practices.

In fact, the [Fundraising Regulator](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/) itself
will not issue fines, with only the Information Commissioner’s Office having the
powers to do so.

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In a statement given in response to Lord Grade’s comments, IoF chief executive Peter
Lewis said:

> “Fundraisers are passionate people who work tirelessly to make a difference every
> day. Charities are there on the frontline when crises strike, providing the safety
> net when society needs it the most. But they can only do that with the generosity
> and support of the millions of people who give their time and money to help others.
> “That’s why I am deeply frustrated and saddened to again hear Lord Grade talking
> this morning about the fundraising community in a negative way, misrepresenting
> how the overwhelming majority of charities communicate with and value their supporters.
> We know that our members’ relationships with donors is paramount, which is why
> over the last year charities have supported the set-up of the Regulator and helped
> to shape the FPS.
> “We fully support a strong regulatory system. However, for any non-statutory system
> to succeed, it is vital that clarity prevails over confusion. Only then can the
> regulator fully command the trust of both charities and the public. Ahead of Thursday’s
> launch of the FPS it is essential that the public hear the right information about
> the service so that the levels of public trust and confidence that Lord Grade 
> wants to see can be achieved.”

Lord Grade was also criticised by others in the fundraising community with many 
taking to Twitter to voice their views:

https://twitter.com/waterglass60/status/882223657107550211

> The Lord Grade charm offensive on the charity sector continues… [https://t.co/myPOPBPVMQ](https://t.co/myPOPBPVMQ)
> — Aidan Warner (@aidanwarner) [July 3, 2017](https://twitter.com/aidanwarner/status/881985482602795009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Lord Grade owes you an apology says [#proudfundraiser](https://twitter.com/hashtag/proudfundraiser?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [@CleveJones1](https://twitter.com/CleveJones1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) you are not
> laggards ("whatever that means!") [#ioffc](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ioffc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [pic.twitter.com/XJxcydfdBq](https://t.co/XJxcydfdBq)
> — Joe Jenkins (he/him) 🧡 (@MrJoeJenkins) [July 4, 2017](https://twitter.com/MrJoeJenkins/status/882223464542855168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

However: one person seemed quite pleased:

https://twitter.com/RobWilson_RDG/status/881990053261701120

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