‘Unacceptable & unprofessional’ not to pay voluntary levy, says Lord Grade
Melanie May | 23 August 2017 | News
The Fundraising Regulator has confirmed that it will publish a list at the end of the month of all payers and non-payers of its voluntary levy, with Lord Grade deeming it ‘unacceptable and unprofessional’ not to have paid.
In a blog post published on both the Fundraising Regulator’s site and Institute of Fundraising’s site following Lord Grade’s meeting with IoF Chair Amanda Bringans, the Chair of the Fundraising Regulator states that while 1400 charities have paid the voluntary levy, 138 have yet to do so.
Lord Grade states:
“Those charities that haven’t paid are effectively being subsided by those who have, which is hardly a fair situation. All of these charities have the ability to pay the levy. It is unacceptable and unprofessional that 138 charities have still not even responded to our several communications about the levy. If a charity feels that it should not pay the levy, we need to know why.”
Paying the levy, Grade said, demonstrates ‘a commitment to the public that a charity believes in honest and ethical fundraising’, while also providing funding that enables the Regulator’ to work effectively with the sector to ensure that fundraising is operating to the high standards expected’.
Lord Grade also drew attention to the ‘positive relationship between the IoF and the Fundraising Regulator’, and emphasised the Regulator’s support of the sector, saying that while some of his words on the sector have been ’emphasised by the media, who, of course, have focused on my criticism of the few…whenever the opportunity arises, we will speak positively about the charitable sector and its excellent work.’
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About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.