# Fundraising Regulator & IoF issue guidance for return to public fundraising

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/06/26/fundraising-regulator-iof-issue-guidance-for-return-to-public-fundraising/
- Published: 2020-06-26T10:10:04+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The Fundraising Regulator and Chartered Institute of Fundraising (IoF) have today
published two pieces of guidance to support the return to fundraising activities
in line with social distancing requirements.**

 

The guidance covers the [over-arching principles which should be applied to all fundraising methods](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/more-from-us/resources/coronavirus-covid-19-fundraising-key-principles-guidance),
and [specific advice on public fundraising (including street, door-to-door and private site fundraising)](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/more-from-us/resources/coronavirus-covid-19-public-fundraising-guidance).
It has been prepared in consultation with Public Health England and the Health and
Safety Executive, and is the first of a series from the Fundraising Regulator and
IoF that will offer practical advice covering fundraising activities affected by
social distancing. Further instalments will be published over the weeks ahead.

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Today’s guidance aims to support good decision-making and sets out a framework for
safe and responsible fundraising. The two organisations say it is essential that
fundraising organisations consider this guidance, the nature of their activity, 
the location, their preparation, and undertake a full risk assessment to inform 
decisions. They also advise consulting with staff and volunteers before undertaking
any fundraising activity.

 

In all cases, the guidance says, fundraising should only be reintroduced where it
is safe to do so and if it is in line with Government advice and any guidance issued
by the devolved administrations. The recent changes to lockdown restrictions in 
England mean that public fundraising may return if organisations are able to comply
with this new guidance. However, some methods of fundraising, such as community 
fundraising events involving large groups of people, or mass participation events,
cannot safely resume under current social distancing rules.

 

Priya Warner, Head of Policy at the Fundraising Regulator said:

 

> “This guidance is intended to support the sector as they look to begin fundraising
> activity that they paused back in March. However, I want to be clear that public
> fundraising activities should only resume if it is safe to do so. It’s the responsibility
> of individual charities to exercise judgment about when and how to resume fundraising,
> and this should only be when thorough risk assessments have been carried out, 
> and informed decisions based on each individual organisation’s unique circumstances
> have been made.”

 

Daniel Fluskey, Head of Policy and External Affairs at the Chartered Institute of
Fundraising, said:

 

> “ Restarting fundraising is going to be really important to keep charity services
> running as well as enabling the sector to play its full role in wider recovery.
> Public fundraising activities have been rightly on hold during lockdown, but with
> the return of non-essential shops and other businesses resuming activity, it is
> appropriate for charities to be thinking about how they can restart fundraising
> in a safe and responsible way. This guidance sets out the key considerations that
> organisations need to be thinking about as they plan their return to fundraising
> activities in line with social distancing requirements.”

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