IoF recommends charities adopt TPS Assured

The Institute of Fundraising (IoF) has proposed a series of changes to its Code of Fundraising Practice, including the adoption of TPS Assured, for charities to follow based on the recent Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) report into marketing by certain charities

Changes are designed to protect vulnerable donors and restore public trust in fundraising according to the IoF. Changes are there to reassure members of the public that they will not be put under undue pressure to give.

The new changes will ensure:

• Every addressed fundraising communication will be required to carry a clear message explaining how donors can easily ‘opt-out’ of receiving future communications
• Minimum font sizes will be introduced for opt-in and opt-out statements on all printed communication (including newspaper adverts)
• Charities will be banned from selling any individual’s data to a third party
• Charities will only be able to share an individual’s data with third parties for fundraising communications if that individual has ‘opted in’ and provided express consent
• A new clear requirement will be introduced to ensure fundraisers end a telephone call when asked
• All fundraising calls from agencies and call centres will have to be made from an identifiable number
• The current grey area around ‘reasonable persuasion’ in the Code will be replaced with a clear requirement prohibiting intrusive or persistent behaviour that places undue pressure on a person to donate.

In particular, the FRSB recommended that charities should adopt TPS Assured, which represents the highest possible standards for telemarketing. The IoF accepted this recommendation.

"The IoF agrees that all telephone fundraising agencies should achieve TPS-Assured certification", reads the document.

You can read the full document here

Peter Lewis, chief executive of the IoF said: “The trust placed in all charities demands that fundraisers operate to the highest possible standards at all times.

“Our Code is underpinned by the values of being open, honest and respectful. The events of recent months highlighted that in too many cases fundraising practice in the UK was not aligned either with public expectations or the values underpinning our Code. That is why we are introducing stronger requirements and are requiring all charities to review and amend their fundraising materials," he said.

This strengething of the Code of Fundraising Practice comes following a public commitment from several charity chief executives to develop a stronger code and make chatities more accountable.

Chair of the standards committee, Tanya Steele, said: "It is clear from the poor practices highlighted by the media and the increased number of complaints to the FRSB as a result, that the public feels that we have not had the right rules in place to govern fundraising. These changes, in response to the areas where the public have demonstrated most concern, are part of an ongoing commitment to strengthen the Codes and give fundraisers clear and unequivocal guidance.”

All the recommendations have been agreed by the IoF standards committee, and should be made to the Code of Fundraising Practice over the coming weeks.

The forthcoming report by Sir Stuart Etherington into the self-regulation of fundraising is also expected to be published very soon.