AVOW joins the Fundraising Standards Board

I am unashamedly proud of the work that gets done at AVOW, well I am the Company Secretary so I'm bound to be! That said, I'm pleased to reproduce the following and hope that if anyone follows this up on behalf of their organisation from having read it here, I'll be happy.

AVOW has now signed up to the FRSB as a symbol of good practice, and to demonstrate our commitment to transparency and accountability.

Trust and confidence is vital when local people, trusts or businesses decide whether or not to part with their cash to support a charity or voluntary organisation. But to maximise fundraising capacity, organisations not only need to be trustworthy but need to show that they are. The Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB), which runs the self-regulatory body for fundraising in the UK, has been established to help the public to give with confidence. Through the scheme, the FRSB works to encourage high standards across all areas of fundraising.

What relevance does this have to your organisation? Any organisation that receives money from individuals, businesses or grant making trusts should consider joining the scheme. Even if they don’t actively fundraise for money but rely on members and supporters to do it for them, then they should think about it. Organisations that join - whether large or small - all sign up to the highest standards of fundraising and the FRSB Fundraising Promise. This means they commit to being open and fair, honest and legal when they ask for money and display the scheme’s tick logo as a way of demonstrating their commitment to good fundraising practice. Members must also have a complaints procedure to handle any concerns from the public. The FRSB is aware that many small organisations may not have such a procedure and is happy to help and give guidance towards setting up a simple process

Joining needn’t be costly. The annual fee starts at just £30 for smaller organisations. Members can also benefit from access to advice and information through the FRSB website and activities. They believe that by following the Fundraising Promise principles, it will help to build more fruitful, longer lasting relationships with all the people and organisations that donate to you. And hopefully, this will help raise more money to support the work that you do.

For more information or to obtain a membership application pack, visit www.frsb.org.uk call 0845 402 5442 or email: membership@frsb.org.uk


nick