ETHICAL DONATIONS & FUNDRAISING POLICY
This policy outlines how African Promise will endeavour to behave in a lawful and ethical manner in respect of its fundraising activities and sets out the circumstances in which we may decide to refuse or return a donation.
Principles
As members of the Fundraising Regulator, we are committed to upholding their Code of Fundraising Practice and Fundraising Promise which outline the standards expected of fundraising organisations in the UK. We also comply with Charity Commission guidance and UK law in respect of our fundraising activities.
Furthermore, we fully value and respect the rights of our supporters to access clear and truthful information on the work of the charity and are committed to being open with our supporters and members of the public as to how we spend donations.
We will respect the privacy and contact preferences of all donors in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and our Privacy Policy and will respond promptly to requests to cease contacts or to complaints and will act as best we can to address their causes, in accordance with our Complaints Policy.
Refusing and returning donations
In deciding whether to accept or refuse donations we will always be mindful of the Board of Trustees’ primary obligation and duty to maximise resources which are available for the charity in pursuit of its objectives. However, we recognise that it is imperative that we do not accept donations, or enter relationships with funders and donors, that have the potential to impact negatively on the charity’s integrity and reputation or conflict with its cause and core values.
The Trustees recognise it is difficult and, to a certain extent, inappropriate to develop and define a set of standard criteria for accepting donations on an ethical basis. However, donations may be refused where acceptance and receipt of that donation is determined to have the potential to:
- be unlawful (i.e. where the donation comprises proceeds of crime)
- be detrimental to the interests of the charity’s beneficiaries.
- put the credibility and reputation of the charity in jeopardy or at risk.
- constrain the charity from undertaking its activities or programming work, publishing information, or working in partnership with others.
- cause other donors to withdraw their support and lead to loss of donations or voluntary support at least equal to the value of the donation
- lead to loss of staff or inability to recruit staff
- conflict with the charity’s Equal Opportunities Policy and core values to be inclusive without discrimination against any person based on their age, gender, race, tribe, religion, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, background, behaviour or any other criteria prohibited by law.
By way of an example we may refuse donations from:
- Arms companies
- Tobacco companies
- Any person or organisation closely associated with a regime suspected to be in violation of human rights
- Any person or organisation suspected to be in violation of child rights
- Any person who could damage the charity’s reputation either in the UK or Kenya.
If there is any doubt about the source of a donation prior to or subsequent to its acceptance the charity will conduct reasonable and proportional due diligence on the donor or prospective donor including:
- Research and analysis, through published and publicly available information, the nature of the donor’s activities, and its source of funding for charitable giving.
- Where necessary, formal corporate screening process through a reputable online service provider
This policy applies to all donations of any size and value to the charity including financial contributions from any individual or organisation (including and particularly those made in cash and from outside the UK), gifts in kind, provision of pro-bono or voluntary services, and sponsorship.
We understand there are occasions when donors prefer to donate anonymously. This will be accommodated so long as we are able to guarantee that the donation complies with this ethical policy. We will ensure that Charity Commission guidelines regarding the reporting of anonymous donations are followed and adhered to.
The Chief Executive will be responsible for identifying any suspect or potentially problematic donations and will make a recommendation to the Chair of the Trustees based on due diligence and investigations undertaken. Where a consensus cannot be reached a final decision will ultimately be made collectively by the Board of Trustees.