The Fundraising Regulator is updating the Code of Fundraising practice: Have your say!

Back in September, we published a blog post titled The Fundraising Regulator: Should your charity register?

A quick recap: The Fundraising Regulator is an independent body that regulates fundraising across the charitable sector in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. They set and maintain standards in the Code of Fundraising Practice to ensure that fundraising is carried out legally, honestly, and respectfully. They also investigate complaints about fundraising.

It’s not mandatory for charities to register, but it’s a good idea to do so, as it will add credibility to your brand and demonstrate your commitment to lawful fundraising.

Updating the code

Over the next two years, the Fundraising Regulator is reviewing and updating the Code of Fundraising Practice (a document that outlines the standards expected of charitable organisations across the UK.)

Why are they updating it?

A new version of the code was published in 2019, but COVID-19 changed the fundraising landscape and brought about a lot of changes that weren’t being addressed.

Gerald Oppenheim, CEO of the Fundraising Regulator explained, “we're thinking about how we can reflect [digital] through in the different parts of the code to remind people that if you're fundraising digitally, as opposed to face-to-face, there’s still a need to ensure you're fundraising lawfully.”

Have your say!

To kick off the review, the regulator wants charities, agencies, and other fundraising professionals to share their thoughts about how the code can be improved.

It’s asking respondents to consider the following questions:

• Which parts of the code do you think work well, and why?

• Are there any issues relating to charitable fundraising that the code does not adequately cover?

• Do any standards in the code need be updated, for example, to reflect advancements in technology, or new legislation?

• Do any parts of the code contain overly prescriptive or unnecessary standards?

• Are there any ways in which the code could be made shorter, clearer, or more accessible?

The regulator is particularly keen to hear from organisations that struggle to have their voices heard, such as smaller charities. 

They also want to consult with donors and members of the public, so they can consider the needs and experiences of individuals being asked to give, particularly those in vulnerable circumstances. 

What will the Fundraising Regulator do with the information? 

It will turn the feedback into a proposal for updating the code and conduct a 12-week public consultation on the potential changes in the autumn of 2023.

The revised code will be published on the Fundraising Regulator’s website in autumn 2024, along with a timetable for implementation. 

How to respond

Guidelines for responding can be found here. The closing date is Friday 25 November 2022 at 5pm.

Looking for trustworthy fundraisers to join your team? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to get the conversation started.

The National Emergencies Trust offers charities a financial lifeline

It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic hit the third sector hard.

90% of charities were negatively impacted, according to the Charities Commission.

Charities dedicate their time and resources to helping others, but, in the wake of the pandemic, they’re the ones that need a helping hand.

Enter the National Emergencies Trust’s Local Action Fund.

What is it?

Essentially, it’s a pot of money available to charitable, voluntary, and community organisations that have encountered financial difficulties due to the pandemic.

To benefit, charities need to raise up to £10,000 through Crowdunder. The National Emergencies Trust (NET) will match whatever amount is raised.

The funding can be used in whatever way charities see fit.

Since the fund launched last September, more than 100 projects across the UK have been fundraising, and received over £250,000 from the fund.

Earlier this month, NET announced that there is still £747,000 available.

How does it work?

The fund is open to charities, constituted organisations, community interest companies, and other voluntary community organisations that fundraise through Crowdfunder UK.

To qualify for the matched donations, the crowdfunding campaign needs to have at least twenty-five unique supporters within a four-week period.

For every donation made, the fund will match it, up to a maximum value of £250.

Multiple donations from the same donor won’t be matched.

The total amount available for any organisation is £10,000.

Check out the t’s and c’s, and the full eligibility criteria here.

How do I apply?

To apply, set up a campaign on the Crowdfunder UK website. You’ll then be able to apply for funding through the Local Action Fund page.

Even if you don’t end up being selected, a crowdfunding page is a great way to elicit donations from your supporters. You’ve got nothing to lose and up to £10,000 to gain, so why not give it a try?

Charities, are you in need of fundraisers? Fundraisers, are you in need of work? As specialists in fundraising recruitment, we at Bamboo are well-placed to help. Call us on 0203 750 3111 to find out how.

Two inspirational young fundraisers recognised in new year honours list

Two pint-sized fundraisers have become the youngest-ever recipients of the British Empire Medal (BEM).

Tobias Weller, AKA Captain Tobias, (11), and Max Woosey, AKA The Boy in the Tent (12) received the honour for their impressive fundraising efforts during the pandemic.

‘Captain Tobias,’ who has cerebral palsy and autism, was inspired to fundraise by his hero, Captain Tom Moore.

Despite being unable to walk unaided, the 11-year-old completed a series of sponsored walks (he walked more than 50 miles up and down his street), marathons, and a year-long Ironman, which involved a 180km ride on his trike, a 4km swim, and a marathon.

His superhuman efforts resulted in a whopping £150,000 for two local organisations in Sheffield - the school he attends (the special educational needs Paces School) and the Children’s Hospital Charity.

The money raised for the latter will pay for an Exercise and Physical Activity Therapist.

His efforts were praised by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Olympic gold medallist Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, who joined him for the end of his second marathon in August 2020.

Meanwhile, 12-year-old Max was inspired to fundraise by his neighbour, Rick.

In 2020, Rick (who was suffering from terminal cancer) gave Max a tent and told him to ‘have an adventure in it.’

After Rick sadly died, Max decided to use the tent to raise funds for the North Devon Hospice, where Rick spent his final months.

Max’s fundraising goal was £100. He planned to camp in the garden until he reached that target. However, after discovering a taste for camping and fundraising, he decided to extend the ‘camp out’ to a year.

By the end of the challenge, Max had camped out for more than 600 nights ­– and they weren’t all spent in his garden. He spent a night at London Zoo, another at Twickenham Rugby Ground, and one in the garden of 10 Downing Street.

His adventures raised an incredible £700,000, which the Hospice said would pay for 13 nurses to care for more than 300 terminally ill patients.

Max took his fundraising campaign a step further with ‘Max’s Big Camp Out’ - a scheme launched through JustGiving.

He encouraged children across the world to take on similar camping marathons on Saturday 27 March. He inspired nearly 2,000 young people to take part.

And Max is not done yet. Next year he’s planning to hold a second camp out on Exmoor.

Want a superstar fundraiser for your team? Give us a call to get the ball rolling on 0203 750 3111.

Four fundraising trends for 2022

As we rang in the new year, the UK government reported that 90% of the population has received at least one COVID-19 vaccination.

While the pandemic isn’t over, we’re in a much better position now to start thinking about long-term plans than we were twelve months ago.

But the sector looks very different from how it did then. So different, in fact, that it would be a mistake to ‘pick up from where we left off.’

Here are four trends we think you’ll need to jump on to fundraise successfully in 2022.

1. Gaming for good will grow

Video game streaming has exploded in recent years. For example, Twitch has doubled in popularity, boasting more than 140 million unique monthly users.

Wondering what gaming has to do with fundraising?

While streaming, gamers can set up ways for viewers to donate to charity, at the click of a button. And it can be extremely lucrative.

In 2020, French gamers Adrien Nougaret and Alexandre Dachary raised a whopping £8m for various charities with a videogame live stream fundraiser.

The largest amount ever made, it earned them a Guinness World Record.

While you’re unlikely to raise this much, it’s worth a punt, particularly as it costs next to nothing to organise.

Need a hand to get started? Check out Charity Digital’s handy gaming guide here.

2. Hybrid will be the new ‘in person’.

Going digital was a necessity during the pandemic. And, while many of us are eager to get back to face-to-face events, it would be a mistake to ignore the benefits of online fundraising.

We anticipate that a ‘best of both worlds’ approach will remain even when it’s no longer a necessity to limit the number of people in a room.

3. More charities will embrace TikTok

Considering it’s one of the fastest-growing social media platforms out there, (it boasts over 1 billion users), TikTok is worth checking out (especially if your target market is Gen Z).

When used right, it can be a powerful tool for raising awareness and funds.

Find out why by reading Reason Digital’s guide to TikTok for charities here.

4. Donations will go digital

Digital donations have been growing for a while, but the Charities Aid Foundation has seen a noticeable increase in cashless donations since 2020.

Add to that the fact that the Non-Profit Source found a 205% increase in giving from mobile phones, and it’s pretty safe to say digital is the way forward.

If you’ve not already made it easy for people to donate from their phones, make it one of your New Year’s resolutions.

Need a new fundraiser to implement some of these strategies? Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to get the process started.

Voluntary organisation launches Givto – an innovative new way to donate to charity

In December 2020, a Leeds-based voluntary organisation launched a first-of-its-kind online charity donation service that enables people to donate to a different charity each month with one direct debit.

The scheme, known as Givto, raised over £9,000 for charities across Yorkshire, including Brake, Sense, and Age UK Leeds, in its first year.

Following positive feedback from users and charities, the service is now set to expand across the UK.

Why the scheme was set up

The scheme was launched during lockdown by the Better Giving Partnership - a registered charity run by volunteers who share a passion for making it easier to support charities. And they hope this ground-breaking donation scheme will do just that.

Alex Ellis-White, Founder and Chief Executive of the Better Giving Partnership said of Givto: “I have always been passionate about supporting local causes. I set up Givto when I realised there wasn’t a service out there that gave you the flexibility and choice to support a different cause each month.

Run by charity for charity, we don’t make a profit from the service. We are here to bring people and causes together.”

How the scheme works…

For donors:

As a donor, you set up an account and a direct debit for an amount of your choice through the Givto website.

Each month you’ll receive an email asking you to log in and choose one of three good causes to donate to. Once you’ve made your choice, you’ll receive a thank you message from the charity.

If you forget to choose a cause or run out of time to do so, your money won’t go to waste. Givto will choose a charity at random and notify you.

If you’re concerned about the privacy of your personal information, you can rest assured it won’t be released or passed onto any third parties.

Want to become a Givto member? Visit the website and sign up.

For charities:

Registration is as simple as filling out a form with some basic information, providing a description of your charity to help members understand the cause, and writing a thank you email for donors.

The best thing? There are no registration costs.

The Better Giving Partnership claims Gift Aid on donations, (if eligible), and passes them on to the chosen charity. They take a small fee to cover their costs, but they don’t make a profit and are committed to keeping the fees as low as possible.

Register your interest

With so many physical events having been cancelled over the past 12 months, Givto has provided charities with a vital, alternative funding stream.

You can register your charity by contacting them at help@givto.org, or completing their online registration form.

Looking for top fundraising talent? Contact Bamboo Fundraising on 0203 750 3111 to get the process started.