Alistair McLean
Chief executive Alistair McLean will use survey results in FRSB's submission to review of the Charities Act 2006
Nearly three-quarters of charities that are members of the Fundraising Standards Board think there should be stronger sanctions for other members that break its rules.
The FRSB survey, which received responses from 330 member organisations, found that 74 per cent of respondents thought the penalties for breaking its guidelines should be tougher.
The strongest sanction for breaking the FRSB’s rules is to lose membership of the self-regulatory body, although the FRSB can also pass relevant information about infractions to other authorities, including the police and the Charity Commission.
The survey also found that 71 per cent of members thought self-regulation had increased public trust in the profession. The remaining 29 per cent either did not know or disagreed that the scheme had boosted public confidence.
Almost all respondents – 92 per cent – thought self-regulation was effective and 84 per cent thought it had a positive effect on fundraising.
Three-quarters of those surveyed thought all fundraising charities should be members of the FRSB, 88 per cent said the scheme had a positive impact on complaint handling and 83 per cent thought it improved accountability in the sector.
The FRSB carried out the survey to inform its response to Lord Hodgson’s review of charity fundraising and complaints, part of his review of the Charities Act.
It has also carried out a separate survey of members of the public about their level of trust in fundraising, which is likely to be completed in the next few weeks.
Alistair McLean, chief executive of the FRSB, said: "The large majority of our members think that all fundraising charities should be members and this must be a consideration within our forthcoming submission to Lord Hodgson’s review.
"Public trust and confidence in charity fundraising is paramount and can be achieved only through the display of consistently high standards across the sector and a shared commitment to transparency and accountability."
