Increased Fundraising Standards Board fee wins acceptance

By Hannah Jordan, Third Sector, 20 August 2008

Two major UK charities, the NSPCC and the British Heart Foundation, are backing a decision by the Fundraising Standards Board to increase its membership fees as part of a new phase of development announced last week.

The revised fee structure, one of a number of changes at the regulatory body, is based on a sliding scale proportionate to charities' annual incomes (Third Sector Online, 15 August). It will affect only the 30 per cent of members that have incomes of more than £500,000.

Giles Pegram, director of appeals at the NSPCC, told Third Sector he was positive about the new measures and even suggested charities should pay more. "They haven't increased the fees by as much as I had hoped," he said.

Pegram added that charities should be doing more to promote the regulatory body to both donors and other charities. "Appeals directors should be active in standing up for the FRSB and supporting it," he said. "The alternative to this would be government regulation, so it's a small price to pay for being able to regulate ourselves."

Aneesha Moreira, director of fundraising at the BHF, agreed. "We are committed to self-regulation and therefore to the FRSB," she said. But she said the new fees should bring benefits: "The changed sliding scale fee structure is a common approach. It is acceptable if the service provided remains value for money. We will watch that space closely."

A number of other major national charities declined to comment on the increase. An employee from one organisation said that, although it backed the changes, the charity did not want to inflame debate on the issue.

Paul Amadi, chair of the Institute of Fundraising, said he was not surprised by the silence and did not perceive it as negative. "Nobody is going to be thrilled about an increase in fee levels, but there is a broad understanding about why it is necessary, and that is the most important thing," he said.

- See Editorial, page 12

Increased membership fee for charities with incomes of more than £500,000 annually

Reduced recruitment target Down from 4-5,000 to 2,000 by 2010

Advisory forum set up to increase membership engagement.

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