Now North East Charities can Tick All the Right Boxes
6 June 2007
The Fundraising Standards Board is launching in Aberdeen on Thursday 7th June, in one of a series of regional launches around Scotland. From the collection tin to the large donation, from the raffle ticket to the sponsored run, all charity giving will now be monitored and regulated. It is vital to the success of the scheme that charities from all parts of Scotland, including the North East, sign up to being open and fair, honest and legal in how they go about collecting money from the public.
Charities and fundraising organisations that join get to use the Fundraising Standards Board's logo - a big tick - to demonstrate their commitment to being open and fair, honest and legal in how they go about raising money for the work they do, and members of the public can now raise concerns about charities' fundraising activities and have complaints addressed.
Kate Higgins, Manager of the Fundraising Standards Board in Scotland, said, "Charities in the North East of Scotland do a fabulous job and help many causes, but the public rightly want to know that they are being open and fair when raising money. People will now be able to look for our big tick logo when deciding who they want to give money to and, where they see it, they will know they can trust the fundraising process in that charity. At the same time, if anyone has a complaint about what a charity is doing to raise money, then there is now an independent body to listen and to act on their concerns. The Fundraising Standards Board's ultimate aim is to encourage more people in the North East of Scotland to give more money, more regularly to more good causes. We are hoping that the scheme will give people confidence to do just that."
Fiona Poustie, Head of Fundraising with VSA (formerly Voluntary Service Aberdeen), which was the first organisation in Aberdeen to join the scheme, commented, "We are delighted to be supporting the self-regulatory scheme's launch across the North East of Scotland. VSA relies tremendously on the generosity of people and businesses in Aberdeen to fund our vital care services, so it is important that people trust our fundraising activity. By joining the Fundraising Standards Board, we have signed up to adopting the highest standards in fundraising and can use the tick logo to promote our commitment. People now know that they can give to us with confidence - and that can only be good for us in the long term."
Alison Chandler, Funding Officer with ACVO, added, "ACVO plays a key role in advising Aberdeen charities and organisations on how to raise money and we know that good practice in fundraising can benefit voluntary groups and their funders and donors. Adopting high standards in fundraising means knowing what to do and, importantly, what works. That's why ACVO would encourage all organisations in Aberdeen raising money from the public to sign up to self regulation. It's in all our interests to demonstrate to the general public that we are being open and fair, honest and legal."
Ends.
Notes to Editors:
About the Fundraising Standards Board:
The UK is the first country in the world to operate a self-regulation body which sets and demands high standards from the process of collecting charity money. Our purpose is to encourage excellence in fundraising and provide a robust and accessible complaints procedure for members of the public. The scheme launched to the public across the UK on 12th February 2007.
The scheme is a UK wide one with the main base in London. However, because Scotland has its own charitable sector and legislative framework for charities and voluntary organisations, there is a Manager for Scotland and an office. Scottish organisations join as Scottish members, and members of the public living in Scotland with a complaint about fundraising activity undertaken in Scotland will direct their complaints to the FSB's Scotland office. The scheme is supported by the Scottish Executive.
More information is available at www.fsboard.org.uk/scotlandnorthernireland
Current membership of the Fundraising Standards Board:
There are currently 90 Scottish members of the Fundraising Standards Board with a further 50 intending to join in the near future. Recruitment is ongoing. Over 40% of the top fundraising charities in Scotland have now joined the scheme (17/40). A full list of Scottish members is available on request. Six Aberdeen based organisations have joined - VSA, Cornerstone Community Care, Aberdeen Cyrenians, The Ekwendeni Fund, Aberdeen Safer Community Trust and ACVO.
A number of national charities with fundraising activities and/or projects and services in the North East of Scotland have also joined the scheme. These include Aberlour Childcare Trust, Turning Point Scotland, CHILDREN 1st, Princes Scottish Youth Business Trust, MS Society Scotland, Poppyscotland, SSPCA and Shelter Scotland.
About VSA
VSA (formerly Voluntary Service Aberdeen) is the city's major social care charity. VSA has grown since 1870 from charities that operated with Voluntary Service Aberdeen, combining them to provide even better care and better value for the local community today. VSA helps thousands of individuals and families, young and old each year, providing the best of care and support while fostering independence and building self confidence.
About ACVO
ACVO exists to represent, support and develop the voluntary sector and to foster and promote the sector's role in the development of caring communities where individuals are enabled to achieve their full potential.
For more information, contact:
Sheila Munro,
PR & Events Officer
Tel. (01224) 21 20 21, ext 221
Email. fundraising@vsa.org.uk
Web. www.vsa.org.uk
This press release can be downloaded as: Acrobat PDF
Further Information
Please contact Sheila Munro for further details.
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