Trustees Week is a chance to celebrate the critical role of
charity trustees; their energy, drive and commitment to the organisations they
work with and their beneficiaries.
It is also an opportunity for trustees to take inspiration
from other trustees and consider whether there is anything more that they can
bring to the table, particularly when it comes to fundraising.
After all, trustees have a big weight on their shoulders. Responsibility
for the sustainability of the charity as a whole lies with them and that means
understanding what funding is coming into the organisation just as well as how the
charity is managing its expenditure.
Sourcing funding is often one of the hardest and most
important tasks for charities to master and as such we encourage all trustees
to take an interest in how this is being done.
For every charity, this means something different. In some organisations, trustees might have a
distant involvement in the fundraising process. In others, trustees make the
lion’s share of fundraising decisions and are regularly involved in reaching
out through their networks for funds.
Trustees might not need to know how to fundraise themselves,
but they certainly need to know that it is being done, that it is well managed
and, ultimately, that it will enable the organisation to achieve its
objectives.
Whether trustees are involved in raising funds themselves or
advising at a strategic level, they all need to know that it is being done
responsibly, honestly and effectively, and that the charity is adhering to
regulations.
In the UK, best practice for charity fundraising is set out in
the Institute of Fundraising’s Code of Fundraising Practice and regulated by us
at the Fundraising Standards Board. Rather than a statutory scheme, it is a self-regulatory
approach, requiring charities to opt in and commit to meeting those standards.
To date, well over half of all voluntary income in this
country is generated through FRSB member charities and the number is growing
all the time, reflecting the sectors’ growing sense of accountability and
greater rigour in the way that charities ask for funds.
So why not take the opportunity this week, during Trustees
Week to review your organisation’s approach to fundraising and to consider what
more you could do to encourage your charity’s supporters to give with confidence.
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