Policy statement for matters related to fundraising and donations (v2.3)
The Council of Management of Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula Support (TOFS) recognises that it has a moral duty to exercise due care and diligence in its relationship with those who raise funds for or donate to the Charity.
The Trustees have decided, therefore, to adopt the following policy in order to ensure that TOFS manages its fundraising efforts and its support to fundraisers and donors, in a transparent, reasonable, honest and diligent manner, in line with any relevant legislation and aiming to meet examples of recognised best practice.
This policy applies to the efforts made by TOFS to generate income via fundraising events, whether those have been organised by TOFS (ie Trustees or staff) or by third parties such as Members, their friends, or officially-appointed volunteers.
The policy also applies to the acknowledgement of and giving thanks for donations and funds raised.
3.1. A closely-connected person is one’s partner (whether married, in a civil partnership, common law partner or cohabitee ) one’s children or one’s parents.
3.2. An officially-appointed TOFS volunteer is a person who has signed the TOFS volunteering agreement and has been given a guidance note relating to the activity they are to undertake on behalf of TOFS.
3.3. A fundraiser is a TOFS member or friend of a member who has offered to raise some money for TOFS, often by organising their own local event and seeking donations from their own friends, family, contacts, acquaintances and colleagues.
4.1. The ultimate responsibility for matters related to fundraising and donations lies with the governing body of TOFS, the Council of Management. The nominated Person in charge of fundraising and donation matters (NPFM) shall manage day-to-day affairs related to fundraising and donations, with the assistance of the employees of TOFS.
4.2. In general, TOFS is grateful for all donations or funds raised. However TOFS has a duty to satisfy itself that material funds raised or donations (of more than 5% of an average year’s expenditure) have come from appropriate sources, and the funds raised have been in a manner which is both legal and ethical. TOFS consequently reserves the right to return donations or funds raised, where TOFS has cause to believe that the funds have not been raised and/or donated legally and/or where the acceptance of such donations would compromise the reputation of TOFS.
4.3. TOFS shall pro-actively engage, so far as is practicable, with fundraisers in advance of their fundraising events and activities. This is so that: TOFS may offer fundraisers limited support and encouragement; fundraising income may thus be stimulated; TOFS staff and NPFM and Treasurer have some way of assessing future income; where no money is forwarded by a reasonable time after an event, TOFS may contact the fundraiser in charge and make sensitive enquiries as to when monies can be expected.
4.4. TOFS shall maintain (but not publish) a list of forthcoming fundraising events, so as to ensure that: support and guidance have been offered; outcomes are known of, publicised appropriately with the participant’s permission; and fundraisers are properly thanked after the event. Forthcoming events shall only feature on the TOFS list if the fundraiser/organiser has informed the TOFS office directly.
4.5. In the case of fundraising activities for which TOFS is responsible (organised by TOFS Trustees or Staff with or without volunteer help on behalf of TOFS), then TOFS shall ensure that a Health-and-Safety risk analysis is carried out and documented in advance. TOFS shall consider such analyses before the events in question and take reasonable steps to control any material risks.
4.6. TOFS cannot be responsible for fundraising and donation activities organised by Members, friends and other third parties, whether or not TOFS is aware of those in advance.
4.7. TOFS shall make detailed written guidance for fundraisers available, in the form of fundraising guidebooks. These shall offer helpful hints and tips but also make it clear that the organiser of an activity, not TOFS, is responsible for their own activity, and is not covered by TOFS insurance. The fundraising guidebooks are to be periodically updated under the leadership of the NPFM, and substantial updates are to be released only by agreement of TOFS COM.
4.8. TOFS shall take steps to have Gift Aid validly claimed on as many donations as reasonably possible. TOFS shall normally account separately for the Gift Aid and the donation which occasions it, however.
4.9. TOFS shall purchase and maintain a limited stock of fundraising items (such as T shirts and hats), which are intended to help fundraisers to be more effective at their events. Such items shall normally be despatched free of charge in reasonable quantities by TOFS to its fundraisers.
4.10. Whilst there is a limited stock of items available for fundraisers free of charge, a number of merchandise items are available for our supporters to purchase on our public website shop. Whilst we give permission on occasion for fundraisers to design their own fundraising attire using the TOFS logo, we discourage the sale of the said items.
4.11. Any use of the TOFS logo (which goes beyond the simple display of fundraising items as supplied by TOFS) must be agreed by TOFS COM in advance of a fundraising event involving the public.
4.12. TOFS seeks to ensure that its communications (via its newsletter, email and online routes) remain principally about support, and that content about donations, fundraising and other promotional content is never dominant.
4.13. TOFS shall pursue opportunities for individuals to participate in major national fundraising events, such as the London Marathon and the Great North Run. The NPFM shall take the lead in agreeing within TOFS which events to pursue and offer.
4.14. TOFS shall commit with the third-party organisers of selected major (and some other) charitable fundraising events to pay for agreed numbers of places which TOFS may allocate. TOFS shall then identify suitable persons who agree to take part in the event and raise money on behalf of TOFS. TOFS shall ensure that such persons understand that they undertake the challenge at their own risk and their own expense and that they may need to agree to the organiser’s terms and conditions (which may include a minimum amount to fundraise) as well as any which TOFS may feel it appropriate to impose.
TOFS may promote events organised via third-parties in which we or may not purchase our own places. One such third party is the Run for Charity platform. In these situations, the fundraiser can engage directly with the organiser or their representative. Entry costs for such events may be paid wholly by the fundraiser or subsidised by TOFS in exchange for a specified minimum fundraising amount.
5.1. TOFS may invite written applications for places in the selected major fundraising events, and shall normally prioritise applications from TOFS members and their friends. A fair process shall be used to identify and then notify those persons who are most likely to do well as fundraisers in the event in question, whilst taking reasonable steps to allocate places to people who appear to be unlikely to put themselves (or anyone else) at undue risk of injury.
5.2. TOFS shall attempt to have a supportive TOFS presence “on the day” of major events for which TOFS has allocated places (such as the London Marathon) and has people taking part to raise money for TOFS.
5.3. TOFS shall engage with donors and with fundraisers after their events to ensure that they are properly thanked, and that news of their activity/participation can be shared (only with their permission) within the TOF/OA community via the TOFS social media outlets, website, and newsletter.
5.4. It is recognised that many donors are anonymous to TOFS, but are known to the individual fundraisers whom they have supported by donating. TOFS shall seek to ensure that fundraisers thank their supporters on behalf of TOFS.
5.5. TOFS shall establish and maintain an internal procedure document relating to the thanking of donors and fundraisers. This is intended to ensure (so far as practicable and at reasonable cost) that identified donors and fundraisers do receive specific acknowledgements and thanks from TOFS.
5.6. It is the policy of TOFS not to engage third parties to try to solicit donations from the general public. Furthermore, TOFS does not suggest that its fundraisers might do so, other than by properly approved and licenced localised collections such as street collections.
5.7. TOFS may periodically approach those individuals who are current or past members of TOFS (of whatever class of membership), or those who have applied to join and been accepted onto TOFS social media, and solicits donations in respect of membership of TOFS.
5.8. TOFS does not routinely hold information about donors or of amounts donated, other than limited information in its book-keeping system, and (where donors/fundraisers are members) in its membership database. However, where permission is given, TOFS may add donors’ information to a Supporters’ mailing list.
5.9. TOFS shall actively seek grants from charitable foundations and other grant-awarding bodies. The degree of activity shall be proportionate to estimates of likely success, which will be considered by the NPFM, CEO and Finance Sub-Committee.
5.10. To facilitate the promotion of small lotteries including to people who are not members of TOFS, TOFS shall ensure that it maintains a UK small societies lottery licence with its local licensing authority.
5.11. TOFS shall monitor its Policy for matters relating to fundraising and donations, and review it regularly and if necessary on an ad-hoc basis, for instance, in view of changes to legislation.
6.1. The ultimate responsibility for matters related to fundraising and donations lies with the governing body of TOFS, the Council of Management.
6.2. The COM shall nominate a Person in charge of fundraising and donation matters. This shall normally be a Trustee, the CEO or some other person with a long-standing association with TOFS and suitable seniority. (NPFM) shall manage day-to-day affairs related to fundraising and donations, with the assistance of the employees of TOFS.
6.3. The nominated Person in charge of fundraising and donation matters (NPFM) is empowered to establish a sub-committee to help and advise upon fundraising and donation matters, and undertake related administrative and liaison work. The terms of reference of such a subcommittee are separately documented.
6.4. The NPFM shall present periodic reports to the COM, in order to offer an analysis of fundraising effectiveness and how this compares with previous years or what might have been expected.
6.5. The NPFM shall take the lead on behalf of the COM in establishing and maintaining relationship and accounts with fundraising partners such as selected professional event organisers and selected fundraising websites, however these may be delegated to
employees as appropriate.
7.1. Employees shall be responsible for handling donations made to TOFS and receiving funds raised by members and friends on a day to day basis. Employees should ensure that all donations and funds raised are recorded and (where the source of funds is known) thankfully responded to in accordance with the procedure appended to this policy statement.
7.2. Employees shall maintain a list of forthcoming events which can be expected to result in funds raised for TOFS. This list shall be based on contact initiated by the fundraisers and proactive periodic checks of the TOFS social media channels.
7.3. Employees shall use the list of forthcoming events to ensure that TOFS is pro-actively offering fundraising support, including communication via email and telephone, fundraising items (such as T Shirts, badges, balloons) and the written guidebooks, to fundraisers.
7.4. Employees shall engage with fundraisers after their events to tactfully ensure that money raised is remitted to TOFS, to communicate thanks and to elicit publishable articles and photographs.
7.5. Employees shall maintain limited stocks of fundraising support items (such as T Shirts, badges, balloons) recommending when further purchases need to be made and suggesting appropriate extensions to the range of items.
7.6. Employees shall consider the content of the TOFS fundraising guidebooks, suggesting amendments which may seem appropriate from time to time.
7.7. Employees shall maintain TOFS records relating to and conduct the day-to-day liaison with an agreed list of third party event organisers such as The London Marathon. Where TOFS has places to allocate in such events, employees shall operate the organiser’s allocation system on TOFS’s behalf.
7.8. Employees shall handle the day to day detail of inviting applications for TOFS places in third-party fundraising events, receiving and documenting those applications and recommending (to the NPFM) the applications which could most appropriately receive a place.
7.9. Employees shall also maintain detailed records of all relationships which TOFS has with fund-remitting organisations (such as People’s Fundraising) and interact with these organisations on a day-to-day basis.
7.10. Employees shall maintain records relating to HMRC Gift Aid reclamation, whether by appointed third parties such as JustGiving, or whether by TOFS itself.
8.1. Where volunteers assist the TOFS employees, which would be unusual in respect of fundraising, their responsibilities and rights are as listed above for the staff.
8.2. The rights and responsibilities of persons acting as fundraisers are beyond the scope of this policy, but are laid out in the TOFS fundraising guides.
Policy on Matters related to fundraising and donations v2.3
