SCOTTISH charities risk paying the price for the fundraising tactics of some charities south of the Border after a report recommended a clampdown on organisations which target individuals for donations, it has been claimed.
UK ministers are considering calls for sweeping changes to the rules governing fundraising methods after a report by the head of the English umbrella group, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO). It follows concern over the targeting of people by charities which emerged after the death of poppy seller Olive Cooke, 92, in Bristol, who received hundreds of letters asking for money.
There are fears Scottish charities, which have behaved more responsibly, could be bound by fundraising restrictions from Westminster, despite separate devolved law north of the Border.
Measures proposed in NCVO chief executive Sir Stuart Etherington’s report, widely expected to be implemented in full, include the creation of a new charity regulator, answerable to Parliament and of a ‘preference service’ allowing members of the public to opt out of being contacted.
Charities face temporary bans from certain types of fundraising if they break the rules, compulsory training and naming and shaming.
Two regulatory bodies would be merged, with the responsibility for setting standards taken away from one of them, the Institute of Fundraising.
John Brady, ex-chairman of the Institute of Fundraising in Scotland said any measures being brought in on the back of the Etherington Review might be right for Scotland, but said charity fundraisers feared being caught up in the febrile atmosphere affecting the sector in England.
A separate Scottish report, commissioned from the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) said self-regulation should continue but a new system should be agreed between charities themselves, the public and the Scottish Government.
He said: “The question for the Scottish Government is, are they happy for a review in Scotland to be ignored and that people automatically go along with what is in the Etherington Review,” he said. “I think there is a crossroads here.”
The Scottish charity regulator OSCR does not have a role in policing fundraising. David Robb, chief executive of OSCR said more streamlined and effective regulation of fundraising would help maintain public confidence.
Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil said: “We welcome the SCVO report, and note the findings and recommendations of the Etherington Review.
“We want to ensure the implementation of any changes to the current fundraising system are developed by charities who are fundraising in Scotland, to protect the interests of both the general public and the beneficiaries.
“We also welcome the intention by SCVO to convene a charity fundraising summit involving the charities who fundraise in Scotland to develop a workable solution for Scotland, in partnership with OSCR, and Scottish ministers intend to engage in a cross-party discussion following that summit.”
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