Irish Cancer Society compliance with fundraising guidelines

The Irish Cancer Society is committed to complying with the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public which was developed by the Charities Regulator and exists to:

• Improve fundraising practice
• Promote high levels of accountability and transparency by organisations fundraising from the public
• Provide clarity and assurances to donors and prospective donors about the organisations they support

As part of that commitment, the Irish Cancer Society will endeavour to:

Adhere to the core principles of respect, honesty, integrity, transparency and accountability by:

• Respecting the rights, dignity and privacy of supporters, clients and beneficiaries.
• Answering reasonable questions about fundraising activity and fundraising costs honestly.
• Making information about our purpose, activities and governance available to the public.

Demonstrate our commitment to donors by:

• Agreeing and making known a donor’s charter consistent with the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public containing commitments regarding the causes for which we are fundraising, the use of donations, and disclosures regarding the status and authority of those soliciting donations.
• Operating a complaints and feedback procedure and ensuring feedback is responded to promptly.

Ensure high standards of fundraising practice by:

• Ensuring fundraisers are committed to the highest standards of good practice by providing information and guidance on the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public and its implementation.
• Ensuring that fundraising activities are respectful, honest, open and legal and that images and messages are chosen and used in accordance with the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public.
• Having a policy in place regarding the management of fundraising volunteers.
• Considering the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public when planning and conducting all fundraising activity and monitoring compliance with the Guidelines.

Be financially accountable by:

• Publishing an annual report and statement of annual accounts which includes a statement of compliance with the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public.
• Ensuring there are appropriate financial and management controls in place and preparing financial reports consistent with the requirements of the Charities Act 2009 and Companies Act 2014.
• Ensuring that all donations are recorded and the Society complies with data protection legislation.

Ensure that the Board and senior management take responsibility for implementing and adhering to the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public by:

• Identifying any risks that may arise and appropriate mechanisms to deal with them.
• Welcoming feedback on our performance and being accessible to the public.
• Appointing a senior member of staff to be responsible for compliance with the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations on Fundraising from the Public

The Guidelines for Charitable Organisations Fundraising from the Public, (the 'Guidelines') issued by the Charities Regulator in September 2017, are intended to assist trustees of a charity to run the charity effectively, avoid difficulties around fundraising activities and comply with their legal duties.

The basis for these 'Guidelines' is in The 2008 Statement of Guiding Principles on Charitable Fundraising (the 'Statement'), that was developed by a steering group established in response to the Charities Act 2009 following extensive consultation with industry experts and stakeholders led by the Irish Charities Tax Reform Group (now Charities Institute Ireland) and supported by the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs.

The 'Guidelines' have also benefited from the input of a Consultative Panel on Charitable Fundraising which was set up by the Charities Regulator in 2016 at the request of the Minister for Justice and Equality. Charities Institute Ireland was a member of this Consultative Panel.

The Guidelines for Charitable Organisations Fundraising from the Public and further information is available on the Charities Institute Ireland website.

As a charity seeking donations from the public we at the Irish Cancer Society, aim to comply with the Guidelines for Charitable Organisations Fundraising from the Public.

Our pledge is to treat all donors with respect, honesty and integrity and to be transparent and accountable in our actions so that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in the Irish Cancer Society. We will accurately describe our activities and ensure that we effectively apply all donations for their intended purpose and to further the mission of the Irish Cancer Society.

We commit to you, our donors and prospective donors that:

• All fundraising will respect the rights and dignity of donors, beneficiaries and the public.
• Fundraising activities will not be unreasonably persistent, intrusive or place undue pressure on people to donate and that should someone not wish to donate, or wish to cease making a donation, that decision will be respected.
• Beneficiaries will not be presented in a disrespectful way in promotional activities and, where possible and appropriate, clients and beneficiaries will have an input into the promotional strategies of the Irish Cancer Society.
• Fundraising will occur in an honest and truthful manner.
• Fundraisers will act with integrity and not misrepresent the Irish Cancer Society, its needs for funds or how those funds will be applied.
• Questions about fundraising activities and fundraising costs will be answered honestly and in a timely manner.
• Information about the Irish Cancer Society’s charitable purpose and activities will be made freely available.
• Charitable donations and gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were donated.
• The Irish Cancer Society will take responsibility for our actions and be capable of explaining, clarifying and justifying those actions.
• The Irish Cancer Society’s trustees and management will explain and account to donors and the public for the Irish Cancer Society’s actions.
• The Irish Cancer Society will operate in an open, frank and honest way and will ensure that transactions, operations, information and communications are easily understood by donors and the public alike.
• The Irish Cancer Society will clearly identify to donors and the public the cause for which the fundraising is occurring and how donations will and are being used.
• The Irish Cancer Society will provide ways whereby those interested can easily contact the Irish Cancer Society.
• The Irish Cancer Society will have a procedure in place to address complaints.

If you have a comment about any aspect of our fundraising work, we would love to hear from you. You can reach us by post at 43/45 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4, telephone on 1850 60 60 60, email or through Twitter and Facebook.

We would also be very happy to meet face-to-face if that is preferable.

We would be very grateful if you could give us as much information as possible and let us know how you would like us to respond, providing relevant contact details.

The Irish Cancer Society is open about whether those seeking donations on its behalf are volunteers, employees of the organisation, or third party agents. Anyone fundraising on behalf of the Irish Cancer Society must ensure that donors are aware of the role they play with the Society.

All feedback on the work of our fundraising team or the Irish Cancer Society as a whole is very gratefully received and helps us improve our service. Please see details above for how you can give feedback on how we are performing as a fundraising team or if you would like to provide feedback on other aspects of the Irish Cancer Society or make a complaint you can review our formal feedback and complaints process