The average number of penalties issued during street fundraising compliance checks fell by nearly 50 per cent in 2016/17, according to new figures published by the Institute of Fundraising.
According to figures published today by the IoF’s compliance directorate, the average number of penalty points issued during street fundraiser compliance checks fell from 52 to 28 in 2016/17, a decrease of nearly 50 per cent on the previous year.
The figures also show that the number of street fundraising compliance checks that incurred any kind of penalty have fallen for the fourth straight year, down from nearly 60 per cent in 2013/14 to 35 per cent in 2016/17.
Penalty points can be issued by the IoF compliance directorate during checks for any breaches by street fundraisers of the Fundraising Regulator’s street fundraising rulebook or of existing site management agreements (SMAs) in place with local authorities.
The IoF’s compliance directorate carried out over 900 undercover ‘mystery shopping’ compliance checks across the UK last year in order to assure its members are adhering to SMAs and to the rulebook.
Peter Hills-Jones, director of compliance at the Institute of Fundraising, said: “Previously as the PFRA and now as the Institute of Fundraising’s compliance directorate, we are working with and supporting members every day to ensure their engagement with the public is always a positive one.
“These numbers are a credit to our members and shows that when the sector works together with rules which are clearly understood and regularly monitored, we see impressive results.”
Hills-Jones concerned by some councils 'experimenting' with PSPOs
In a an article for this website on the issue, Hills-Jones said the reason for the reduction in penalty points comes down to the directorate’s ongoing work with local authorities across the UK in putting SMAs in place.
“The foundation of this success has been our partnership agreements with local councils – our ‘site management agreements’. Some 126 agreements are now in operation across the UK, providing managed public spaces for fundraising in town and city centres.”
In Fundraising Magazine
However Hills-Jones said that he was concerned by a number of local authorities beginning to “experiment” with issuing public space protection orders (PSPOs) which he said “can prohibit or severely restrict what in most cases are legal activities” including street and door-to-door fundraising.
“A real concern for charity fundraisers we work with is now a tiny handful of councils issuing PSPOs have chosen to include street fundraisers alongside people causing genuine public harm through anti-social behaviour.
“While it is fair to say that street fundraising may not be everyone’s cup of tea, to lump fundraising together with people who let their dogs foul the street or ride quad bikes on city centre streets, would strike many as knee jerk populism of the worst kind.”
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