The Fundraising Standards Board has recommended the Institute of Fundraising develops additional guidance for fundraisers asking elderly and vulnerable people for donations.
It made the recommendation following a complaint against the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, which provides free vet care, by the family of an elderly woman with schizophrenia, who has since died.
In its adjudication ruling, published today, the FRSB said the complaint has not been upheld. But it recommended the IoF code should include a new section on working with the elderly and specific guidance on identifying vulnerable adults.
The complainants alleged the charity had “knowingly taken advantage” of their mother in accepting donations from her, raising concerns that her mental health was fragile and that she had never expressed a particular affection for animals or charitable giving. They said the charity should refund her donations.
When the PDSA received the complaint, made through a solicitor, it launched an internal investigation. It found the donor had been a PDSA service user since 2005 and had given several high-value donations to the charity over a 14-month period.
The trustees had concluded there was no evidence to suggest the donor had been pressured to give or that the charity had known she was vulnerable and no refund would be made.
In November last year the complainants then took their complaint to the regulator.
After the regulator’s initial finding was the same as the PDSA’s, the complainant requested a stage three adjudication - the highest level of FRSB adjudication, with the direct involvement of the FRSB board.
Vulnerable individuals
The FRSB’s board considered whether the charity had breached the principle of ‘respectful’ fundraising set out in the IoF’s Code of Fundraising Practice, which states fundraisers “ought not to approach individuals that may reasonably be considered to be vulnerable”.
The board ruled that the complaint should not be upheld because there was no evidence to suggest that the PDSA had known the woman had schizophrenia.
Colin Lloyd, chair of the FRSB, said: “It can be difficult for fundraisers to establish whether individuals are vulnerable. Any further guidance that the IoF could develop for fundraising from the elderly and vulnerable people would be of benefit to the sector and provide greater protection for the public.”
Peter Lewis, chief executive of the IoF, said: “Our standards committee will want to carefully consider this adjudication and we will engage with our members to ensure the code and any guidance we produce around vulnerable adults and working with older people reflects best practice across the sector.”
A PDSA spokesperson said: “We are very mindful of the difficult and tragic circumstances underlying this case and offer our sincere condolences. We hope that the latest adjudication from the FRSB can bring matters to a close.
“As a charity reliant entirely on donations and public goodwill, we always strive to maintain the very highest standards in our activities, including fundraising. We are of course extremely grateful to the kind donors who support our vital work and we take all reasonable steps to ensure such funding is freely and voluntarily given.
“As such we have complied with every step of this investigation and we are satisfied with the final outcome announced by the FRSB.”
