The working group into the implementation of the Fundraising Preference Service has published a paper setting out some of its key proposals and inviting the sector to comment on the “questions that arise”.

NCVO has published the Fundraising Preference Service working group’s paper of key proposals for the proposed FPS regarding the types of communications that should fall within its scope, channels to which it should apply, how it will relate to existing preference services and its use as a tool to protect vulnerable people.

The paper, entitled Proposals for a ‘Fundraising Preference Service’, breaks the FPS down into six different aspects and invites charities and other interested parties to comment.

• View our summary of the key recommendations here.

The working group is encouraging all “stakeholders” to engage in what its called “an ongoing conversation” over the FPS recommendations. According to a statement from NCVO, the group will “hold a series of roundtables and evidence sessions throughout March”. Interested parties are also being invited to contribute comments to the chair of the working group directly.

George Kidd, chair of the FPS working group (pictured), said: “I look forward to hearing people’s views on the scope of the FPS. I believe we can create a service that works well for charities and other fundraising organisations, while meeting the public expectation that there is a way to easily deal with a situation where they feel they receive an unmanageable volume of fundraising requests.

“This will help us show that charities take public concerns and their obligations to good data stewardship seriously and are deserving of the public’s trust.”

Institute of Fundraising response

Peter Lewis, chief executive of the IoF said: "‘We will be responding in detail in due course to the consultation, as well as meeting the Working Group next Friday to discuss the proposals, and we encourage all of our members to respond to this consultation directly and to also let us know their views.

"The IoF is absolutely committed to ensuring that members of the public are not overwhelmed or feel under pressure to donate, and we have already made significant changes to the Code to ensure charities respond better to donor preferences.

"In this context we continue to have concerns over a generalised ‘reset’ button, and believe much more detailed thinking and analysis is required."