The Institute of Fundraising is set on a path to gain ‘chartered status’, a step towards further recognising fundraising as a distinct and mature profession.

Speaking to Fundraising magazine in a profile interview this month, Institute chief executive Peter Lewis revealed  that progress was underway for the IoF to move into chartered institute territory.

Organisations which are awarded chartered institute status, via a process which typically takes years, must demonstrate financial stability, represent an unique field of activity not covered by other organisations and must have at least three-quarters of its at minimum 5,000 members qualified to degree-standard.  The organisation must also be able to prove it operates in the public interest.

Paul Marvell (pictured), director of professional development and membership, is leading on the process and said the Institute has yet to apply to the Privy Council for chartered status but is “getting our ducks in a row” to ensure it will be successful on the first application.

He is confident that the Institute already satisfies the requirements of achieving chartered status, but Marvell said the organisation’s work on developing a new set of academic qualifications for fundraisers is being sorted out first. This will involve a Masters-level qualification being launch next autumn.

“But I’m pretty confident that our members already satisfy the qualifications requirement,” he told civilsociety.co.uk.

“The rationale behind the move is pretty straight forward,” he said. “As fundraising is now a recognised profession it would be beneficial for the Institute to have chartered status.

“It’s pretty obvious that this is the route we need to go down when the time is right.”

Marvell, while insistent the Institute will not be rushing into the process, expects that chartered status will be achieved within four to five years, “but maybe quicker”. 

There are more than 900 chartered bodies in the UK, the majority of which are professional organisations and include the likes of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.