Just four of the 20 digital giving platforms who have been in contact with the Fundraising Regulator have so far signed up as third party agencies.
Following Lord Grade’s warning yesterday that the government was planning on statutorily regulating digital giving platforms if they don’t register with the Fundraising Regulator, Civil Society News has found that just four of the 20 such organisations, who have met with the regulator have actually registered.
According to the regulator’s directory only: PayPal Giving Fund, Everyclick Ltd, Wonderful and the National Funding Scheme have registered as third party fundraising agencies and paid the £50 a year flat registration fee.
The Virgin Foundation and The Big Give Trust have also registered with the regulator, but as charitable organisations. Neither Virgin Money Giving or The Big Give have registered as third party agencies.
A spokesman for the Fundraising Regulator told Civil Society News that it will be “writing to all of the platforms individually in advance of the August deadline to seek an update on their intentions regarding the Code of Fundraising Practice and registration, so that we can brief the government on progress, in advance of Parliament resuming in September”.
He also said that “the response of fundraising platforms is likely to inform the debate on whether additional legislation is required”, and that the regulator has been in “ongoing contact with DCMS” on its work with digital fundraising platforms.
The spokesman added that “parliamentary interest in the changes to the code have increased since the amendment to the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Bill was tabled and full update on our work was provided to parliament by the Government on 10 July”.
The 20 organisations are:
- PayPal Giving Fund
- Virgin Money Giving
- Go Fund Me
- The Big Give
- Local Giving
- The Good Exchange
- Just Giving
- Wonderful Organisation
- KindLink
- Give All
- Charity Choice
- GlobalGiving
- Charity Checkout
- BT MyDonate
- Everydayhero
- Everyclick Ltd
- Givey
- Total Giving
- National Funding Scheme
- Blackbaud
Platforms charging on gift aid ‘outrageous’
The amendment to the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Bill mentioned by the spokesman was tabled by Neil Coyle Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark.
Coyle proposed adding a new clause to the Bill which would “mean that organisations such as online donation platforms would not be able to make a profit from supporting charitable fundraising for those affected by acts of terrorism”.
The amendment was voted down but Ben Wallace, minister of state, said he had “greater sympathy for a more directive approach when it comes to Gift Aid. Some digital fundraising providers include the Gift Aid amount when they calculate their charge. I think that is outrageous”.
However, he warned that Coyle’s amendment might have “unintended consequences for reducing the charitable funds raised to help victims of terrorism”.
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