Almost all of the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association’s members have voted for the organisation to merge with the Institute of Fundraising at an adjourned section of its AGM, held this morning.
According to a statement released by the PFRA this morning, 96 per cent of its members voted for the PFRA to merge with the IoF and form a new Compliance Directorate within the fundraising membership organisation, at a meeting held in London today.
Alongside street, face-to-face and private site agreements, the remit of the Compliance Directorate is likely to be expanded to cover other forms of fundraising.
The final date for the merger to be completed has been set for 31 August – a full month after the original deadline for the completion of the merger was set.
A vote on the merger was originally scheduled to be held on 16 June at the PFRA’s Annual General Meeting. The vote was delayed in order to “allow more time for the legal requirements of the due diligence process to be completed”, said the PFRA at the time.
Peter Hills-Jones, current chief executive of the PFRA, will head up the new Compliance Directorate within the IoF. All of the PFRA’s current staff members will come across to the IoF with the merger.
Peter Hills-Jones said: “This is a big moment in the history of the PFRA and for the entire charity fundraising sector. Working with our members we have achieved a huge amount over the last 10 years.
“I would like to thank our board, staff and members. It is only because of their work and dedication that we have been able to make such important strides in improving and supporting face to face fundraising, and we are now looking forward to achieving even more through our merger with the IoF.”
Peter Lewis, chief executive of the IoF, said: “I am delighted that the PFRA membership have today voted overwhelmingly to back the merger between our two organisations. The PFRA has a proud track-record of both improving standards and representing face to face fundraising.
“As a single membership organisation, together we will be able to do even more to support the fundraising community to achieve the highest professional standards and raise millions of pounds for vital causes across the country.”
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