Richard Taylor has announced that he will be staying on as the director of fundraising at Cancer Research UK because his planned move to consumer charity Which? is "no longer tenable".
Taylor (pictured), who has worked in fundraising at CRUK since 1998, said he had decided to stay in his current role because of the current pressure on the fundraising community.
“I have been a fundraiser at CRUK for 18 years, been closely involved with the Institute of Fundraising for the last four years as a trustee, and have had the privilege of being its chair for the last year," he said.
“At a time when fundraising is increasingly under the spotlight I have therefore decided that it is no longer tenable for me to make the move to Which?
"I am therefore very pleased to announce that it has been agreed by all parties that in the immediate short term I will remain at CRUK, and continue to chair the IoF”.
Taylor will still leave CRUK at some point, and the charity is still recruiting for his replacement. Which? has confirmed that Taylor will not join at any point.
Taylor announced in March that he would be joining Which? as an executive director with a commercial role in August. Despite moving out of the fundraising sector, Taylor had said at the time that he would see out his term as chair of the IoF.
The announcement comes in the wake of the FRSB’s interim report into the IoF’s Code of Fundraising Practices.
The FRSB made a number of recommendations, calling for wide-ranging reform to the code.
The fundraising sector has been under sustained attack by the media since the death of 92 year old poppy seller Olive Cooke in May.
The Mail and The Sun both accused fundraisers of “hounding” Cooke to death.
Both papers also sent undercover reporters into fundraising agencies and criticised the “callous” tactics used.
The civil society minister, Rob Wilson, has also heavily criticised fundraising self-regulation.
Speaking at the annual general meeting of the PFRA, Wilson said he would give charities “a window” to prove that “self-regulation can work effectively”. Wilson also said that “change was essential” and that charities “hard-earned reputations” were at “serious risk” due to fundraising.
Which? have confirmed in a statement that Taylor will not be joining the organisation in August.
- This story has been amended to reflect information provided after publication.
- The story originally said that Taylor would remain at CRUK. Since this story was published, Cancer Research UK has clarified that Richard Taylor will stay on only in the short term, and that the charity is still recruiting for a replacement.
- Also since this story was published, Which? has confirmed that Taylor will not be joining at any point. The story has been amended to make that clear.
