Fundraising policy

Approved: 13 December 2023
Version: 4

Find out what changed and why in the most recent updates to this policy.

Policy aims and purpose

Fundraisers for Girlguiding help us give more girls the chance to learn skills, make friends, have adventures and grow in confidence.

Without you we simply couldn’t do this - your hard work and positive attitude is incredibly important. So we want to help you as much as we possibly can.

This policy explains how Girlguiding approaches fundraising, and it also gives information about how to fundraise. This policy applies to all Girlguiding volunteers and staff who fundraise for Girlguiding, other charities, or who take part in any other social enterprise activity.

Definitions

• Code of Fundraising Practice – the standards that apply to all fundraising in the UK.
• Donor – a person or organisation who gives money to a charity.
• Fundraising - the seeking of financial support for Girlguiding as a charity or raising funds for other charities. Fundraising covers things small and big - from raising £5 from a tombola to getting a £5k grant - and everything in between. You can find out more about the different types of fundraising on our website.
• HQ - the headquarters of Girlguiding.
• Social enterprise – income generation activity where profits are reinvested to benefit the community or charity.
• Fundraising promise – a commitment made to donors and the public by organisations who register with the Fundraising Regulator, to make sure their fundraising is legal, open, honest and respectful.
• Fundraising Regulator – the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Girlguiding – the Guide Association and all local units, districts, divisions, counties, countries and regions.
• Institute of Fundraising – the professional membership body for UK fundraising.
• Scottish Fundraising Adjudication Panel –the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in Scotland for Scottish registered charities.
• Trustees – defined in law as ‘the persons having the general control and management of the administration of a charity’. At the unit level the leader, assistant leaders and leaders in training are typically the trustees, but could also include administrators who act as treasurers. For other levels it’s usually the voting members of a county executive committee and the members of a division or district committee who are charity trustees. Trustees have specific responsibilities under charity law.

Policy statement

Girlguiding is committed to responsible fundraising practice. We’re registered with the Fundraising Regulator, and have signed up to the fundraising promise.  

All fundraising by Girlguiding volunteers or members of staff must be in line with the Code of Fundraising Practice. This makes sure that all fundraising is legal, open, honest and respectful.

Trustees must take responsibility for the fundraising activities of their unit or level. Trustees can ask others to do specific fundraising activities, but they’re still responsible for making sure all fundraising activity follows this policy and the Code of Fundraising Practice. You can find more information about fundraising for Girlguiding in our fundraising toolkit.

You can also get in touch with our HQ fundraising team on 020 7834 6242 or by email at [email protected]. And you can get more guidance from the Institute of Fundraising.

If you have concerns about our fundraising practice, and can’t resolve your concerns within Girlguiding, you should share them with the Fundraising Regulator (England, Wales & Northern Ireland) or the Scottish Fundraising Adjudication Panel (Scotland). You can find more information about this on their websites.

Expectations

All volunteers and members of staff fundraising for Girlguiding, or fundraising for another organisation in their Girlguiding role, must make sure their fundraising is:

• Open: Be clear with the public about what you’re fundraising for, and make sure they have all the information they may need to make an informed decision. This might include details about what the fundraising is for, what charges an online fundraising platform has, and your relationship to Girlguiding or the organisation you’re fundraising for.
• Honest: You, or your fundraising materials, must never mislead anyone. Never take advantage of a donor’s error.
• Respectful: You must be polite and respectful at all times. Never pressure someone into making a donation, and never take advantage of any donor who might be in vulnerable circumstances. See our donation acceptance policy for more information.
• Legal: You must have the right permits or licenses to fundraise on the street, on a private site (like a supermarket), or when fundraising house to house. You must protect donor’s details in line with our managing information procedure.

Volunteers or members of staff responsible for fundraising for Girlguiding must make sure that:

• If you’re fundraising for a particular purpose (like a unit trip), you include a statement saying what will happen to funds you receive if you raise more money than you need, or not enough to go ahead as planned.
• Funds raised for a particular purpose are used for that purpose.
• Any conditions attached to a donation are followed.
• Funds are never raised for a purpose which isn’t in line with our charitable objectives.
• Children under the age of 16 never have overall responsibility for handling or counting money when fundraising.
• Accurate financial records are kept in line with our finance policy.
• Any complaints are reported in line with our complaints policy, or someone who wants to make a complaint is directed to our complaints policy.
• Any serious concerns about Girlguiding’s fundraising practices are reported in line with our whistleblowing policy. Examples of serious concerns include criminal offences, breaches of any legal or professional obligations, a breach of the Code of Fundraising Practice, or deliberate concealment of any of the above.

If you’re fundraising for another charity as a Girlguiding volunteer or member of staff, you must:

• Make sure that the other charity’s aims are consistent with ours.
• Get permission from the charity before doing any fundraising activity.
• Tell your donors where the funds are going, and if you’re raising funds for more than one charity, explain what proportion will go to each.

If you want to fundraise with trusts, foundations, corporate partners or major donors, you must follow the partnership screening policy and associated guidance.

If you suspect any illegal activity, or have a serious concern about Girlguiding fundraising activity, please get in touch with our HQ fundraising team on [email protected].