Regulator publishes its first five-year plan

[IN SEPTEMBER the Fundraising Regulator published its first Strategic Plan as an established regulatory body, covering the period 2022-27.

Launching the report, the regulator said: “With this new fiveyear Strategic Plan, we intend to move into the next phase of our development, while ensuring that we continue to respond appropriately and flexibly to changes in the charitable fundraising sector.”

Developed following engagement with charity networks and other stakeholders, the strategy sets out the regulatory objectives and priorities for the period 2022-27 and addresses the new trends in charitable fundraising which have emerged since the regulator was established in 2016. That includes the increasing popularity of new technologies, the growing use of data and the on-going impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first phase of the plan includes a full review of the Code of Fundraising Practice – which started this autumn with a public call for information that closed on 25 November – to ensure that the code remains effective, relevant and responsive to new issues in fundraising.

It will be the first significant overhaul of the code since the last consultation in 2018, which led to the current version that has been effective from October 2019.

Over the next five years the regulator also plans: • To conduct detailed research into the public’s experiences with and • expectations of charitable fundraising • To collect data about fundraising from external and internal sources • to help develop the code and inform regulatory priorities • To continue to deliver joined-up regulation through partnerships and • relationships with other organisations.

It will also be carrying out a review of the Fundraising Levy and how it is calculated.

Lord Toby Harris, chair of the Fundraising Regulator, commented: “We have seen considerable changes in the fundraising landscape since we were established and anticipate that methods will continue to shift and develop over the next five years, too – shaped by wider social, economic and technological changes.

“This strategic plan reflects our on-going commitment to evolve as an agile regulator alongside the sector – ensuring our regulation protects donors and the public, while also supporting a vibrant and creative fundraising sector. At the core of our plan are the principles of innovation, proactivity, intelligence and collaboration.”

The Strategic Plan is part of the Fundraising Regulator’s continued commitment to provide a transparent view of how it will deliver effective regulation of charitable fundraising. q