.

Compliance Indicators

Compliance with the Commitments will be assessed against the following Compliance Indicators. All of the applicable Compliance Indicators must be met by every ACFID Member to be considered compliant with the Code. Each of the Compliance Indicators has one or more compliance Verifiers. Verifiers are the description of evidence that is required to substantiate compliance with each Compliance Indicator. Guidance is also provided.

8.1.1 Members have organisational standards for the acceptance of donations

Verifier

Policy, statement, guidance document or governing body decision outlining the conditions that must be satisfied in order to accept or reject a donation.

Guidance

The purpose of a policy, statement, guidance document or governing body decision is to assist your organisation to make clear and consistent decisions regarding the acceptance or refusal of donations. Developing a position on what donations your organisation will and will not accept ensures that your organisation is able to maintain its independence from donor influences. It protects the interests and reputation of your organisation and minimises the risk of any adverse publicity that may result from the acceptance of a particular type of donation.

The relevant document would normally state that the organisation may accept a donation for a specific activity conducted by the organisation provided that the activity is directly related to the organisation’s objects; and is practically achievable by the organisation. It would also list possible reasons for refusing a donation such as incompatibility between a donor’s activities or policies and those of the organisation. Further guidance in this area is provided by the Fundraising Institute of Australia, which has a Code of Acceptance and Refusal of Donations and can be found in the Resources section.

8.1.2 Members report their compliance with the ACFID Fundraising Charter annually to their own governing body.

Verifier

The ACFID Fundraising Charter

The ACFID Fundraising Charter requires that Members will have processes and procedures in place to ensure that:

  • Decisions to accept or reject donations support the purpose of the organisation.
  • Legislative requirements for fundraising are met.
  • The privacy of Donors, consistent with the Privacy Act, are met.
  • Free, prior and informed consent is obtained for all images and stories.

All fundraising materials will be truthful and:

  • Include the organisation’s identity including name, address, ABN and purpose.
  • Accurately represent the context, situation, proposed solutions and intended meaning of information provided by affected people.
  • Clearly state if there is a specific purpose of each donation.
  • Avoid material omissions, exaggerations, misleading visual portrayals and overstating the need or what the donor’s response may achieve.

If outsourcing fundraising activities, Members will ensure that:

  • Contracts are in place which meet all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements.
  • Specific expectations, responsibilities and obligations of each party are clear and in writing.
  • Members are identified as the beneficiaries of the funds.
  • Contractors are clearly identified.

Images and messages used for fundraising will not:

  • Be untruthful, exaggerated or misleading (e.g. not doctored, created as fiction or misrepresenting the country, etc.).
  • Be used if they may endanger the people they are portraying.
  • Be used without the free, prior and informed consent of the person/s portrayed, including children, their parents or guardians.
  • Present people in a dehumanised manner.
  • Infringe child protection policies and in particular show children in a naked and/or sexualised manner.
  • Feature dead bodies or dying people.

Members have a clear ethical decision-making framework in place which aligns with the values of their organisation and the Code and includes:

  • A commitment to portraying affected people in a way that respects their dignity, values, history, religion, language and culture.
  • A process that integrates a range of key staff in the organisation (e.g. communications, planning, child protection and CEO) in decision-making where appropriate
  • Clear responsibilities for approval for public use of images and messages.
  • A process which recognises and balances both donors and affected people but which gives primacy to the primary stakeholders.

8.1.3 Members have organisational standards for the procurement of goods and services.

Verifier

Policy, procedure or guidance document that commits the Member to ethical procurement procedures.

Guidance

Guidance for Members to develop ethical procurement procedures can be downloaded from the Resources Section below.

Good Practice Indicators

The following Good Practice Indicators describe a higher standard of practice than that set out in the Compliance Indicators. While Members do not need to meet the Good Practice Indicators to be considered compliant with the Code, they will self-assess against these indicators once every three years. This provides a clear pathway for Members to strengthen and improve practice over time.

  • Qualified and experienced staff for raising funds/resource mobilisation are in place.
  • Training is provided for key personnel on the ACFID Fundraising Charter and the Fundraising Institute of Australia’s Principles & Standards of Fundraising Practice and Professional Development.
  • Commitment to the ACFID Fundraising Charter is promoted to the public and external stakeholders.

GUIDANCE AND RESOURCES

Good Practice Guidance

Here are some practical suggestions for your organisation to further deepen and improve practice over time.

Legislative and regulatory obligations

  • Be aware of and understand your organisation’s legislative and regulatory obligations in relation to fundraising.
  • At the federal level, these are established through the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC). Check the ACNC website regularly for reference and to keep abreast of any new developments.
  • At the state level, these are established through different government bodies in each state and territory. Check the ACNC website or the Fundraising Institute Australia website for up-to-date contact details of the relevant government bodies in each state and territory.
  • The Not for Profit Law Information Hub also provides an overview on fundraising regimes operating within Australia and associated legal requirements.
  • Establish a register within your organisation to keep track of all federal and state registrations and obligations for fundraising purposes.
  • Assign responsibility within your organisation to regularly check your obligations and to ensure you have the required certificates or permissions for different types of fundraising in different states.

Ethical and Good Practice

  • Create and document your organisation’s policy, approved by your governing body, on accepting donations, as consistent with your organisation’s ethics, mission, goals and existing programs.
  • Be aware of and comply with the Fundraising Institute Australia’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (see References and Resources). FIA is the national peak body representing professional fundraising in Australia.
  • Ensure your fundraising programs are consistent with the FIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (see References and Resources below). FIA is the national peak body representing professional fundraising in Australia
  • Make sure your fundraising practices and activities are consistent with each of the aspects of practice as outlined by the FIA.
  • Ensure each method of fundraising used by your organisation is consistent with the relevant FIA Standards of Fundraising Practice
  • Utilise the FIA website to access training opportunities and resources on ethical fundraising.
  • Ensure face to face fundraising is consistent with the Public Fundraising Regulatory Authority Standard.

Resources

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DAISI’s Commitment to Principle 8.1 We source our resources ethically.

  • DAISI is committed to fundraising in an honest and ethical manner being compliant with both the ACFID Fundraising charter, and the Fundraising Institute of Australia Code of Practice., with its executive members completing training modules by both ACFID and FAI on matters relating to ethical Fundraising.
  • It is DAISI’s intention to be truthful and ethical in all matters relating to fundraising and marketing, with DAISI policy stated below.
  • DAISI states in its Fundraising Policies, its guidelines for the acceptance of donations. With the decisions to accept or reject a donation made in keeping with DAISI’s Principles and Code of Conduct, and the FIA Code of Conduct.
  • Where the donor’s ethos is at odds or contradistinction to the ethos of DAISI, and there is ethical uncertainty about accepting such donations, the acceptance or rejection of the donation must be made by unanimous vote by DAISI executive.
  • DAISI’s commitment and to ACFIDS’s Fundraising Charter is also stated in its Fundraising Policies page.