How to be a good giver – a brief guide from St Ann’s Hospice

Here is the scenario – you want to donate to charity but how do you know your money is being used wisely? And, how do you know the charity is any good? Plus, when you have a charity in mind, what is the best way to support them?

Every charity is different but there are some principles that are key to every good charity.  You can visit an independent website that gives you information on fundraising and giving and which is a very helpful resource for donors: www.charityfacts.org

A few tips from St Ann’s Hospice

Who regulates charities?
All charities are regulated by the Charity Commission who have the legal power to remove charitable status. All charities should be registered. To find out if a charity is legitimate, log onto www.charity-commission.gov.uk and look up the register of charities, or telephone the helpline on 0870 333 0123. St Ann’s Hospice registration number is 258085.

How do I know if a charity is any good?
Find out about their work. What have they done. What difference have they made? Look at their website, Impact Report and annual accounts. You can get most of this information from the Charity Commission website and you can also visit www.intelligentgiving.com

Ask where the money goes
Find out what percentage of money donated goes directly to the main cause. The general public think that 40% of their donation is spent on administration.  In actual fact is somewhere between 15% and 25%. St Ann’s Hospice has to raise £16,000 a day to keep its doors open and for every £1 we spend, 91.2p is spent on the cost of direct patient care and the services that support its provision. If a charity has nothing to hide they will be happy to provide you with these answers and should be open and transparent about what they are doing.

What fundraising standards does a charity comply with?
A good charity will adhere to the Institute of Fundraising’s Codes of Fundraising Practice and Code of Conduct. These provide a guide to the law and best practice in relation to fundraising activity throughout the United Kingdom and can be viewed at: www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/bestpractice/thecodes/.

St Ann’s Hospice are also members of the Fundraising Standards Board self-regulatory scheme. The Fundraising Standards Board works to ensure that organisations raising money from the public do so honestly and properly. As members of the scheme, we follow the Institute of Fundraising’s Codes of Fundraising Practice and comply with the key principles embodied in the Codes and in this Promise. The Fundraising Promise can be viewed in full at: www.frsb.org.uk/england/fundraisers/fundraising-promise but can also be viewed here:

1. We are committed to high standards – we do all we can to ensure that fundraisers, volunteers and fundraising contractors working with us to raise funds comply with the Codes and with this Promise. We comply with the law including those that apply to data protection, health and safety and the environment.
   
2. We are honest and open - we tell the truth and do not exaggerate. We do what we say we are going to. We answer all reasonable questions about our fundraising activities and costs. Please contact us, visit our website or see our Annual Report if you require further details.
   
3. We are clear – we are clear about who we are, what we do and how your gift is used. Where we have a promotional agreement with a commercial company, we make clear how much of the purchase price we receive. We give a clear explanation of how you can make a gift and amend a regular commitment.
   
4. We are respectful – we respect the rights, dignities and privacy of our supporters and beneficiaries. We will not put undue pressure on you to make a gift and if you do not want to give or wish to cease giving, we will respect your decision. If you tell us that you don’t want us to contact you in a particular way we will not do so.
   
5. We are fair and reasonable – we take care not to use any images or words that cause unjustifiable distress or offence. We take care not to cause unreasonable nuisance or disruption.
   
6. We are accountable – if you are unhappy with anything we’ve done whilst fundraising, you can contact us to make a complaint. We have a complaint procedure, a copy of which is available on request. If we cannot resolve your complaint, we accept the authority of the Fundraising Standards Board to make a final adjudication. 

Good Fundraising Code
St Ann’s Hospice has also signed up to the Good Fundraising Code, which has been set up by the Practical Fundraising Association. They ask you to contact them if you have any evidence that a charity has breached the code.

• Principle 1 – To treat donors and supporters of all kinds with honesty and respect.
• Principle 2 – To be transparent when asked about cost ratios, costs of fundraising and related issues.
• Principle 3 – To abide by all legal regulations governing fundraising and aim for best practice.
• Principle 4 – To have a complaints procedure for supporters to access when they do have a complaint about any fundraising.

I keep hearing the term ‘Gift Aid’ – what does it mean?
Gift Aid enables a charity to reclaim the basic rate of tax on your donation from the Inland Revenue if you are a tax payer. Using Gift Aid means for every £1 you donate the charity will get an extra 28p and it doesn’t cost you any more. Find out more on our website and download a Gift Aid form for any postal donation. Or if donating online, just tick the Gift Aid declaration.

Not able to give money?
If you are not in a position to support with a cash donation, how about donating some time instead? There are many different activities you could get involved in. To find out more check out St Ann’s volunteering pages or check out an external volunteering website called www.do-it.org.uk or conatct local volunteer bureaus and charities to see what opportunities they have to offer. St Ann’s Hospice relies on over 600 volunteers to keep our services running.

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