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Fundraising Complaints Policy

Henshaws Society for Blind People welcomes all feedback on fundraising activities and donors and supporters’ experiences. In striving to achieve our mission, Henshaws welcomes opinions and suggestions to help us meet donors’ and supporters’ needs and expectations. We also take seriously and will deal effectively with all complaints received about the quality of our fundraising activities.

WHO THE POLICY AFFECTS

All donors and supporters

All staff who work with donors and supporters

Implementation is the responsibility of all fundraising managers and staff working in the fundraising area.

LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

This Policy is considered to be good practice but is required as a condition of our membership of the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB.)

GENERAL GOOD PRACTICE REQUIREMENTS

All staff should take seriously the comments of donors and supporters and should use these to develop further their own good practice and our fundraising activities.

PROCEDURE

Our Mission

Henshaws wants a society where anyone affected by sight loss can have choice and control over their future and can live, learn and work as part of their community. We will deliver practical, caring and imaginative services to visually impaired people and to their friends, family and colleagues and work to raise awareness of visual impairment issues amongst the wider community.

Our Philosophy

Our fundraising activities are vital to the continuation of our services for blind and visually impaired people. At the root of all our fundraising activities is the aim of securing sustainable year on year income from a wide range of services, which can enable the delivery of services and therefore allow visually impaired people of all ages to maximise their independence and enjoy a high quality of life. Integral to our approach is the importance we place on providing effective fundraising activities through an emphasis on quality, honesty, clarity and accountability. We respect the rights of our service users and are committed to promoting a positive view of people with a visual impairment. We listen to our supporters and respond to their needs, aiming to provide a personal level of customer care wherever we can.

In striving to deliver an effective fundraising operation which upholds Henshaws mission, Henshaws welcomes opinions and suggestions. We also take seriously and will deal effectively with, all complaints received about the quality of our fundraising activities.

If you have a concern, please bring it to the attention of a member of fundraising staff. We aim to give a positive and helpful response and encourage discussion and action on issues raised before they develop into problems and formal complaints. You will be advised what actions are being taken following this discussion.

If the matter cannot be resolved immediately our staff will bring it to the immediate attention of the Director of Fundraising, who will acknowledge your complaint in writing (or a format of your choice) within five working days. The complaint will be referred to the nominated first point of contact for complaints, the Group Chief Executive, you will then be notified within 28 days of our findings.

Henshaws keeps a record of all complaints in order to monitor the quality of its fundraising activities, and a short summary of complaints is submitted to the FRSB on an annual basis.

If you are not happy with the matter at this stage, the complaint will be referred to the FRSB who will act as independent adjudicator in the matter. The FRSB will consider a complaint if one or both of the following is true:

  • The person making the complaint remains unhappy after Henshaws has tried to resolve the problem.
  • The incident is a potential breach of a Code of Fundraising Practice or the Fundraising Promise.

      We need feedback on our fundraising activities both positive and negative to constantly improve the quality of our fundraising activities. Henshaws staff will strive to deal with your concerns as speedily and effectively as possible.

      TRAINING ISSUES

      This policy, and its importance for the development of good practice, will be included in Induction Training for all fundraising staff.

      Fundraising Managers will be responsible for making all fundraising staff aware of the policy and procedure and will remind them of its importance and usefulness.

      MONITORING OF COMPLIANCE

      The Director of Fundraising is responsible for ensuring that the policy and procedure are followed when needed.

      All staff are responsible for drawing the attention of the Director of Fundraising to any immediate concerns that donors and supporters have.

      All staff are responsible for notifying the Director of Fundraising of any situation or circumstances that might affect the quality of service received by donors and supporters.

      When the policy and procedure is implemented the Director of Fundraising is responsible for analysis of any implementation of the procedure and reporting any need to update practice, procedure or process to the Board of Management.