Working with Vulnerable Donors and Fundraisers Policy

September 2024

Working with Vulnerable supporters and Fundraising policy

Denville Hall 2012 believes that the personal free choice to give to your favourite causes should be a positive experience for all. We protect the dignity of vulnerable people who wish to support and fundraiser for Denville Hall 2012; following the Fundraising Regulators, Charted Institute of Fundraising guidance on Treating Donors Fairly, when working with all supporters of the Charity.

This policy also details what we consider to be indicators of vulnerability and respond to it in a way that is best for the supporter.

 

Definitions – vulnerable person?

We recognise that some of the people we engage with through our fundraising activities will not always have the capacity to fully understand the nature of the donation they are being asked to make to Denville Hall 2012, or the consequences of making that donation.

An individual who finds it difficult to immediately make an informed decision about the choices offered to them is called a ‘vulnerable person’.

A vulnerable person may experience:

This Policy covers Denville Hall’s commitment to fair and equitable treatment of adult supporters that demonstrate vulnerable circumstances.

• a diagnosed condition such as dementia or PTSD
• a recent bereavement or sever injury
• an undiagnosed or temporary mental health condition such as acute anxiety
• learning difficulties
• difficulty understanding the language

 

Our commitment to our supporters to protect vulnerable people

Denville Hall 2012 has an obligation to protect vulnerable people and those in vulnerable circumstances. Whenever we suspect that someone we engage with is lacking capacity or is in vulnerable circumstances – we call them a ‘vulnerable supporter’ – we will take steps to terminate the contact in a way which seeks to:

• protect that person
• protect their dignity
• note any desire they have expressed to support Denville Hall 2012

 

The Fundraising Regulator Code of Fundraising Practice

We always abide by the Fundraising Regulator’s code of fundraising practice. The general principles state:

• Fundraisers MUST take all reasonable steps to treat a donor fairly, enabling them to make an informed decision about any donation. This MUST include taking into account the needs of any potential donor who may be in a vulnerable circumstance or require additional care and support to make an informed decision.
• Fundraisers MUST NOT exploit the credulity, lack of knowledge, apparent need for care and support or vulnerable circumstance of any donor at any point in time.
• If a fundraiser knows or has reasonable grounds for believing that an individual lacks capacity to make a decision to donate, a donation MUST NOT be taken.
• A donation given by someone who lacked capacity at the time of donating MUST be returned.

 

Fundraising and vulnerable supporters

If a fundraiser suspects that a person, they are talking to may be vulnerable, they must end the conversation immediately. They should do this politely, without:

• making a request for a donation
• asking about the individual’s capacity to make a decision or the existence of vulnerable circumstances

We know that it may be difficult in some situations for fundraisers to decide whether or not someone is in a vulnerable circumstance or lacks capacity. We provide guidelines for fundraisers but our approach is always to err on the side of caution.

This applies to all fundraising, by our direct employees and volunteers or through a third party or agency.

We believe everyone has the right to donate if they wish to and are able to do so. That’s why we offer further support for people in vulnerable circumstances who want to make a decision about whether to make a donation.

Denville Hall seeks to ensure that a donor is equipped with the appropriate information in order to make an informed decision about giving to it. It recognises that in some circumstances it may be necessary to adapt the way in which it communicates with the donor

i.e. using braille or a translation service. Staff should be responsive to the needs of an individual and adapt his or her approach to suit those needs and the context.

Our policy is informed by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s code of fundraising practice and their guidance, Treating Donors Fairly.

 

Our vulnerable person policy

Denville Hall 2012 is compassionate towards its supporters and will never exploit vulnerability.

We will always do everything we can to assist supporters to make informed decisions about the support they choose to give.

We fully comply with the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice.

When dealing with supporters via telephone, we follow guidance provided by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), specifically: the DMA’s guidelines for call centres dealing with vulnerable consumers (August 2015).

Denville Hall 2012 allows supporters or those acting on their behalf to declare vulnerability.

We will not contact supporters with the aim of asking for an increase in their giving where the supporters’ records indicate a declaration of vulnerability.

Regardless of whether a declaration has been made or not, Denville Hall 2012 does not accept donations where it has reason to believe that a supporter may be experiencing vulnerable circumstances and that accepting the donation would be ethically wrong and/or harmful to the donor.

Should a situation arise where Denville Hall 2012 becomes aware that it has unknowingly accepted donations from an individual during a time that they were experiencing vulnerable circumstances, it will endeavour to return all donations accepted during this period.

Should Denville Hall 2012 receive information regarding a supporter’s vulnerability from a third party, it will not act on any request to alter the supporters’ preferences unless the third party can provide evidence that they have authority to act on behalf of the supporter.

If we become aware of a situation where a third-party agency acting on its behalf has not acted in accordance with this policy, it may stop working with the agency or ask that individual fundraisers responsible for non-compliance with the policy be removed from our campaigns.

We recognise that it may sometimes be difficult for fundraisers to assess the vulnerability of a supporter; in cases where a fundraiser is unsure, they must ask their manager for a second opinion and approval to accept any donation.

If you believe you have interacted with a vulnerable supporter and you are concerned about their welfare, you must follow the Charity’s safeguarding policy.

 

Fundraising Training

All staff and volunteers involved in fundraising should receive a copy of this policy and should sign to show that they understand its content and agree to adhere to its stipulations. Any new fundraising staff and volunteers should receive training as part of their induction.

Version Control – Approval and Review

Version No	Approved By	Approval Date	Main Changes	Review Period