What is the role of the board in fundraising?
- No one is suggesting that English and Welsh boards should follow the American model of ‘give, get or get off’, however the following suggests good practice with regards to fundraising:
- Have a strategy – the board needs to ensure that there is a strategy, with identification of what funds are needed for and who should be asked to supply them. Few funders will nowadays supply unrestricted funds for core costs, so clear projects need to be identified and management costs written in (though the nirvana of much fundraising activity is to increase the amount of unrestricted income, from regular donors, members, ‘commercial’ and partnership income etc.)
- Be realistic about targets – avoid any temptation to make the deficit between known income and expenditure the fundraising target! This will not help accurate budgeting and achievement of a realistic target is good sense and motivates those responsible to do even better next time.
- Ensure there is sufficient administrative back-up – donors must be thanked and kept informed of the company’s events and of how their contribution is helping. Nothing is more off-putting to a donor or sponsor than hearing nothing until another request for money.
- Be aware of conflicts of interest with other board memberships – many board members sit on several boards and this can pose problems of loyalty where fundraising is concerned.
- Use the annual report to make fundraising decisions transparent.
- Adopt the voluntary Code of Fundraising Practice, especially if door to door or other large scale public campaigns are under consideration.
- If a fundraising appeal fails, the board may have power to apply the proceeds to a different charitable purpose, read more about how to transfer charity assets here
- The Fundraising Regulator published a new version of the Code of Fundraising Practice on 1 November 2025. The revised code adopts a more principles-based approach, introduces updated standards for modern fundraising methods (including online, cashless and unstaffed collections), and strengthens protections for both donors and fundraisers.
For further details the Fundraising Regulator has issued a Code of Fundraising practice 2025: table of changes. Please at a link to: Code of Fundraising Practice 2025: table of changes | Fundraising Regulator
