News In Focus
16 December 2005
Charity fundraisers to disclose payments
Regulations proposed to be made under the new Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act will require more openness on the part of charity fundraisers.
A draft just published by Scottish Ministers for consultation would mean that professional fundraisers for charities and benevolent bodies will have to:
- declare who they are;
- say whether they are being paid to collect donations, and if so, how much of the money goes to the charitable cause; and
- have written agreements with the charity, specifying how and why the money is being raised and for what purpose the donation will be used.
The relevant powers are found in sections 81 and 83 of the Act. The draft is out for consultation until 10 March 2006 and the regulations are expected to come into force in the summer.
Deputy Communities Minister Johann Lamont said that the move will further increase public confidence in charities.
"It is right that with the new reformed charity law in place, we continue to build confidence in charities. I'm clear that this will increase transparency and public accountability for charities and will let the public know exactly where their money is going."
The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator has recently published a searchable list of charities in Scotland, including details of each one's charitable purposes, income, beneficiaries and geographical location.