Exclusive: National peak points members to FIA code over proposed govt principles

Fundraising Institute Australia’s CEO Katherine Raskob praises moves to reduce red tape in the sector, but says the proposed government principles come secondary to its own code of conduct.

National peak body Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) has welcomed the proposal to harmonise fundraising laws across the country, but says the FIA code of conduct goes above the nationally-agreed upon government principles.

See more: Fundraising rules to be harmonised nationally

Assistant charities minister Andrew Leigh recently announced the move to install nationally consistent fundraising rules, which includes a set of principles on charitable fundraiser conduct that were developed by a working group of state and territory representatives.

In an exclusive interview with Pro Bono News, FIA CEO Katherine Raskob said these principles will not affect its member base – including thousands of high-profile charities – which will instead continue to adhere to the FIA code of conduct, citing direct support from Leigh on the matter.

“We have a self-regulatory code, which is our FIA code of conduct, and all of our members adhere to that code, they undertake training in that code, and they agree to abide by the code. That sets, over and above government regulations, a standard for fundraising,” said Raskob.

“Because members of FIA are all governed by a code of conduct, they’re absolutely not worried about any principles with regard to ethical conduct.

“Andrew Leigh put out a statement a couple of months ago, saying they were working on the harmonisation of fundraising regulation and that he felt that if charities were already adhering to industry codes like the FIA code, he referenced it specifically, that they would be covered under the new principles.”

Instead, FIA is more interested in the reform’s aim to reduce red tape in the sector, which has been the focus of its advocacy efforts for the past 15 years.

“Because we know that the ethical standards of [fundraising] behaviour are governed by the code, it’s actually the red tape sitting underneath it that we’ve been arguing for,” continued Raskob.

“We fronted this in a Select Committee on Charity Fundraising in 2018, and we put forward our position that absolutely what is required to reduce the red tape and the burden for charities, is a nationally consistent framework for fundraising. So it’s really fantastic to see Andrew Leigh announcing that he’s moving towards this approach.”

See more: Fundraising changes welcomed, questions remain over practicalities

However, FIA has been notably absent from supporting the sector-wide #FixFundraising campaign – spearheaded by Justice Connect and supported by a coalition of eight peak bodies that included CCA, Philanthropy Australia and ACOSS – which called on the government to update and simplify fundraising laws.

Raskob said the decision to abstain from the coalition came down to its push for a mandatory code of conduct, which conflicted with FIA’s self-regulatory code.

“One of the earlier ideas of the #FixFundraising coalition was that there’ll be a mandatory code, which we didn’t agree with,” said Raskob.

“I think that’s one of the reasons why we weren’t often included in that coalition. Because we have a self-regulatory code, we don’t think we need a mandatory one. That doesn’t appear to be part of the principles that Andrew Leigh is putting forward now.”

The FIA code of conduct aims to raise the profile of the sector, and enhance its credibility and reputation with donors, government and the broader community. All FIA members must comply with the high-level principles of the code, which was updated in 2018 to account for advancements in technology and fundraising.

As part of the refresh, FIA developed practice notes and guidance across key areas of fundraising, from using AI and SMS to dealing with younger donors, which are constantly revised and published as new advice is required.

The proposed government principles largely overlap with the FIA code of conduct, with similar direction offered on topics of transparency and honesty; complying with a refusal to donate; complaints processes; and vulnerable donor exploitation, among others.

While the FIA code of conduct explicitly states that it “does not replace or override any law”, Raskob said she was “not at all worried” about the similarities.

“FIA’s role is as an advocacy for its members and the broader sector, and so we have been working really hard with government, both when it was in opposition and currently,” said Raskob.

“We’ve been working with Andrew Leigh really closely, and he’s very aware of the FIA code. He’s very aware we’ve had more than six thousand fundraisers, CEOs and board directors go through the training and we’ve got seven and a half thousand members that all adhere to the FIA code.”