Volunteers

Guidance for charitable organisations

In this section ‘you’ means a charitable organisation. 

Our Code of Fundraising Practice (the code) sets out two types of volunteer relationship: ‘on behalf of’ and ‘in aid of’. 

‘On behalf of’ volunteer fundraising is when you have instructed (asked or directed) the volunteer to fundraise for you. In the code we use the term ‘under the instruction of a charitable institution’. This means you have asked or directed the volunteer to fundraise on your behalf. 

‘In aid of' volunteer fundraising is when the volunteer has not been instructed (asked or directed) by you to fundraise. This is the more common kind of volunteer fundraising.  

The distinction between ‘on behalf of’ and ‘in aid of ’ is important because it will determine whether, and to what degree, you are responsible for the volunteer’s fundraising activity. The more evidence there is of a charity’s involvement in the volunteer fundraiser’s activities before they take place, the more likely the volunteer could be seen as fundraising ‘on behalf of’ the organisation.

Sometimes it may be difficult to decide if a volunteer fundraising arrangement is ‘in aid of’ or ‘on behalf of’. For example, a charity might publicise a ‘fun run’ event where participants raise money. This situation would probably be considered an ‘in aid of’ volunteer arrangement because the opportunity was advertised to the general public. However, the more evidence there is of a charity’s involvement in the volunteer fundraiser’s activities before they take place, the more likely the volunteer could be seen as fundraising ‘on behalf of’ the organisation.

You must make sure that any guidance, information and support you give to volunteers are adequate and relevant to the type of relationship (‘on behalf of’ or ‘in aid of’) that the volunteer has with you, if any.

What is expected of organisations and ‘on behalf of’ volunteer fundraisers?

When you have instructed a volunteer to fundraise ‘on behalf of’ your organisation, you are responsible for their activity and will need to make sure you have proper procedures in place to support best practice and protect the public.

You must follow the standards for working with volunteer fundraisers set out in section five of the code and monitor volunteer fundraisers’ activity to make sure they are acting in a legal, open, honest and respectful way.

Volunteers must also read and follow the standards on general fundraising behaviour in section one of the code, on handling donations in section four and, if relevant, on raising sponsorship for an event in section 11 before they begin fundraising. We strongly recommend you include reference to the code in any guidance or information you provide to volunteers.

There may also be other standards to follow depending on the fundraising activity in question (such as digital or events fundraising). You should therefore check the relevant sections of the code to make sure both volunteers and your organisation are compliant with the relevant standards. 

What is expected of organisations which are aware of ‘in aid of’ volunteer fundraisers?

You might not be aware of ‘in aid of’ activity until you receive donations the volunteer has collected. But if you are aware of any ‘in aid of’ volunteer fundraising activity before it begins or while it is carried out, you must tell the volunteer to use the phrase ‘in aid of’ in their fundraising communications.

You must also make clear that the volunteer is responsible for all aspects of their fundraising activity and that you will not accept any liability relating to their fundraising. 

The Chartered Institute of Fundraising has published further guidance for charitable organisations working with volunteer fundraisers.

Advice for volunteer fundraisers

Volunteers play an important part in fundraising and supporting charitable giving. This includes hosting community events, carrying out street collections, raising funds online and taking part in challenge events to support the causes they care about.

This advice explains the key things all volunteers should be thinking about before they start fundraising, and the rules to follow depending on whether you have been instructed (asked or directed) to fundraise by a charitable organisation.

Key things to consider before you start fundraising

Successful fundraising starts with careful planning. Before you begin, you should consider the following points to make sure your fundraising has the best chance of success.

• Be specific about the cause you intend to help and how you are going to do this. Check that the cause you want to help has a clear need for your fundraising.
• Before you accept donations, you should know how you will get them to the cause for which you are fundraising. Working directly with a charity or organisation will ensure this can be done easily.
• Remember to set a time limit or financial target for your appeal so that your aim is clear from the outset.

Our 10 steps for setting up a fundraising appeal and online fundraising advice include other important points to consider before you start fundraising. 

The two types of volunteer fundraising

The nature of your relationship with a charitable organisation will determine which rules need to be followed when fundraising. The code describes two types of volunteer fundraising arrangements – ‘in aid of’ and ‘on behalf of’.

‘In aid of' volunteer fundraising is when you have not been instructed (asked or directed) by an organisation to fundraise. This is the most common kind of volunteer fundraising. An example of ‘in aid of’ volunteer fundraising could include someone setting up a bake sale in support of a charity, but without that charity asking or directing them to do so. 

‘On behalf of’ volunteer fundraising is when you have been instructed (asked or directed) to fundraise by the organisation. An example of ‘on behalf of’ volunteer fundraising could include someone distributing leaflets or carrying out a street collection for a named charity (often wearing an ID badge and using charity branding).

Sometimes it may be difficult to decide if a volunteer fundraising arrangement is ‘in aid of’ or ‘on behalf of’. For example, a charity might publicise a ‘fun run’ event where participants raise money. This situation would probably be considered an ‘in aid of’ volunteer arrangement because the opportunity was advertised to the general public. However, the more evidence there is of a charity’s involvement in the volunteer fundraiser’s activities before they take place, the more likely the volunteer could be seen as fundraising ‘on behalf of’ the organisation. 

Set out below are the relevant sections of the code that you either must follow if you are an ‘on behalf of’ fundraiser or which you should follow as best practice if you are an ‘in aid of’ volunteer fundraiser.

What are the responsibilities for ‘in aid of’ volunteers?

If you want to start fundraising ‘in aid of’ an organisation, you should contact it to let the organisation know what you are planning to do. This means that it will be able to put any agreements in place and provide appropriate support.

You should use the phrase ‘in aid of’ in your fundraising communications to make clear that you are volunteering ‘in aid of’ your chosen cause.

‘In aid of’ volunteers are responsible for all aspects of their fundraising activity. You can make sure your fundraising is in line with best practice by following:

• the general fundraising behaviour standards in section one of the code. This includes treating people fairly and taking into account the needs of donors who may be in vulnerable circumstances; and
• the standards in section four which explain how you can make sure you are processing donations correctly.

Our online fundraising advice has some useful tips to consider if you are thinking of using an online fundraising platform. 

What are the responsibilities for ‘on behalf of’ volunteers?

If you have been directed or asked to fundraise ‘on behalf of’ an organisation, the organisation will need to make sure that proper procedures are in place – such as training – to support best practice and protect the public. 

It is important that you understand the behaviour that is expected of you, know the cause you are fundraising for, and have a reasonable understanding of how donations will be spent so that you can answer any questions if asked. 

You and the organisation must follow the code to make sure that your fundraising is legal, open, honest and respectful. You can do this by following:

• the general fundraising behaviour standards in section one. This includes treating people fairly and taking into account the needs of donors who may be in vulnerable circumstances
• section four which covers the standards for processing donations; and 
• the standards on raising sponsorship for an event in section 11, if relevant.

There may also be other standards to follow in part three of the code depending on the fundraising activity. 

If you have any questions about your responsibilities, you can contact our code advice service for guidance and support.