Red tailed bumblebee © Jon Hawkins SurreyHillsPhotography
Responsible fundraising and complaints procedure
The Trust is registered with the Fundraising Regulator. As part of that commitment, we have made a public promise to adhere to best practice in all fundraising activity, enabling you to give with confidence.
We hope that our membership with the Fundraising Regulator will build trust and confidence in charitable giving and encourage more people to provide essential support for nature conservation. As members of the scheme, we follow the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice, ensuring that our fundraising is legal, open, honest and respectful, so that supporting Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is a great experience.
We make the following Fundraising Promise:
Our Fundraising Promise
We commit to high standards
- We will adhere to the Fundraising Code of Practice.
- We will monitor fundraisers, volunteers and third parties working with us to raise funds, to ensure that they comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice and with this Promise.
- We will comply with the law as it applies to charities and fundraising.
- We will display the Fundraising Regulator badge on our fundraising material to show we are committed to good practice.
We will be clear, honest and open
- We will tell the truth and we will not exaggerate.
- We will do what we say we are going to do with donations we receive.
- We will be clear about who we are and what we do.
- We will give a clear explanation of how you can make a gift and change a regular donation.
- Where we ask a third party to fundraise on our behalf, we will make this relationship and the financial arrangement transparent.
- We will be able to explain our fundraising costs and show how they are in the best interests of our cause if challenged.
- We will ensure our complaints process is clear and easily accessible.
- We will provide clear and evidence-based reasons for our decisions on complaints.
- We are open and transparent about any fees taken from donations.
We will be respectful
- We will respect your rights and privacy.
- We will not put undue pressure on you to make a gift. If you do not want to give or wish to cease giving, we will respect your decision.
- Where the law requires, we will get your consent before we contact you to fundraise.
- If you tell us that you don’t want us to contact you in a particular way, we will not do so.
We will be accountable and responsible
- We will manage our resources responsibly and consider the impact of our fundraising on our donors, supporters and the wider public.
- If you are unhappy with anything we’ve done whilst fundraising, you can contact us to make a complaint. We will listen to feedback and respond appropriately to compliments and criticism we receive.
- We will have a complaints procedure (see below), a copy of which will be available on our website or available on request.
- Our complaints procedure (see below) will let you know how to contact the Fundraising Regulator in the event that you feel our response is unsatisfactory.
- We will monitor and record the number of complaints we receive each year and share this data with the Fundraising Regulator on request, and in our Annual Report.
How to make a complaint about our fundraising
If you are unhappy or concerned about any of our fundraising activities, we would like to hear about it so that we can address any issues as soon as possible and continue our commitment to best practice. To discuss general queries or concerns, please contact Ian Wadley, Director of Marketing & Fundraising, via ian.wadley@hiwwt.org.uk in the first instance.
If you wish to make a formal complaint about our fundraising, please find further information below. If you have a complaint about any other aspect of our work, please click here.
Stage 1: Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust tries to resolve the complaint
Any complaints can be raised with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust or the Fundraising Regulator.
- How to complain: Register the complaint with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust in writing or by phone within 12 weeks of the incident taking place.
- complaints@hiwwt.org.uk
- Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP
- 01489 774400
- Complaint is acknowledged: We will acknowledge the complaint in writing within 14 days and provide you with a copy of the Trust complaints procedure and the Fundraising Promise.
- Complaint is recorded: Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust will keep a record of the complaint for at least 24 months from the date the complaint was made and will make the record available for inspection by the Fundraising Regulator if required.
- Investigation is completed: We will tell you of the outcome of the investigation in writing within 28 days of acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint.
- If you are unhappy with the outcome: You can escalate the complaint by raising your concerns with the Fundraising Regulator within two months of receiving Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s final response. Further information on how to do so can be found on this section of the Fundraising Regulator website.
Stage 2: The Fundraising Regulator tries to resolve the complaint
- If the complaint is not satisfactorily resolved, then it can be passed to the Fundraising Regulator. They will investigate the complaint and work with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and yourself to try to resolve the problem.
- Once the Fundraising Regulator has received the complaint, they will contact us to inform us of the complaint and to gather information from us regarding the issue.
- Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust will provide the Fundraising Regulator with any fundraising materials as necessary and will cooperate fully and comply with any remedy proposed by the Fundraising Regulator.
- The Fundraising Regulator will investigate the complaint and try to resolve it with all parties concerned within 30 days.
Stage 3: The Fundraising Regulator upholds or rejects a complaint
- If you are still not satisfied with the outcome, you can ask the Fundraising Regulator to adjudicate.
- The Fundraising Regulator will review the complaint and report their conclusion within 60 days. The Fundraising Regulator has the discretion to specify that either no further action is appropriate or to censure Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and prescribe one or more sanctions. The Fundraising Regulator will try to pursue the case to a satisfactory conclusion for both parties.