Any organisation wishing join the PFRA as a user (charity) or provider (fundraising agency) member must first complete a self-accreditation process.
Slightly different according to the category of membership, the accreditation processes, among other things, requires members to:
- have a complaints procedure in place
- ensure fundraisers always carry a copy of the abridged code of practice
- commit to the mystery shopping programme
- declare that fundraisers always make the correct disclosure statement
- understand the Institute of Fundraising Face-to-Face Activity Code of Fundraising Practice
- have adequate public liability insurance.
Failure to satisfy certain of the criteria – for instance, not having adequate public liability insurance or not declaring that fundraisers disclose – will mean that an application for membership is refused.
In the accreditation process, we follow the convention of the Institute of Fundraising in the use of the words 'must', 'ought' and 'should'.
- 'Must' corresponds to a legal requirement
- 'Ought' describes something that is mandatory for PFRA members
- 'Should' describes something that is recommended best practice but not mandatory.