FUNDRAISING POLICY

MCAI's Fundraising Policy

MCAI complies with the Code of Fundraising Practice developed by the Fundraising Regulator and complies with all regulation from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) and the Independent Fundraising Standards and Adjudication Panel for Scotland.

MCAI operates a fundraising promise (see Appendix 1)

MCAI spends only 4% of its resources for charity running costs (unrestricted funding) on fundraising (around 1% of all income).

MCAI does not use the services of professional, paid fundraisers or contractors and does not employ staff whom only focus on fundraising (currently MCAI employs 2 part-time staff in the UK).

MCAI does not have any promotional agreements with any commercial companies.

The vast majority of MCAI’s fundraising activities are undertaken by unpaid volunteers (mostly MCAI’s Trustees, including Honorary Directors).

MCAI operates an ethical fundraising policy as follows:

MCAI does not accept gifts and/or donations from corporations and industries that are in the following categories:

Arms manufacturing and selling: The arms industry provides the means to cause human suffering and any association with this industry compromises MCAI’s ethos, values and work.

Tobacco manufacturing and selling: Donations are not taken from tobacco corporations as they are in conflict with MCAI’s ethos, values and work.

Pharmaceutical Industry: MCAI will not accept funding from pharmaceutical companies. MCAI may consider accepting in-kind donations from pharmaceutical companies only on an exceptional, medically justified basis. MCAI will consider applying for funds to charitable Foundations associated with pharmaceutical companies on a case-by-case basis.

Food companies that make and promote infant milk formulae: MCAI will not accept any donations from these companies and will not be associated with them in any way.

Fossil fuel and Extraction Industry: MCAI will not accept funding from the fossil fuel and extraction industries because of their harmful effects on the environment and the health of local populations in low-resource settings.

MCAI makes every effort to track and check the source of all major donations (those over £500).

MCAI does not knowingly accept donations from individual major donors directly linked with the following activities:

Arms trading, tobacco manufacturing and selling, promoting infant milk formulae, selling and promoting pharmaceutical products, extracting fossil fuels, and furthering the abuse of human rights.

Appendix 1: MCAI’s Fundraising Promise

WE ARE COMMITTED TO HIGH STANDARDS

We ensure that MCAI staff volunteers, and Trustees comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice and with MCAI’s Fundraising Promise.
We comply with the law including those that apply to data protection, health and safety and the environment.

WE ARE HONEST AND OPEN

We tell the truth and do not exaggerate.
We do what we say we are going to do.
We answer all reasonable questions about our fundraising activities and costs.

WE ARE CLEAR

We are clear about who we are, what we do and how your gift is used.
We give a clear explanation of how you can make a gift and amend a regular commitment.

WE ARE RESPECTFUL

We respect the rights, dignities and privacy of our supporters and beneficiaries.
We will not put undue pressure on you to make a gift and if you do not want to give or wish to cease giving, we will respect your decision.
If you tell us that you don’t want us to contact you in a particular way we will not do so.

WE ARE FAIR AND REASONABLE

We take care not to use any images or words that cause unjustifiable distress or offence.
We take care not to cause unreasonable nuisance or disruption.

WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE

If you are unhappy with anything we’ve done whilst fundraising, you can contact us to make a complaint.
We have a complaints procedure, a copy of which is available on request.
If we cannot resolve your complaint, we accept the authority of the Independent Fundraising Standards and Adjudication Panel for Scotland.

Fundraising Promise

Agreed by MCAI Trustees May 2016

Revised September 2016

Revised February 2017