Fundraising Principles

Third Age is fully committed to achieving the standards contained within the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising.

The Statement exists to:

• Improve fundraising practice

• Promote high levels of accountability and transparency by organisations fundraising from the public

• Provide clarity and assurances to donors and prospective donors about the organisations they support.

• We Third Age have considered the Statement and believe we meet the standards it sets out.

• Third Age's report on our fundraising activities is available in our most recent Annual Report

We welcome your feedback on our performance via any of the contact points provided below

Write to:

Chief Executive Officer 
Áine Brady
Third Age 
Summerhill
Co Meath
Tel: 046 955 7766
Email: abrady@thirdageireland.ie

We are open 5 days a week from 9.00 am to 5.00pm

• We at Third Age commit to comply with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising as agreed and minuted at the Board of Directors meeting on 19th January 2015

• We have a public statement to that effect (on the web, in public areas of our buildings, in appropriate materials, in appropriate communications) 

• We have a Donor Charter. The Donor Charter is highlighted and communicated via our website and in relevant publications and is visible in our Headquarters in Summerhill 

• We will report on compliance to the Statement from 19th January 2015

• We will integrate with regular financial reporting and the Annual Report

• Compliance is considered as part of Fundraising Planning and Budget preparation 

• A policy for evaluating/deciding on allocation of funds is in place 

• We have a plan for any shortfall/excess in income 

• We ensure that our third party fundraisers comply with the Statement 

• We have a policy on working with third party fundraisers 

• We fulfil the requirements for Disclosure 

• We have appointed a lead person to manage and monitor the Statement 

• Relevant staff and volunteers have received information on the Statement, on the current legal requirements in relation to Garda permits, on Data Protection regulation and on the Advertising Standards Authority regulation, on the Code of Conduct on Images and Messages and on IFFDR Code of Practice Staff induction included in the Statement 

• We have a Volunteer Policy  

• We carry out Volunteer induction 

• We have systems and reporting mechanisms in place to regularly update the Board of Directors on our activities and financial position 

• We have systems in place to regularly update the Finance Committee 

• We have an accessible Feedback and Complaints procedure 

• We will report to the Board of Directors any requirements to update amend or clarify the Statement, or any lessons learned about the need to devise further Codes

• We have procedures in place for protecting and reporting on our organisational independence 

• Our financial statements and our Annual Report have been prepared in accordance with the Charities Act 2009 and the Regulations made by the Minister

• We meet the Audit requirements 

• We have systems in place to ensure that all donations are tracked and recorded

• We adhere to current Data Protection regulation 

• We apply high standards in electronic security 

• We have a variety of easily accessible contact options available to the public

“Donors have the right to be informed of the status and authority of those soliciting donations; for example, donors will be informed if fundraisers are employees of the organisation or third party agents”.

• Third Age is open about whether those seeking donations on their behalf are volunteers, employees of the organisation or are third party agents.

• Anyone fundraising on behalf of Third Age must ensure that prospective donors are aware of their status, i.e. volunteers, employees or third party agents.

As a charity seeking donations from the public we Third Age aim to comply with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising.

Our pledge is to treat all our donors with respect, honesty and openness. We commit to being accountable and transparent so that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in Third Age. We promise we will effectively apply your gifts to us for their intended purposes. 

We commit that you our donors and prospective donors will:

• be informed of the organisation’s mission, and of the way the organisation intends to use donated resources;

• be informed of the identity of those serving on the organisation’s governing board, and that the board will exercise prudent judgement in its stewardship responsibilities;

• have access to the organisation’s most recent financial statements;

• be assured your gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given;

• receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition;

• be assured that information about your donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law;

• expect that all relationships with individuals representing the charity will be dealt with professionally;

• be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organisation or hired third party agents;

• have easily available the agreed procedures for making and responding to complaints;

• have the opportunity for any names to be deleted from mailing lists and to be informed if the organisation intends to share the mailing lists with third parties;

• receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers to questions you might have of the organisation.

What to do if you have feedback:

If you do have a comment about any aspect of our work, you can contact Áine Brady, Chief Executive Officer of Third Age, in writing or by telephone.  In the first instance, your comment will be dealt with by Áine and subsequently, if necessary, a member of a relevant Third Age programme.

Please give us as much information as possible and let us know how you would like us to respond, providing relevant contact details.

Áine Brady (Chief Executive Officer)
Third Age
Summerhill
Co Meath
Tel: (046) 9557766
Email: abrady@thirdageireland.ie

We are open 5 days a week from 9.00am to 5.00pm

Third Age will put in place procedures to enable interested parties to notify the organisation of their wishes, comments and complaints. These procedures will include systems to ensure that all feedback (including especially any complaints) are responded to and addressed within a specified timeframe. 

Public or donor queries or complaints should, in the first instance, be addressed to Third Age: 

• Third Age is committed to ensuring that all our communications and dealings with the general public and our supporters are of the highest possible standard. We listen and respond to the views of the general public and our supporters so that we can continue to improve 

• Third Age welcomes both positive and negative feedback. Therefore we aim to ensure that it is as easy as possible to make a complaint

• Third Age treats as a complaint any clear expression of dissatisfaction with our operations which calls for a response

• Third Age will treat it seriously whether it is made by telephone, letter, fax, email or in person

• Third Age will deal with it quickly and politely

• Third Age will respond accordingly - for example, with an explanation, or an apology where we have got things wrong, and information on any action taken 

• Third Age will learn from complaints, use them to improve, and monitor them at Board level

If you have feedback or a complaint – Step One

• If you do have a complaint about any aspect of our work, you can contact Áine Brady CEO, Third Age, in writing or by telephone

• In the first instance, your complaint will be dealt with by our Chief Executive. The complaint may be given to programme managers as appropriate. Please give us as much information as possible and let us know how you would like us to respond to you, providing relevant contact details

Write to:

Chief Executive Officer 
Áine Brady
Third Age 
Summerhill
Co Meath
Tel: 046 955 7766
Email: abrady@thirdageireland.ie

We are open 5 days a week from 9 am to 5 pm

What happens next?

• If you complain in person or over the phone, we will try to resolve the issue there and then

• Similarly, if you complain by email or in writing we will always acknowledge your complaint within 7 days, and do everything we can to resolve it within 21 days. If this is not possible, we will explain why and provide a new deadline

What if the complaint is not resolved?

If you are not happy with our response, you may get in touch again by writing to Third Age’s Chairman. The Chairman will ensure that your appeal is considered at Board level and will respond within two weeks of this consideration by Board members

If you have feedback or a complaint – Step Two

Monitoring Group

• Ideally in the first instance you should address your complaint to the organisation as outlined above

• You may however at any stage make your complaint in writing to the Monitoring Group who oversee charities compliance with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising

What happens next?

You will receive confirmation of receipt of your complaint within 14 days. The Monitoring Group will consider complaints and will respond according to its own procedures 

Please note this section will be updated when the ICTR Monitoring Group has been set up and has developed its procedures

This complaints procedure does not apply to Third Age’s staff or agents.

• Third Age is committed to complying with the Statement for Guiding Principles for Fundraising and has formally discussed and adopted the Statement at a meeting of the Board of Directors

• Third Age confirms its commitment to the principles set out in the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising by a statement to that effect in its annual report

• Third Age has a Donor Charter which is consistent with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising

• Third Age regularly monitors compliance with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising and compliance reports are received regularly by the Board of Directors

• Third Age considers the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising when planning all fundraising activity

• Third Age provides honest, open and transparent disclosure when fundraising from the public

• Third Age has appointed a member of the governing body and/or a senior member of staff to be responsible for compliance with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising

• Third Age ensures that fundraising staff are provided with information and training on the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising and its implementation

• Third Age has a feedback and complaints procedure consistent with the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising. Feedback is recorded for review by relevant staff including the CEO and Board of Directors. Feedback is responded to promptly and appropriately

• Third Age prepares financial reports consistent with the requirements of the Charities Act 2009 which include a statement concerning the extent to which control of the organisation is independent of its funding sources

• Third Age ensures that all donations are tracked and recorded and complies with data protection requirements

• Third Age is accessible to the public through a number of readily available contacts