Volunteer Fundraisers and Fundraising Groups

The Institute of Fundraising has a code of practice for volunteer fundraising.

An individual may be engaged by a charity as a volunteer fundraiser but if they are paid by the charity any more than genuine reimbursement for their expenses they will be classed as a “professional fundraiser” and they will be subject to the relevant rules for professional fundraisers.

A number of individuals might get together to work as a volunteer fundraising group for the benefit of a charity. The group might either be set up by the charity itself (perhaps with some or all individual members of the group being engaged by the charity as volunteers) or it might be set up and operated by the members of the group itself on their own initiative.

The charity will be responsible for the group if it acts “on behalf of” the charity but not if it acts “in aid of” the charity. For an explanation of these two modes of working as a fundraising group and how a charity should deal with fundraising groups, see our Volunteer Fundraising Groups: Rules For Working With A Charity and our Guidance Notes - Volunteer Charity Fundraising Groups under "Related Documents" below.