Statement of Compliance with Guiding Principles for Fundraising

MS Ireland 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.

The Board of MS Ireland have considered the Statement and believe we meet the standards it sets out. Where we have not complied with the Statement we have provided an explanation.

MS Ireland'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. Please see below for our Feedback and Complaints Procedure. 

The Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising is a guide to best practice developed by a steering group set up in response to the Charities Act 2009.

Learn more about the Statement of Guiding Principles or download the document here. 

The Board of MS Ireland endorse the following "Donor Charter"
“As a charity seeking donations from the public, we, the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland, (MS Ireland) 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 MS Ireland.

• We promise we will effectively apply your gifts to use 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. MS Ireland mailing lists are not shared with third parties.

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

If you do have a comment about any aspect of our work, you can contact MS Ireland in writing, by telephone or email. In the first instance, your comment will be dealt with by our CEO. Please give us as much information as possible and let us know how you would like us to respond, providing relevant contact details.

Write to: Chief Executive, MS Ireland, 80 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4 Tel: 01 6781600 Email: avab@ms-society.ie

The Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising sets out the following in relation to Disclosure:

“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”.

Disclosure:

MS Ireland is open about whether those seeking donations on its behalf are volunteers, employees of the organisation or are third party agents. Anyone fundraising on behalf of MS Ireland must ensure that prospective donors are aware of their status, i.e. volunteers, employees or third party agents.

Note: 

If or when a member of the public enquires about the employment standing of a fundraiser they must receive an honest and open answer. The standing, in this case, relates to whether or not a fundraiser is a volunteer, a paid employee of the charitable organisation or a third party agent working on behalf of the charity.

As a valued supporter of MS Ireland, the board know it is important that we facilitate any feedback or complaints that you may have. If for any reason, you should feel aggrieved then we will endeavour to do our utmost to make sure that we come to a satisfactory resolution. We feel it is important that we learn from our mistakes so your feedback is very important to us.

We are committed to ensuring that all our communications and dealings with the general public and supporters are of the highest possible standard. We listen and respond to your views so that we can continue to improve. We are committed to upholding the Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising available here, we welcome all feedback.  

Therefore we aim to ensure that:
• it is as easy as possible to make a complaint;
• we treat as a complaint any clear expression of dissatisfaction with our operations which calls for a response;
• we treat it seriously whether it is made by telephone, letter, fax, email or in person;
• we deal with it quickly and politely;
• we respond accordingly - for example, with an explanation, or an apology where we have got things wrong, and information on any action taken etc;
• we learn from complaints, use them to improve, and monitor them at our Board.

If you have feedback or a complaint about any of our work you can contact our Chief Executive by email, telephone or in writing:

Ava Battles, Chief Executive, MS Ireland, 80 Northumberland Road, Dublin 4; Tel: 01 6781600; Email: avab@ms-society.ie

If your complaint is received over the phone we will endeavour to have it resolved there and then (where possible), if it is received by email, fax or post we will acknowledge it within 7 days and do everything to resolve any complaints within 14 working days. If this is not possible, we will explain why and provide a new deadline.

If you are not happy with our response, you may get in touch again by writing to MS Ireland’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.

Finally, if you feel that you are not satisfied, we can direct you to an independent monitoring group who will assess your complaint in an objective manner.