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UNICEF Aotearoa Ethical Fundraising Policy

Purpose 

 

This policy sets out principles for the conduct of our fundraising activities and interaction with donors and the public. It applies to Board trustees, management and staff of the New Zealand National Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF Aotearoa), but also to its ambassadors, contractors and/or consultants who may publicly represent UNICEF Aotearoa. 

 

Policy 

 

UNICEF Aotearoa is committed to ethical, accountable and transparent fundraising practices which build and maintain public trust and confidence. 

 

Every effort shall be made to raise unrestricted funds that offer UNICEF operational flexibility to meet the needs of children. However, when donors demand that donations are gifts which are restricted, funds shall be used for purposes consistent with the donor’s intent, as indicated by the donor or as described in the relevant fundraising campaign material. 

 

When it is likely that funds will exceed the amount required for a specific fundraising campaign, UNICEF Aotearoa will have a statement on our website and in communication materials that states what will happen to any additional funds. 

 

Where funds are being raised for directly supported projects 1, UNICEF Aotearoa fundraising teams work closely with the International Programmes team to ensure that all communications and marketing material associated with the fundraising campaign accurately depict the project, so that donors understand what UNICEF Country Offices will use their donations for. 

 

Branding, communications and marketing 

 

All materials and other communications used for fundraising purposes and addressed to donors and the public shall clearly identify us as UNICEF Aotearoa and be accurate and truthful. This should include information on the use of the funds and administrative or fundraising costs. 

 

All fundraising material should follow the UNICEF communication and branding guidelines to ensure they portray children and their families in a dignified and respectful manner. 

 

New Zealand donation receipts for tax credits 

 

In accordance with applicable taxation legislation requirements, donors shall be provided with specific acknowledgments of their contributions as well as any other information to facilitate their compliance with such requirements. 

 

Face-to-Face fundraising 

 

Fundraisers shall uphold high standards of professional behaviour and be aware of their responsibilities in carrying out fundraising activities. All staff and official volunteers on fundraising activities are required to wear UNICEF branded clothing and photo- identification showing that that they are representing UNICEF Aotearoa in an official capacity. They shall be provided with appropriate training and supervision to ensure understanding of their responsibilities and requirements of applicable laws. All fundraising staff and volunteers are provided with training and information on the projects and programmes they are fundraising for. 

 

Fundraisers shall be remunerated in a way that does not encourage behaviour resulting in undue pressure on donors. 

 

Fundraising by third parties 

 

Any third-party individual or organisation which is contracted to fundraise for UNICEF Aotearoa will only do so once a written contract or agreement is signed by both parties, and the third party has demonstrated that they meet full regulatory and legislative requirements. All contracts and agreements specify that UNICEF Aotearoa is the beneficiary of all funds raised. All third-party contractors are supervised and monitored regularly by the UNICEF Aotearoa fundraising team. 

 

Confidentiality 

 

Board Trustees, members of staff and external parties (contractors, consultants, etc. to extent applicable) shall not disclose, divulge, or make accessible confidential information belonging to, or obtained through their work with UNICEF Aotearoa either during or following their employment, service or contract, to any other person and to whom UNICEF Aotearoa has not authorised disclosure. This specifically applies to donor details. 

 

Types of donations 

 

Anonymous donations will be accepted, however significant anonymous donations 2 may be subject to a risk assessment by the Board on their suitability in promoting the organisation’s mission. 

 

Donations from corporate entities which do not meet the criteria specified in UNICEF’s Corporate Engagement Guidelines must not be accepted or solicited in any way. Any unsolicited donations in this category must be reported to the UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnership Division and returned to the donor entity in a timely manner. 

 

Donations from political parties will not be accepted. Donations from individual politicians may be accepted and are subject to the same ethical considerations as donations from other individuals. 

 

In case of an unsolicited contribution, the Board is responsible for determining whether a contribution should be accepted or declined when it is believed that UNICEF’s mission, vision or priorities could be at risk by acceptance of the gift. Due consideration should be given to legislation and its evolution with respect to a possible legal obligation to accept donations. 

 

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) should inform the Board of such a contribution and conduct an initial risk assessment and make an initial recommendation. The Board should consider the recommendation from the CEO and conduct a clear and transparent evaluation of the contribution, against the specific criteria, to determine its agreeability with the organisation’s mission, values and priorities. The evaluation should be documented. 

 

Privacy 

 

The privacy of donors and, except where any disclosure is required by law, shall be respected and the names and contact information of donors will not be provided to other sources unless agreed with the donor in advance. Donors are provided with an opportunity to opt out of the use of their personal details. 

 

Complaints 

 

UNICEF Aotearoa policy appreciates the values of public and donor concerns or complaints and is committed to receiving and processing complaints. UNICEF Aotearoa has a mechanism in place where concerns or complaints can be made to UNICEF Aotearoa in relation to its conduct of fundraising, advocacy, campaign or programme activities. 

 

How can a complaint be made? 

 

The process for making a complaint is detailed in the UNICEF Aotearoa Complaints Policy. 

 

Responsibilities 

 

This policy is governed by and should be interpreted in accordance with the laws and regulations of New Zealand. 

 

UNICEF Aotearoa is a member of the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand and the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association and abides by its Code of Conduct. 

 

It is the responsibility of the Head of Individual Giving to ensure the effective implementation and maintenance of this policy, and any associated documents. 

 

It is the responsibility of the Head of Strategic Partnerships to report to UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnership Division if an unsolicited donation has been received from a corporate entity which falls under the specific exclusionary criteria, and that any such donation is returned to the corporate entity in a timely manner. 

 

1. Directly Supported Programme: Any programme for which UNICEF Aotearoa remits funds earmarked for a specific programme and where UNICEF Aotearoa has ongoing engagement in the monitoring and management of the programme. ↩ 

 

2. Deemed to be in excess of NZ$1,000.↩ 

We’re committed to transparency. To see how we split up expenses and manage our costs, read our annual report or visit UNICEF Open to see a live overview of all our projects.

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UNICEF Aotearoa is a registered charity with the New Zealand Charities Commission (CC35979), making you eligible for a tax refund of up to a third of your donation. All transactions are billed in New Zealand dollars.

UNICEF Aotearoa operates from Level 5, 86 Victoria Street, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.