List of Members

Austria
FVA - Fundraising Verband Austria - www.fundraising.at
EFA-Delegate: Mag. Georg Duit (georg.duit@saz.at)
EFA-Delegate: Günther Lutschinger, CEO (guenther.lutschinger@fundraising.at)

Belgium
Belgian Fundraisers Network, Belgian Association for Ethical Fundraising
EFA-Delegate: Lutgart Govaerts (lutgart.govaerts@rodekruis.be)

Denmark
ISOBRO - The Danish Fundraising Council - www.isobro.dk
General Secretary: Robert Hinnerskov (RH@isobro.dk)
EFA-Delegate: Mette Holm (mh@isobro.dk)

Finland
VaLa - Association for Responsible Donations, Finnish Fundraising Association
EFA-Delegate: Ritka Heino (ritka.heino@amnesty.fi)

France
Association Française des Fundraisers - www.fundraisers.fr
EFA-Delegate / Director: Yaële Aferiat (yaele@fundraisers.fr)
Member Portrait 

Germany
Deutscher Fundraising Verband e.V. - www.fundraisingverband.de
Executive Director: Peter Leetz (leetz@fundraisingverband.de)
EFA-Delegate: Becky Ann Gilbert (becky.gilbert@gmx.de)
EFA-Delegate: Katja Deckert (k.deckert@lebenshilfe-ffm.de)

Italy
ASSIF - Associazione Italiana Fundraiser - www.assif.it
EFA-Delegate: Beatrice Lentati (beatrice.lentati@lentati.com)
EFA-Delegate: Francesca Zagni (francesca.zagni@fastwebnet.it)

Netherlands
NGF - Dutch Fundraisers Association
EFA-Delegate / Treasurer: Robert van Boven (r.van.boven@mensenkinderen.nl)
EFA-Delegate / Board Member: Suzette Wyers (suzettewyers@dds.nl)
Member Portrait

VFI - Association of Fundraising Organisations - www.vfi.nl
EFA-Delegate / Executive Director: Gosse Bosma (bosma@vfi.nl or info@vfi.nl)

Norway
Norges Innsamlingsråd - www.innsamlingsradet.no
EFA-Delegate / CEO: Leila Raustøl
(leila@innsamlingsradet.no)

Poland
Polskie Stowarzyszenie Fundraisingu (Polish Fundraising Association) - www.fundraising.org.pl
EFA-Delegate / President & CEO: Robert Kawalko (r.kawalko@fundraising.org.pl)
Member Portrait

Spain
Asociación Española de Fundraising - www.profesionalesfundraising.org
EFA-Delegate / President: Marta Cardona (mcardona@aldeasinfantiles.es)
EFA-Delegate / Director General: Marcos Concepción Raba (mconcepcion@ aefundraising.org)

Sweden
Swedish Fundraising Council (FRII) - www.frii.se
EFA-Delegate / General Secretary: Erik Zachrison (erik@frii.se)
Swedish Fundraisers - www.swedishfundraisers.se
EFA-Delegate: Mikael Strandänger (mikael@strandanger.com)
Member Portrait

Switzerland
Swissfundraising - www.swissfundraising.org
EFA-Delegate / Executive Director: Roger Tinner (Roger.Tinner@swissfundraising.org)
EFA-Delegate: Thomas Kurmann (thomas.kurmann@berlin.msf.org)

United Kingdom
Institute of Fundraising - www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk
EFA-Delegate / Executive Director: Lindsay Boswell (lindsayb@institute-of-fundraising.org.uk)
Member Portrait

Ukraine
Institute of Professional Fundraising - www.fundraiser.org.ua
EFA-Delegate / Executive Director: Svitlana Kuts
(skuts@ipnet.ua)


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At a Glance Date established: 1996 Number of members: 180 Membership type: Individual fundraisers Main purpose: Developing French fundraising capacity

Yaële Aferiat Executive Director (since February 2006) After several years as project manager for qualitative research in the private sector, Yaële very quickly began using her marketing skills for causes that inspire her, first internationally and then in France. After six years as Fundraising Manager for the Bureau International Catholique de l’Enfance, she recently became Director of the Association Française des Fundraisers (after having served on the board for more than four years).

An interview with Jon Duschinsky,
former Executive Director (July 2005)

How long have you been working with the Union pour la Générosité and how has the organisation developed since then?
Just to explain a little bit of background first, the Union was run as a fully voluntary organisation until 2004. I was Chair from 2002 and then became the first paid member of staff, when I was appointed Director at the beginning of 2004. To be quite truthful, the organisation we took over in 2002 had come to a bit of a standstill, suffering all the difficulties that can come with being run on a 100% voluntary basis. However, since 2002 we have been able to achieve quite a lot, especially in the area of training and in the success we are experiencing with the French Fundraising Convention. The first convention was held in 1999, but was not repeated until 2003. Since then we haven’t looked back, with delegate numbers rising to just over 275 for the three-day event, which will be held at the end of June. In addition, a major milestone for us is the recent launch of France’s first ever Professional Fundraising Training Certificate.

What are the main activities and benefits provided for members?
Our members benefit by belonging to a network of likeminded professionals for the sharing and exchange of information and experience. Our role is to make sure that we drive the network forward with new products and services to increase fundraising capacity as a whole. Training and information are key activities. We hold monthly breakfast meetings for members, which are combined with a half-day training session. We have also developed a website resource which has very much become the major fundraising portal in France, with about 1,500 visits a week. The news and views section is updated on a daily basis, so that members (and non-members) can keep up to date with developments in fundraising. Members also have their own area with exclusive access to specific resources. We also have a magazine, Trait d’Union pour la Générosité, which is available on a subscription basis.
Overall, we have four main areas of activity:
· professionalizing the sector and setting standards,
· developing a forum for networking and experience sharing,
· building external relations, especially with the media and government, to both raise awareness of fundraising as a profession and to improve the image of fundraising in general, and
· promoting ethical practices.

What measures has the Union taken to promote ethical practices and to ensure that members apply these in their activities?
We have developed a Code of Ethics for individual fundraisers, which members sign prior to joining and then annually, to reconfirm their commitment to ethical practices. The Code deals with fundraising practice and techniques, and also covers the responsibilities and rights of each fundraiser. Although a lot of people become fundraisers by accident, once in the field, many view the work as a vocation. The profession, however, brings with it a wide range of responsibilities to the charities and donors, and to the public and beneficiaries. The Union places the subject of ethics high on its agenda and has therefore excluded members and refused to validate the membership of potential members who have not complied with the Code of Ethics.

What are the Union’s main goals for the future and how quickly can these be achieved?
One of our main goals is to reach out to the organisations in France who are going to need to generate private funds in the future. What we are seeing here is a situation similar to that experienced in the UK in the 80s, with the government cutting levels of funding and nonprofits having to become more independent and proactive. Our vision is one of a third sector that is able to respond to the increasing needs of society both in France and abroad. In order to make this vision reality, we believe that the third sector has to professionalize. As government increasingly pulls out of charity funding, we want to make sure that these organisations are equipped to move forward and embrace the mobilisation of private resources, rather than face the threat of extinction. We are looking at a 5-10 year horizon – in this time we anticipate that the sector should really take off. There are one million registered charities in France – more than in USA where there are 850,000. The crucial difference is that in the States practically all charities are actively fundraising. Of the 1 million charities in France, around 200,000 have a social, educational or humanitarian mission and therefore the potential to fundraise. These organisations are supported by the state in their activities and, as state funding decreases, we will see their fundraising activity necessarily increase. To a certain extent, we are seeing this already with the diversification of resource mobilisation into other areas beyond the charity world – e.g. in theatres, museums, schools and universities. Many people are only just waking up to fact that budgets are no longer pointing skywards and that action will need to be taken. The Union wants to be in a position to be able to respond to these needs. We have therefore established a Higher Education and Research Section to specifically provide support in this area.

How would you describe the fundraising sector in France at the present time?
The key phrase is that the sector is going to go bang – there is huge potential here. France has 5 million donors in a population of 65 million. Many people don’t give because no one is asking! In the UK and Germany the situation is different, with saturation points being reached, forcing people to move beyond the core fundraising market of older people who give regularly to charity.

What do you see as the major opportunities for developing fundraising in France? What role can the Union play in this regard?
One thing we can do is to make sure that we keep pushing the horizons here, so that fundraisers can see what is possible and be inspired. This does not necessarily mean copying, but rather learning from experiences elsewhere, and developing and applying creative ideas to their own fundraising strategies. We have just completed a study, The State of Fundraising in France, and have found that the vast majority of charities are seeing their fundraising revenues increase by 5-10% each year. The reason for this is that good strategic choices are being made by both charities and donors. The sector is becoming more aware, building year on year to mobilise more and more donors to support their activities.

Are there any particular challenges facing French fundraisers? How can these be overcome?
Maintaining and developing public confidence is a challenge. There are a lot of answers that one can put forward here. You could take the Guidestar model for example, or go the Australian route of charity league tables. Alternatively, you could go for closer control of third sector activity. However, I don’t believe that any particular model can simply be uprooted and used in France. What we need to aim for is probably more a mix of internal transparency within charities and better relations with the media. The first of these is a cultural issue that charities need to address and, in many cases, are already addressing. The second is a recurrent problem wherever you are. Charities tend to communicate today either to raise money or to raise profile for their cause. On the other hand, media representatives tend to communicate about charities either to create a scandal or to raise money for them. We need to develop a better understanding between the charity sector and the media, building special relationships with people who are able to build bridges. Journalists are not out to destroy charities and are supportive of the aims of the sector, but they do have a professional requirement for transparency and are often frustrated by how opaque charities can be. The other side of the coin is that many charities are doing their best to be transparent and often feel that they are being attacked. This is a problem which needs to be addressed. On a practical level we need to train people who are specialists in this area. We also need stories which are interesting enough to mobilise readership or viewers to serve a positive purpose for the sector as a whole - creating a win-win situation.

What measures might the government or the EU take to improve conditions for the sector? Is the Union lobbying for change?
The government response here has been to increase tax breaks for donors. Any donation to a charity entitles the donor to deduct 66% (previously 50%) of the donation amount from their total tax bill. The amount is 75% for organisations involved in providing social services for people in need. This is all well and good, however tax deductions don’t increase giving. What the government should be doing is promoting charitable giving and not just imposing conditions on the sector. “The Giving Campaign” which was run in the UK is a good example of what can be done.
The Union is lobbying to ensure that fundraising is recognised as a profession that is an integral part of third sector development. Up to fairly recently, the government hasn’t really talked to fundraisers, so we are working to bring the voice of professional fundraising to the government and legislature.

Can you describe a typical French donor? Which causes inspire the French to give?
This would probably be a woman of about 65, a multi-donor giving to 5-15 causes and managing fairly carefully an annual charity budget.
Causes that work well here are the traditional ones such as medical research, cancer charities, etc. which is linked to the fact that the majority of donors come from the higher age ranges. Children’s charities are also well supported. However, giving for international causes, such as Africa, is becoming more and more difficult. We have just seen the launch of Make Poverty History here in France and it will be interesting to see what coverage - and what success - the campaign will have.

If the Union had one wish for the sector in France, what would it be?
We would like to see become reality our vision that all the needs not being met by the state or the corporate sector could be met effectively by the third sector.

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At a Glance Date established: 1994 Number of members: 240 Membership type: Individual fundraisers, fundraisers working for charities and fundraising consultants Main purpose: Networking, education and advocacy

An interview with Marc Wortmann, Chair (October 2005)

How long have you been working with the Dutch Fundraisers' Association and how has the organisation developed since then?
I became a board member at the beginning of 2001and was appointed Chair in December 2001. The Association started off on a very small scale and has grown in parallel with the growth of fundraising activities in the Netherlands. This is due to the fact that the Netherlands was dominated by the welfare state in the second half of the 20th century and that, with the reduction of government support starting in the 1980s, there has been an increase in opportunities for the development of civil society and fundraising.

What are the main activities and benefits provided for members?
We organise four member meetings each year. These are very well attended with 60-100 members contributing to the discussions. We offer our members discounts on conferences and they receive the two major Dutch fundraising magazines as part of their membership. We also offer discounts on education and training.

What measures has the Dutch Fundraisers' Association taken to promote ethical practices and to ensure that members apply these in their activities?
The Association has its own ethical code and each member must subscribe to this. We also have a procedure in place for dealing with any breaches of the code. The code has been in place since 1997 and is published on the Association's website. And we hold regular discussions on ethical practices at our meetings.

What are the Association's main goals for the future and how quickly can these be achieved?
The Association is keen to develop its activities to reflect the areas of interest and concern to its members. We therefore carried out a member survey via the internet in the summer and the results were published in September. The survey shows that members want to have more activities in respect of education, training and new fundraising techniques - so this will be our main goal for the next 2-3 years. We have also been working on profiles for fundraisers at different levels and want to develop these to cover all fundraising levels. This will provide a useful tool for trainers and educators.

How would you describe the fundraising sector in the Netherlands at the present time?
The sector in the Netherlands is growing. Many more organisations are starting to work with fundraising, especially those reliant on government funding in the past, such as universities, care and welfare organisations, and cultural institutions. You are also seeing more local initiatives, such as the establishment of community foundations, etc. There is a tendency towards more transparency, as demanded by the public and the media. The sector will therefore have to give more thought to presenting results publicly, including the costs involved in respect of salaries and overheads.
What do you see as the major opportunities for developing fundraising in the Netherlands? What role can the Association play in this regard?
We are constantly looking at trends and information on new techniques. In the Netherlands e-marketing, face to face fundraising and also door to door fundraising will provide opportunities for development. We have also been looking at how to reach younger people. This is particularly important with most current donors in the 50+ agegroup. In June, we therefore carried out a survey of best practices on how to reach younger people.

Are there any particular challenges facing Dutch fundraisers? How can these be overcome?
There has been a huge discussion in the Netherlands about third sector salaries, especially at the executive director level. The main challenge is to be able to show that donors' money is being used responsibly. We also have a problem with 'cowboy' organisations not working to ethical standards. Direct mail and telemarketing are areas that have suffered because a few organisations have been working in an unethical manner. Unfortunately, it is far too easy for them to work in the country as there is little regulation in this area. However, we have to try and solve this problem without excessive regulation.

What measures might the government or the EU take to improve conditions for the sector? Is the Association lobbying for change?
Fiscal conditions could be improved. Tax breaks are not as good in the Netherlands as in the UK, so we are lobbying for improvement in this area. As mentioned above, we also feel that the government should take a firmer line with unethical organisations and are also lobbying for this.

Can you describe a typical Dutch donor? Which causes inspire the Dutch to give?
The majority of Dutch donors give small amounts to a large number of charities. The average amount given at one time is smaller than in other countries. It is normal to give 10 euro to many different organisations - mainly to health, welfare, religious and third world charities. In the Netherlands there are still a lot of door to door collections, where many donors give 1 euro. Although a donation of 1 euro is common for cash collections, this figure is likely to rise to at least 10 euro if payment is made by cheque or bank debit.

Can you outline any particularly successful fundraising campaigns?
As reported in the July issue of Fundraising Europe, Tsunami fundraising produced the best ever fundraising result in the Netherlands.
The three major charity lotteries also raise a lot of money - 6-700 million euro, 50% of that going to help third sector organisations. We also had a very successful biking tour organised by KWF, with 700,000 euro raised for cancer charities.

Do you know of a recent fundraising disaster, and how this might be avoided in future?
An indirect example is the lottery organisation that tried to run an extra lottery for a special cause, which subsequently had to be cancelled. The mistake they made was that they had planned to take payment for this by simply deducting the amount through an extra direct debit payment, with those not wishing to take part having to opt out. The lesson here is that donors should always be given the opportunity to opt in rather than opting out.

If the Dutch Fundraisers' Association had one wish for the sector in the Netherlands, what would it be?
The Association's wish for the sector is that organisations operating unethically should be banned from working in fundraising. They are damaging the market and public trust in the sector. This is a great pity, especially as there are in fact so many organisations committed to ethics, which are doing a great job for fundraising in the Netherlands.

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At a Glance Date established: 1991 Number of members: 79 Membership type: Members are all non-profit organisations Main purpose: To promote ethical and professional fundraising in Sweden

An interview with Erik Zachrison, General Secretary

How long have you been working with the FRII and how has it developed since then?
I was appointed FRII’s first General Secretary in 1999. Prior to that, I was Head of Fundraising at Amnesty International. Most of the eight board members at FRII are Heads of Fundraising of member organisations. Since 1999, membership has grown considerably, with an increase of 25 members. The Council has become more established as spokesman for chartable fundraising in Sweden and we also have a broader programme.

What are the main activities and benefits provided for members?
We have three major activities:
· Working towards better conditions for fundraising in Sweden
· Work on ethics and developing ethical guidelines for Swedish fundraising
· Training and networking for Swedish fundraisers

There are a number of issues that we are addressing at the Council in respect of the first of these. Our main goal is to introduce tax-deduction for donations in Sweden. All the other 24 EU members have some form of tax-deduction, so we want to make sure that this is introduced in Sweden for both private and company donations. The VAT issue is also important, as NPOs have to pay VAT when they buy goods and services, but we want to make this deductible or refundable. We therefore have observer status with the ECCVAT in order to be able to do as much as we can in this area. And finally we are working towards the reduction of costs in respect of the banking and telecom systems for fundraising. We organise an Annual Fundraising Congress, which takes place in May. This year the two-day Congress attracted 200 delegates and 15 sponsors. We also organise regular breakfast meetings on a hot topic, which are very popular with members. Once a year we offer a two-day fundraising training course for beginners, attended by 30 participants. Training is definitely a high priority at FRII, and we are very proud to be part of the EFA Certification programme, with Sweden, Hungary and Spain as partners working with the fundraising associations in Great Britain and Germany. As part of the programme we are delighted to be able to offer our members 15 places on a professional fundraising course, which will be run together with a Stockholm university. This will start in September and 14 places have already been taken. It is a part-time course, so fundraisers can continue working during their studies.

What measures has FRII taken to promote ethical practices and to ensure that members apply these?
We have taken the decision to work on a new Code of Ethics for members and we have started this process, working together with PricewaterhouseCoopers. We already have a set of ethical guidelines, but we want to develop these. Following a discussion on face to face fundraising last year, we have also adopted codes of practice for our members. Although we do not have the resources to monitor our members, we do rigorously follow up any complaints received. Such matters are handled by the board of FRII.

What are the FRII’s main goals for the future and how quickly can these be achieved?
Our number one goal is rather general - to increase transparency and openness in fundraising, in order to build donor confidence. It will take time, but we intend to work very hard to achieve this goal. Of course, many things fall within this framework. The Code of Ethics is a very important part. Benchmarking also plays a key role, so we have launched a study among members in order to measure fundraising costs and efficiency. We are due to publish the study results in August. We also want to increase membership, attracting 10 more members over the next 2 years. There are still a number of organisations we would like to join the family. For example we would especially like to have more church organisations. Another goal is to develop our links with the Swedish Institute for Fundraising Control, so that we can work together to build confidence and quality.

How would you describe the fundraising sector in Sweden at the present time?
The sector is really quite advanced, but we can still learn a lot from other countries, such as Great Britain, the Netherlands and the USA. A lot of networking goes on between the Nordic countries, with all four having similar organisations, so that there is a continuous exchange of ideas. The sector is becoming increasingly professional, with volunteers playing a vital part, and having a self-regulatory body for fundraising is very important. In addition, we are watching the activities of a new organisation in Sweden with interest. Charity Rating, which is currently setting up a similar service to that offered by Guidestar, will rate the 100 largest fundraising organisations in Sweden. The organisation is currently asking our members for a lot of information and we need to monitor how this develops.

What do you see as the major opportunities for developing fundraising in Sweden?
Training will be vital to the future development of professional fundraising in Sweden. The FRII plans to increase the number of high-quality training courses it offers and thus engage more people in professional fundraising. We also intend to increase the lobbying we are doing for better conditions for fundraising, in order to help the sector achieve better results. We want to support the very open atmosphere in Swedish fundraising organisations and their willingness to share experiences, by offering more opportunities for networking and exchange.

What are the particular challenges facing fundraisers in Sweden?
As I see it, the major challenge will be to build a really professional fundraising sector, but at the same time being careful not to lose the voluntary spirit. The challenge is to keep the right balance between the two. It is the spirit that distinguishes the third sector from the government and commercial sectors. The third sector is a special sector. At the same time fundraising costs money, but there is no such thing as fundraising without cost. It will be increasingly important to make sure that our boards and CEOs understand fundraising better. At the present time there is not enough knowledge within the charities themselves and they are very focussed on programme work. They need to understand that to gain resources, you have to make an investment in fundraising.

What measures might the government or the EU take to improve conditions for the sector?
FRII would like to see a system of self-regulation for the fundraising sector in Sweden. There are currently no laws on fundraising in Sweden and we would like to keep the system that we have, which functions well. We have already done some lobbying in respect of EFA Certification. We might also approach the EU when it comes to setting up ethical standards in Europe. At the moment fundraising ethics are dealt with at a national level, but maybe we could open up more and learn from each other. It would be good to have a window on Europe with projects through the EU.

Can you describe a typical donor from Sweden? Which causes inspire donors to give?
Mrs Gerd Givare is the Swedish version of Dorothy Donor (seven out of ten donors in Sweden are women). Gerd Givare gives regularly every year to well-established organisations such as the Swedish Red Cross, the Swedish Cancer Society and Save the Children. Gerd’s family gives around €100 a year.

Can you outline one particularly successful campaign and explain why it was so successful?
The tsunami disaster prompted Sweden’s biggest campaign ever, bringing in €100 million - a phenomenal result. It showed people in Sweden how to open up to new methods. During the campaign, SMS fundraising made a breakthrough, as did internet fundraising. Company giving, as opposed to sponsoring, also took off and many companies opened their pockets. It could be said that the tsunami appeal opened many peoples’ eyes to fundraising in Sweden. Many people who were first-time givers have kept giving, so that even organisations not related to the Tsunami also benefited, showing good fundraising results. At the FRII Congress in May, the fundraising prize for 2005 deservedly went to the Swedish Red Cross for their outstanding achievement in response to both the tsunami and the earthquake in Pakistan.

If FRII had one wish for the sector in your country, what would it be?
It all boils down to keeping the confidence of Gerd Givare. FRII would therefore like to see fundraising in Sweden being carried out in a professional and ethical way, keeping and even increasing the confidence of individual donors (who account for 95% of fundraising income). It is easy to damage fundraising’s reputation through negative press, so FRII intends to help keep the sector in good shape, with sound working conditions, in order to build and keep confidence.

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At a Glance Date established: 1983 Number of members: 4,200 individuals / 200 organisations Membership type: Individual fundraisers and fundraising oganisations Main purpose: The Institute of Fundraising exists to drive up standards of fundraising in the UK - helping fundraisers to do it better

An interview with Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive

How long have you been working with the Institute and how has it developed since then?
I started at the Institute in 2000 and since then it has grown tremendously both in terms of size and influence. Not only have we managed to double the membership, the Institute’s reach and influence has also increased considerably. This is partly due to the changes in the voluntary sector in the UK, which have lead to a lot of external activity.

What are the main activities and benefits provided for members?
These are guided by the two forms of membership, i.e. for individuals and organisations. We give support to individual fundraisers in their careers - providing knowledge, information, expertise and networking opportunities to allow members to do their current jobs to the best of their abilities and to help them advance in their careers. Another important area is driving forward high standards in fundraising with professional qualifications and extensive training. We also have a very developed branch network across the UK and these groups provide a lot of local support and services.
On the other side of the coin, the Institute is championing fundraising in terms of giving it a higher profile, so that more people are attracted to becoming professional fundraisers.
If we can get to the stage where mothers of fundraisers stop asking them when they are going to get a proper job, we will have reached our mission that fundraising be widely recognised as a respected profession. That said, we do not want to diminish the important role played by the 5 million or so UK volunteers. Our aim is to make people aware that behind the volunteers there is a vital core of fundraising professionals.
In this particular area, the work of the Institute clearly overlaps with the work of the European Fundraising Association. EFA’s EUROFRAT project is very close to the Institute’s heart.
We have a long-established Certificate in Fundraising Management, which is held by 10% of our membership. We feel that it is important to achieve comparably high standards in fundraising across Europe. In the long-term this will benefit our members giving them more opportunities as demand increases for fundraisers abroad.

What measures has the Institute taken to promote ethical practices and to ensure that members apply these in their activities?
At the moment, it is a key requirement that members abide by the Institute’s Codes of Fundraising Practice, the Code of Conduct and Donors’ Charter. However, as part of a major 5-year programme supported by government funding, we are now in the process of introducing an independent, self-regulatory scheme for fundraising.
An independent board will be appointed to receive complaints from the public on matters concerning fundraising practice. The Institute’s role will be to respond to the complaints and also to implement improvements to the Code. The Charities’ Bill going through parliament is set to give the UK a framework for the self-regulation of fundraising which is more developed than in any other European county. The scheme has to be a success, otherwise the government will regulate.
The code has been in place since 1997 and is published on the Association’s website. And we hold regular discussions on ethical practices at our meetings.

What are the Institute’s main goals for the future and how quickly can these be achieved?
Our main goals are:
a) growing the membership to strengthen the Institute’s representative voice for fundraisers
b) continuing the drive towards the professionalisation of fundraising and introducing continuous professional development models,
c) increasing standards with the development of the Codes of Fundraising Practice and their roll out through self-regulation.
We have a 3-year plan for doubling the membership and there is a 5-year programme for measuring the success of self-regulation.

How would you describe the fundraising sector in the UK at the present time?
The sector is highly developed in the UK and makes particularly good use of geography - sitting between developments in the rest of Europe and what is happening in the USA. The sector is growing incredibly quickly, spreading fast into areas such as the arts, health and education.

What do you see as the major opportunities for developing fundraising in the UK? What role can the Institute play in this regard?
Fundraising has always been innovative, creative and dynamic and it is now clearly the new technologies that are creating a whole raft of opportunities.
On one level the Institute is helping the whole process of innovation and development, e.g. the use of texting and the web as forms of communication and fundraising, while also trying to ensure that these developments happen in ways that comply with good practice.
An example of this is that the Institute is lobbying mobile phone operators to reduce tariffs on text donations.

What are the particular challenges facing fundraisers in the UK? How can these be overcome?
A key challenge is the lack of knowledge and information about the fact that professional fundraising exists. Most donors concentrate on the voluntary side, with a sense that fundraising almost happens through osmosis, with no costs attached.
In reality it is a sophisticated industry which needs to compete hard to be heard. More charities need to invest in more diverse portfolios, if they are going to succeed.
An overarching problem is the way that organisations in the sector are developing. The big brands are getting bigger, sewing up more of the market, with small local community based organisations managing to survive, having low costs and being close to stakeholders, so it is the
medium-sized organisations who are the ones suffering as a result.
This is a difficult problem, encompassing the whole question of the streamlining of charities and an increasing number of strategic partnerships. It is difficult to see a solution - in the end, market forces will dictate.

What measures might the government or the EU take to improve conditions for the sector? Is the Institute lobbying for change?
The government has already taken a number of measures, such as creating a very tax-friendly environment for fundraising in the UK and supporting self-regulation. And it would like to see the income from the sector play a bigger role.
However, this also constitutes a threat in terms of the general public questioning the role of charities and other NPOs.
With increases in national insurance payments for hospital investment running parallel with more widespread fundraising by hospitals, the question needs to be asked - does this not confuse the public?

Can you outline one particularly successful campaign and explain why it was so successful?
The Remember a Charity campaign has proven to be unique in the UK voluntary sector. Successfully rebranding from the Legacy Promotion Campaign, Remember a Charity is a consortium of 150 charities. These charities pooled their marketing budgets in the area of legacies in an effort to increase the number of people who make a will and include a charity in their will.
A measure of the success of the campaign is that a rise from 13% to 15% in the number of people remembering a charity in their will represents the equivalent of £180 million a year, making the campaign even more successful than Live Aid.

If the Institute had one wish for the sector in your country, what would it be?
We would like fundraisers to take a more long-term approach. They should consider the impact that fundraising being carried out today will have tomorrow.
Rather than measuring success on targets set for just 12 months time, fundraisers should give thought to the cultural impact across the whole sector.

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At a Glance Date established: 2006 Number of members: 36 Membership type: Individual fundraisers only Main purpose: To support the development of fundraising in Poland

An interview with Robert Kawalko, President & CEO

What are the main activities and benefits provided for members?
As a newly formed Association, we are currently concentrating on motivating Polish fundraisers by organising the first International Fundraising Conference in Poland. This will take place on 19 April 2007 in Krakow. Although we had initially planned to hold the conference in 2006, it was a good decision to wait because we have been able to rally a lot of support. We are now working together with a number of sponsors and institutions, both public and private, who want to support our efforts. The regional authorities, the American embassy and many private companies are involved. The conference will be a very exciting event. Over 250 Polish fundraisers will attend, and there will be international and Polish speakers giving presentations and workshops. We are hoping to bring the spirit of Noordwijkerhout to Poland.

What measures has the PFA taken to promote ethical practices and to ensure that members apply these in their activities?
Firstly, we have established a Commission on Ethics. Our team of three fundraisers has the task of promoting the International Statement of Ethical Principals in Fundraising. The first big achievement has been translating the Statement into Polish, so that we can get the message across to as many fundraisers as possible in Poland. We always emphasise that ethical fundraising is the basis for all of our activities. However, we face a problem in Poland with the protection of data. We are trying to change people's attitudes, so that organisations in Poland will become more transparent and be more willing to publish reports on how the public's money is spent. In our experience, if ethics is neglected it has a detrimental effect on the whole fundraising community in Poland, so we have to protect each other with strong ethical values. The generosity of people depends on how we behave.

What are the PFA’s main goals for the future and how quickly can these be achieved?
A report on the state of NPOs in Poland was published recently. It shows that the position of non-profits is weakening - there are less and less people working for NPOs, budgets are smaller and they are facing more problems in finding volunteers. This all points to a crisis in Polish philanthropy, with many people losing hope because of too much bureaucracy and too many obstacles in their way. The main reason for these problems is the fact that most non-profits don't have a professional fundraiser within the organisation. If we were to have effective fundraisers in Poland it would give organisations hope. Employing strong, well-educated people could change the situation dramatically. Against this background, our main goal at the PFA is to train fundraisers, so that every Polish NPO has the opportunity to employ its own professional fundraiser. Training has to be our main focus to start with. Fundraising is a new concept here, so people in Poland will wait and watch, and if fundraising is effective they will believe in it. The next few years will be crucial for us to be able to prove that fundraising works.
Fundraising is definitely a global issue. The PFA thus wants to be active in the international field, working together with the European Fundraising Association on suitable initiatives. We want to gain from the experience and achievements of both the EFA and the AFP in the United States. There are big changes ahead for fundraising in Poland and the PFA wants to be a source of inspiration and motivation for fundraisers both now and in the future.

How would you describe the fundraising sector in Poland at the present time?
There are only a few major organisations leading the way with some great achievements in fundraising, for example some of the big humanitarian organisations. Caritas is also very successful, through the parish and church structures. However, there are very few organisations that are planning their activities strategically. The majority have not started planning ahead or looking for a fundraiser to support their activities, but simply react as the occasion demands. Very few organisations understand that building social capital takes a long time - they expect enormous results in just a few months. The PFA is trying to help them understand that they should start by developing a strategy and by considering employing a person devoted to raising funds. The problem is that there are no qualified fundraisers in Poland at the current time. Every organisation has to train their own person on their own, which of course causes problems. There is no tradition of working with fundraisers, so boards often have problems with participating in campaigns, as they are more used to making demands rather than participating.

What do you see as the major opportunities for developing fundraising in Poland? What role can the PFA play in this regard?
We meet friends everywhere we go - when state officers realise what we want to achieve, they become enthusiasts and supporters of our mission. That's why we decided not to raise funds from the sources where we would compete with our members' organisations. We will rely mostly on public grants because we believe that the state makes a really good investment giving relatively small resources to invest in NGOs. When fundraisers get strong, their organisations will be less and less dependent on grants, so the public sector will keep the taxes for other needs. We also count on business sponsors who want to collaborate with us to develop strong NPOs with their wealth of campaigns, events and other creative social initiatives. We believe that a symbiosis of business and non-profits in Poland is a question of time even though now it's practically two different worlds.

Are there any particular challenges facing fundraisers in Poland? How can these be overcome?
We are facing the challenge of building an infrastructure for fundraisers within Polish NPOs, so that they become an important member of the management team. At the current time, fundraising has not achieved a great deal. But if the PFA can achieve its goals, the position will improve. Fundraisers must prove that fundraising works. They must show that it is a solid and reliable method to stabilise the organisation.
The dramatic position in Poland is that 99% of organisations rely exclusively on government grants. This means that there are thousands of applications for very small amounts of money. Successful fundraising will be able to bring financial stability based on three external sources: grants, business support and individual donations.

What measures might the government or the EU take to improve conditions for the sector? Is the PFA lobbying for change?
It is too early for the PFA to lobby now, as the Association has only just been formed. However, an important question for the government to address is that of taxes. If taxes were lowered, people would have more flexibility in deciding what to do with their money. They would have more at their disposal to give to good causes.

Can you describe a typical Polish donor? Which causes inspire donors to give?
Elderly people are more generous in Poland. Young Poles have their own goals and are concentrating on themselves right now. In general, people are likely to give when others give - during huge public collections transmitted by TV. Systematic, reliable donors are still very rare, sometimes because nobody has approached potential donors in a convincing manner. On the other hand, there are some organisations which have thousands of loyal and generous donors.

Can you outline one particularly successful campaign and explain why it was so successful?
The click to donate campaign is extremely successful - many Polish people start the day by opening the website and clicking on the wooden who then jumps for joy. Each click activates funding to provide meals for poor children. The campaign was started 5 years ago and is supported by donations from private companies. A total of approximately € 1.15 million has been donated so far. It is simple, positive, and optimistic. And it works. Take a look for yourself: www.pajacyk.pl

If the PFA had one wish for the sector in Poland, what would it be?
We would like to see at least one professional fundraiser in every non-profit organisation in Poland.

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