The Regulator for Charities in England and Wales

Burmese cyclone appeal – advice for charities and the public

The number of victims from the cyclone which hit Burma (also known as Myanmar) at the start of May is escalating alarmingly. Charities and individual members of the public are already looking at how best to help. The advice and guidance below is intended to make both collecting and donating as straightforward and effective as possible.

Charities:

Many charities may want to act directly, may wish to send money, or look to raise funds to pass on to a charity that is directly involved. In unexpected disasters like this, there is often very little time available to charities to prepare the ground. But there are some key points that charities should make sure they’ve considered before acting:

  • Before doing anything, check what your charity is set up to do (its objects) – are these purposes wide enough to allow you to collect funds, send money or act directly? If in doubt, check with us.
  • Don’t duplicate – check out what others in your area are doing and see if you can join forces.
  • If you are going to launch an appeal, the purpose of the appeal needs to be clearly expressed. The public must know whether they are contributing to a particular project or to the general work of the charity.
  • Where possible, set an end date for the appeal. Plans should also be in place to deal with any surplus money - we advise that these should be clearly explained in the fund-raising literature. Our OG53 (see link below) contains more detail on this.
  • If running a public collection, make sure you’ve got the go-ahead from your local authority or (in London) the Met police – permission will streamline the collection process.
  • Bank the cash as soon as possible – get a receipt from the bank or building society. And report back to the people in your workplace or community who’ve given. They’ll know the money’s reaching those in need and it will stimulate the fundraising initiative.

If you have any questions about the best way forward for your charity, or about any of the points made here, contact the Commission first. It’s better to get these points sorted out in advance than to try and address any difficulties that come up after the appeal has been completed. The following pieces of guidance may also be of use when looking at how to proceed:

For general information on  Charities and fundraising (CC20)

For particular advice on what happens if there is a surplus of funds, or not enough is raised see (OG53) 

For the Attorney General’s guidelines on disaster appeals (CC40)

For general advice for charities working internationally

For advice on financial controls for charities (CC8)

Public:

The public has demonstrated its generosity in responding to appeals of this sort in the past, and people are already starting to donate here. Charities do great work and need every penny they can get, and the vast majority of collections are absolutely genuine. However, there are a few things you may want to check before donating to ensure your money does the most good:

  • Make sure you Gift Aid your contribution wherever possible – Gift Aid means an extra 28p in every pound that you give will go to those in need, at no extra cost to you.
  • Is the collection for a registered charity? If so, what’s the registered charity number? Is this displayed on collection material? Call or visit the online register of charities to check that it’s genuine. (NB. many scout groups, guide groups and local churches don’t have to register, but are valid charities – if a charity doesn’t have a registration number, it should be able to explain why).
  • Be suspicious of someone who says they’re collecting for ‘victims of the cyclone’ or something equally vague – what’s the name of the charity? Do they only have a registered company number? This just means that the organisation is registered with Companies House.
  • Don’t donate clothes or other goods to a charity without first checking that the charity will be able to make use of these.
  • Don’t feel awkward about asking questions, and don’t feel pressurised to donate to a particular collector. Genuine charities will be happy to give you information about how your donation will be used.
  • If in doubt, find another way to give. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), for example, is a coalition of 13 humanitarian aid agencies that aims to maximise funds and spend them in an effective and accountable way.

You can check if a charity is registered in England or Wales and find additional information on the Commission website at www.charitycommission.gov.uk, or by calling 0845 3000 218.

For more information on the DEC and how to donate, visit www.dec.org.uk