Introduction
This policy seeks to ensure that all donations are properly received, recorded, and administered using appropriate internal controls, and complying with relevant external regulations. The policy is designed to ensure that all donations to London’s Air Ambulance Charity serve to reinforce our mission by outlining our guiding principles for the acceptance and refusal of donations and for entering into corporate partnership agreements.
The policy applies to all solicited and unsolicited donations to London’s Air Ambulance Charity from individuals, trusts and foundations, companies, community groups and government agencies in the UK and overseas. Donations are defined as either financial or non-financial contributions.
Due Diligence
The Fundraising and Marketing Team will take all reasonable measures to ensure it is aware of the source of funding for gifts and will undertake due diligence to ensure that gifts are for purposes consistent with London’s Air Ambulance Charity’s mission and values. Namely that:
• No legal or reputational issues are raised by the acceptance of a gift.
• The activity to be funded does not create unacceptable conflicts of interest.
• The nature or level of the gift does not result in unacceptable current or future financial liabilities.
Refusal of Donations
The Trustees and Directors are committed to acting in the best interest of the charity in pursuing its purposes, when deciding whether to refuse a donation. London’s Air Ambulance Charity will only do so if accepting it would be more detrimental to the charity being able to achieve its objectives than rejecting it.
When making this decision London’s Air Ambulance Charity will undertake a system of balance and checks to provide careful analysis of the risks of accepting a donation.
This will be decided on a case-by-case basis and in line with Charity Commission and Chartered Institute of Fundraising guidance, which states that donations may only be rejected in exceptional circumstances.
High Risk Industries
The following industries have been highlighted because they are high-risk industries and donations from them need to be considered at a high level, to determine how they may impact the charity. Thus, each donation will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
The risk matrix included in the full version of the Acceptance and Refusal of Donations Policy will help inform decisions on the acceptance and refusal of donations.
• Alcohol distributors and sales
• Arms manufacturing and sales
• Tobacco industries
• Personal injury lawyers
Responsibilities
The Trustees have delegated the ability to make decisions on acceptance and refusal of donations. This will be recorded as part of the policy documentation and provide clarity on who has overall responsibility for managing the process as detailed below.
| Responsible |
Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships; Head of Community Engagement; Head of Communications and Marketing; Deputy Director of Fundraising and Marketing. |
| Accountable | Director of Fundraising and Marketing |
| Consulted | Directors' Group Audit and Risk Committee Board of Trustees |