Fundraising Policy
IPAC Fundraising Policy
Purpose
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) welcomes income from fundraising to resource its activities.
This Policy provides a framework for how fundraising activities at IPAC will be managed to ensure compliance with legal, statutory or regulatory requirements, and to maintain its reputation and adherence to its principles and mission.
This Policy will be reviewed every two years, or more frequently as legislation, guidance from official bodies or industry best practice changes, or should a group of co-chairs whose number together forms at least 20% of the total number of co-chairs requests such a review.
Principles
The following principles should be considered in guiding all fundraising activities:
- Independence. IPAC co-chairs and members must remain in control of the strategic direction and nature of the Alliance’s work. Funds raised must not impinge upon the independence of IPAC.
- Ideological balance. Funders must be agreeable to the entirety of the broad spectrum of political viewpoints contained within IPAC. The composition of the fundraising committee, and their acting by the principle of unanimity, helps protect this.
- Integrity. IPAC must have confidence that sources of funding do not have anything about them which compromises our values or deflects from our campaigns. The Fundraising Committee is obliged to refuse funds where the integrity of the donors or grant making institutions may be under doubt.
Policy
IPAC will only accept funds if the following requirements are met:
- Transparency: Donors and grant making institutions must be transparent with regard to their political activities and relationships with political organisations.
- Ethical sources: IPAC will not accept any funding from donors and grant making institutions directly involved with any unethical activities, subject to the considerations of the Fundraising Committee.
- Independence from state control: IPAC will not accept funds from institutions under direct state control. Government financed institutions that operate independently of state control are acceptable.
- Benefit: there are strong grounds for believing the funds raised will benefit the mission and objectives of IPAC. Funds raised may resource the expenditure of the secretariat, but not that of the co-chairs or the membership.
- Integrity: the donor or grant making institution will not bring IPAC into disrepute or damage its reputation or integrity.
- Strategic fit: the activities and objectives of donors and grant making institutions do not contradict IPAC’s mission and objectives.
- Independence: donations and grants do not impinge upon the ability of IPAC to set its own strategic direction. Donations and grants do not allow for the impression that IPAC is owned by a third party.
- Influence: there is no attempt on the part of the donor or grant making institution to influence policy or actions either explicitly or implicitly.
- Legality: donations and grants must be, and, as far as is ascertainable, wholly legal under applicable law.
- Standards: the donor or grant making institution must meet any appropriate and associated national or international standards, and abide by any relevant regulations.
Organisational structure
The Fundraising Committee
To enact the fundraising policy, a Fundraising Committee shall be formed with the following characteristics:
Purpose
The Fundraising Committee will work to:
- Develop fundraising strategies.
- Ensure adherence to the fundraising policy in all fundraising activities.
- Provide transparency and accountability for fundraising activities to IPAC co- chairs, members.
Responsibilities
The Fundraising Committee will carry out the following activities:
- Approve donations and grants offered against the criteria set out in the fundraising policy.
- Approve sources of funding for which the IPAC Secretariat should actively seek funds.
- Regularly update co-chairs and members on the status of fundraising activities, at least twice a year.
Composition
The Fundraising Committee should be composed of the following:
- One co-chair from Australasia, one from Europe, one from North America and one from the Asia-Pacific region, and, as far as possible, be representative of the political diversity of IPAC.
Processing donations
The Fundraising Committee must approve all large donations from private individuals in line with the criteria set out in the Fundraising Policy.
A large donation is defined as any monetary gift or donation in kind that exceeds €2000 Euros in value.
The Fundraising Committee may ask the Secretariat to conduct preliminary vetting into large donations from private individuals.
The Fundraising Committee may approve the active seeking out of large donations from certain private individuals identified by the Secretariat.
The Fundraising Committee should work with the Secretariat to ensure an accurate and proper account of donations received.
Processing grants
The Fundraising Committee should work with the Secretariat to draw up a list of approved sources of grants. The Secretariat should then work to seek out funding from these approved sources.
The Fundraising Committee should work with the Secretariat to ensure an accurate and proper account of grants applied for and received.
Incorporation and Bank Account
IPAC should work towards incorporation, official registration and the opening of a bank account. This should take place in one jurisdiction, to act as a central hub for the Alliance’s work across the globe.
Audit
The Fundraising Committee may choose to enlist an independent notary to conduct an audit of the IPAC accounts and fundraising process to review and make recommendations on the Fundraising Committee’s adherence to the Fundraising Policy.
Data protection
IPAC will administer all fundraising in line with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation.
Donors or grant making institutions will never be given direct or indirect access to mailing lists, internal data or internal documents held by IPAC.
All donors and grant making institutions have a right to request access to their data and may obtain this by contacting a member of the Secretariat.
Should any donor or grant making institution wish to make a complaint about fundraising, then they may do so by contacting a member of the Secretariat who are then obliged to inform the Fundraising Committee.
Use of Agencies & Third Parties
On occasion, the Fundraising Committee may enlist third parties, sponsorship agencies, consultants and other partners to assist with fundraising activities, subject to approval from the co-chairs. Where such parties are engaged, they must also adhere to this policy.
The use of their services must be communicated to prospective donors and grant making institutions and the value of their use must be assessed by the Fundraising Committee.
Authorisation
Agreed at the Meeting of the IPAC co-chairs on the 18th of November 2020.
