Face-to-face fundraising Code of Conduct

This code of conduct applies to all Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA) and Fundraising Institute of New Zealand (FINZ) members conducting face-to-face fundraising activities in New Zealand. Face-to-face fundraising includes door-to-door (residential), business-to-consumer, street sites, private sites, petitioning and two-step activity.

1. Every face-to-face fundraiser working on behalf of an organisation must be given a copy of this Code of Conduct, whether they are working directly for the organisation or are employed or contracted to fundraise on behalf of another organisation.
2. This standard must always be adhered to by all face-to-face fundraisers.
3. This code of conduct applies in conjunction with PFRA’s Agreement, Constitution, Rule Book, and complaints process. It also applies in conjunction with the FINZ Codes of Fundraising Practice, which includes the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, the Fundraiser’s Relationships with Donors and the FINZ Complaints Process (where members belong to FINZ).
4. It is mandatory for all organisations participating in public street site face-to-face fundraising in rostered cities to be members of the PFRA.
5. All face-to-face fundraisers will comply with NZ law. This standard does not replace nor override any law.

The information and standards within this Code of Conduct must be included in a fundraiser’s initial and ongoing training (some of which should be conducted on the streets or residentially)

1. Each organisation (PFO or NGO) must ensure appropriate background checks as to the suitability of their fundraisers to be representatives fundraising on the organisation’s behalf. This includes legality to work in New Zealand and adherence to all employment or contract laws. Fundraisers are not entitled to work in a voluntary capacity without prior agreement with their charity client.
2. An organisation must require a fundraiser (who is contracted or employed) to clearly display to a donor:
   1. an authorised pledge form (paper or electronic)
   2. photographic identification that clearly identifies the fundraiser, shows they are in paid employment and if they work for a third party, the name. Their ID badge must include the following elements:
      1. fundraiser or agents full name
      2. the charity’s full name or trading name
      3. a photograph of the fundraiser
      4. the words ‘paid fundraiser’, ‘paid collector’, ‘paid campaigner’, or ‘paid
      5. [charity name] employee’ (for in house programmes) in a minimum font size the same as 10pt Arial
      6. if applicable, it must also state the organisation’s authorisation to use a third-party and the full name of the third party.
      7. The name tag can show the fundraiser to be ‘in training’ or ‘observation’ but these individuals must not be fundraising. Any person who is on-site in branded clothing whether training or observing or managing must display a name badge
3. On request, any mandatory identification requirements for a fundraising activity required by legislation, the PFRA or the local governing body, such as the Auckland City Council licence when street fundraising in Auckland.

1. Each organisation must have a professional dress code in place which, at a minimum, requires all face-to-face fundraiser to wear branded clothing as the top layer. Branded clothing means the charity brand must be visible and identifiable by the public from five metres away.
2. All clothing must be clean and smart. There should be no stains, rips, or holes in any clothing.
3. A fundraiser must never wear branded clothing supplied by the organisation whilst not engaged in a face-to-face fundraising activity. This means all branded clothing must be covered or removed during breaks and while journeying to or from their location. Branded clothing is never to be worn while smoking or drinking alcohol.
4. On the authorised pledge form (paper or online) required by this standard, an organisation must provide the:
   (a) Full name of the organisation
   (b) Charity registration number or IR donee number
   (c) Full business address and telephone number
   (d) Charity logo
   (e) “Member of PFRA” logo

1. An organisation must require a fundraiser to ensure a donor’s personal details and information are handled at all stages in a secure manner in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act 2020.
2. On request, a fundraiser must be able to:
   (a) show and explain to a donor the terms of a direct debit agreement on an authorised pledge form
   (b) provide clear information on any follow-up procedure that is likely to be conducted by an organisation because of receipt of the donation/information.
3. A disclosure statement must be on the payment terms and conditions. The disclosure statement must be shown to all new donors during the sign-up process and must be included in any sign-up documentation. The PRFA recommends using one of the following four options as a disclosure statement:
   (a) For every $1 [organisation] invests in this fundraising programme, it is estimated that there will be a return of $[x] or more to [organisation].
   (b) [Organisation] will pay [agency] in the region of $[x] for this campaign, based on an agreed fee for each new supporter. If those supporters continue to give a regular gift for the next five years, we will raise $[x] from this activity. Fundraising in this way is very effective for us and enables us to commit to vital long-term work. Thank you once again for your support.
   (c) You’ll be pleased to know that less than [x]% of your donation goes towards signing up new members like you. The longer you are a member, the lower this percentage gets.
   (d) [Organisation] invested [x]% of their income in fundraising in the last financial year.
4. If the charity uses a third-party agency to fundraise, then the following statement must be included:
   [Agency name] has been authorised by [charity name] to conduct fundraising activities.

1. Upon request, all fundraisers must inform the donor that they are paid to speak with them and are not volunteers (and provide details of their PFRA Supplier member if applicable).
2. Upon request, all fundraisers should provide, or be able to direct the donor to the following (via the charity website or other contact point):
   (a) the objectives of the organisation that the fundraiser represents
   (b) the intended use of a donation
   (c) that the donor’s personal information will be used and stored in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act 2020
   (d) the means to access an organisation’s most recent financial statements or current annual report, all charities financial information must be easy to find on their website, audited annual accounts must be available to view online
   (e) the means to access their private donor records
   (f) the existence, or otherwise, of the organisation’s policy requiring that a donor’s contact details not be exchanged, rented, or otherwise shared by the organisation with another person or body corporate without the express written consent of that donor and that the fundraiser engaged by the organisation will comply with the policy.
3. Upon request, all fundraisers must confirm that the NGO is a member of the PFRA and that they are a member of FINZ (if applicable).
4. Upon request, all fundraisers must inform the donor that they can lay a complaint or raise an issue with the PFRA through the website (www.pfra.org.nz) or by emailing info@pfra.org.nz.

1. All PFRA members will respect each other and act with the greatest integrity, professionalism and respect for the sustainability of face to face fundraising.
2. No organisation will allow any fundraiser, contractor, or staff of one PFRA member to solicit another member’s fundraisers, staff or contractors to enter the first member’s employment.
3. The organisation will ensure that, while face-to-face fundraising, no team member engages in any activity that appears to be a criminal offence or is in breach of an organisation’s occupational health and safety policy.

1. No fundraiser will:
   (a) in any way denigrate the objectives of the organisation
   (b) obstruct or restrict a person from going about their lawful business, unreasonably pressuring, or harassing them
   (c) behave in any way that might bring the organisation that they represent into disrepute
   (d) confuse or mislead the public, saying, doing, or displaying anything, or using any promotional material for which the fundraiser has not been given permission by the organisation
   (e) disparage any NGO or encourage the public to cancel their donations to any organisations
   (f) knowingly approach a person under the age of 18 with the intention of seeking a donation
   (g) seek a donation from a person if it is realised that a person lacks understanding of financial affairs, or has an obvious intellectual disability, seems frail or vulnerable. In this instance, pledges will not be sought, and the conversation should be politely but immediately ended
   (h) continue to seek a donation where a donor requests that they stop. In this instance the conversation should be politely but immediately ended
   (i) state to a donor a cost to the organisation of conducting a face-to-face fundraising activity unless that cost is approved for public release by the organisation
   (j) seek a donation at a time or location other than that specified by the organisation
   (k) solicit or collect cash donations (one-off donations via tablet or electronic device is fine, selling items for cash is fine)
2. Specific to public, street site fundraising, no fundraiser will:
   (a) impede activities of commercial organisations in public places, fundraiser will comply with any reasonable requests of nearby businesses and local authorities
   (b) inconvenience members of the public in public places in the vicinity of commercial organisations, e.g. do not stand in front of doorways or prevent the flow of foot traffic
   (c) disobey a site agreement entered into by the organisation
   (d) organise to use a private street site that is on, borders, adjacent to or up to 50 metres or within line of sight (whichever is most relevant) of a ‘recognised area’ used as a PFRA public site (if the line of sight is blocked due to the site being in a shop, or if the public site has remained un-used for some time. We accept that there are exceptions, please contact the PFRA for clarification and prior approval if you have concerns).
3. Specific to residential door-to-door and business-to-consumer fundraising, no fundraiser will:
   (a) seek an individual’s or organisation’s permission to enter their private or business residence under any circumstances
   (b) work in teams of less than two fundraisers per area if working door-to-door, meaning another fundraiser will be fundraising nearby. A fundraiser can attend pre-arranged appointments alone (this does not apply to business-to-consumer fundraising)
   (c) persist in staying on a property, or in a business, when they have been asked to leave
   (d) leave a gate or door in a different state than they found, e.g. all closed gates should be left closed, open gates left open
   (e) gain entry to a private block of apartments, complex or area of a business by deceiving someone or withholding information regarding the nature of their business
   (f) work in a territory that has not been pre-allocated or pre-approved by the organisation or charity they are representing
   (g) continue to work in a territory or business they feel is unsafe or unsuitable for fundraising (notifying the organisation or charity they are campaigning on behalf of immediately)
   (h) make an unsolicited approach to a residential or business property outside of the hours 9am-8.30pm during summer daylight savings hours and 9am-7pm during winter.

PFRA supports FINZ’s Code of Ethics which prohibits the use of percentage-based remuneration. To avoid doubt, the organisation may remunerate a fundraiser using performance-based measures, providing a level of remuneration that a fundraiser may receive:

• can be ascertained by the fundraiser prior to undertaking a face-to-face fundraising activity
• is not calculated based on a percentage of a donation

1. Complaints concerning this standard or the conduct of a face-to-face fundraiser will be determined by the PFRA complaints process.
2. An organisation will confidentially inform the PFRA if any complaint is received that may impact on the wider sustainability of face-to-face fundraising so that the PFRA may provide some guidance.
3. PFRA Charity members shall be liable for all, or any, PFRA debt incurred in their name or for activities or services used by them by their nominated supplier member or PFO or their employees, agents or contractors.
4. Should the debt or penalty only refer to a PFRA supplier member, then the PFRA supplier member will be liable for all, or any, PFRA debt incurred in their name or for activities or services used by their nominated sub-contracting organisation or employed or contracted fundraisers or independent agents.

1. Fundraisers must adhere to the behaviours required under this code of conduct and those dictated by the governing bodies in the fundraising area.
2. All organisations engaged in face-to-face fundraising at street sites must adhere to the:
   (a) rules within this Code of Conduct
   (b) monthly roster of public street sites allocated to their organisation
   (c) process to return rostered sites that they will not be using. Any cancellations of sites will be refunded only if made by the 20th of the month before.
   (d) the PFRA Rule Book and Site Guides
   (e) site fundraiser numbers which are four people per site (including those being trained or supervising)
   (f) process and comply with regional permit and booking schemes when fundraising regionally.
3. All organisations engaged in residential or business-to-consumer face-to-face fundraising must adhere to the rules within this Code of Conduct and any rules provided by their agency or organisation

1. The PFRA has developed a set of penalties for breaches of this code of conduct or the PFRA Rule Book, these are set out in the PFRA Penalty Policy (M100). These penalties aim to ensure that high professional standards are maintained by fundraisers.
2. When the PFRA finds that a member has breached this code of conduct or the PFRA Rule Book the PFRA will issue a penalty to the member who is responsible for the breach. In most cases this means the member that is responsible for the actions of the fundraiser or staff member involved. In determining responsibility, the PFRA considers that:
   (a) A PFRA supplier member is responsible for the actions of an employee or contractor
   (b) A PFRA charity member is responsible for the actions of an employee or contractor
   (c) A PFRA supplier member is responsible for the actions of their subcontractor(s) and the sub-contractor’s fundraisers
   (d) If a PFRA member is working with a supplier or charity client that is not a member, any penalties incurred by that supplier or charity will apply to the member.
3. PFRA reserves the right to determine or amend any penalties to suit the situation or as required.
4. The PFRA has a formal Complaints Process for appeal, this process is set out in the Penalty Policy.