Complaints Policy and Procedure

1. About this policy

GeckoFundraising Ltd is a specialist tendering and fundraising consultancy working with charities across the UK. We source and write funding applications on behalf of our clients, and we provide funding search, fundraising strategy and training services.

When we apply for funds on behalf of a charitable institution we act as a professional fundraiser as defined by section 58 of the Charities Act 1992. We work in line with the Code of Fundraising Practice, and our Director is a full member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising.

We take any dissatisfaction with our work seriously. Complaints tell us where we have fallen short and help us improve. This policy explains how to complain about our fundraising activity, what we will do in response, and what you can do if you remain unhappy with our answer.

This policy applies to all fundraising work carried out by or on behalf of GeckoFundraising Ltd, including work carried out by our Director, employees, associates and any subcontractors acting for us.

2. What we mean by a complaint

We define a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction, however it is made, about something we have done or failed to do. You do not need to use the word “complaint”, and you do not need to put it in any particular form. Where it is unclear whether something is a general concern or a complaint, we will treat it as a complaint.

3. What this policy covers

You can complain to us about any aspect of our fundraising work, including:

• the conduct or behaviour of anyone fundraising on our behalf
• the accuracy, content or tone of fundraising materials, applications, tenders or proposals we have prepared
• how we have used or handled personal information in connection with fundraising
• the way we have responded to a concern you raised with us previously

4. What this policy does not cover

There are some things we are not able to consider under this policy:

• Complaints about the services, governance or general conduct of a charity we work for. Please raise these with the charity directly. Concerns about how a charity is run can be raised with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, or OSCR in Scotland.
• Employment matters, and contractual disputes between GeckoFundraising Ltd and a client. These are dealt with under the relevant contract or employment procedure rather than this policy.
• Allegations of fraud or criminal activity, which should be reported to the police or to Action Fraud.
• Matters that are already the subject of a police investigation or legal proceedings.

If your complaint is not one we can consider, we will tell you promptly and, wherever we can, point you towards the organisation that can help.

5. How to make a complaint

You can contact us in whichever way suits you best:

• Email: amie@geckofundraising.co.uk
• Telephone: 07862 399895
• Post: GeckoFundraising Ltd, Castledine House Business Centre, 5 Heanor Road, Ilkeston, DE7 8DY
• Online: the contact form at www.geckofundraising.co.uk/get-in-touch

So that we can look into things properly, it helps if you can tell us what happened, roughly when it happened, who was involved if you know, and what outcome you are hoping for. If you would prefer to make your complaint in a different format, or need any adjustment to the process, please tell us and we will do our best to accommodate it.

6. What happens next

• We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days of receiving it.
• In that acknowledgement we will tell you who is handling your complaint, what the process will be, and when you can expect a decision.
• We aim to send you a full written response within 20 working days of that acknowledgement.
• If we need longer, for example because we need to speak to a third party, we will let you know before the deadline passes, explain why, and give you a revised date. We will keep you updated in the meantime.

7. How we investigate

We will investigate your complaint thoroughly and fairly in order to establish the facts. In practice this means:

• Wherever possible, your complaint will be handled by someone who was not involved in the events you are complaining about. As a small consultancy this is not always possible internally, and in those cases we may ask a suitably qualified person outside the business to review the matter. We will tell you if we do this.
• We will listen to you to make sure we understand both the complaint and the outcome you are seeking.
• We will review all relevant evidence and may speak to you, to anyone complained about, and to any third party involved.
• Where a complaint concerns a particular individual, we will normally tell them and give them a fair opportunity to respond. We have a duty of care both to you and to the people who work with us.

8. Our decision

When we respond, we will give you clear reasons based on the evidence, and we will respond openly to each of the substantive points you have raised, explaining why we consider them justified or not. Our response will be proportionate, appropriate and fair.

We will be respectful and acknowledge your experience whether or not we uphold the complaint. Where something has gone wrong, we will say so, apologise, and take proportionate action to put it right. We will also tell you what we have learnt and what we have changed as a result.

9. If you are still not satisfied

If you are unhappy with our response, please tell us within 20 working days and ask for a review. The review will be carried out by someone who has not previously been involved, and we will respond within a further 20 working days.

If you remain dissatisfied after that, you can ask the Fundraising Regulator to consider your complaint. The Fundraising Regulator is the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

• Online: www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk
• Telephone: 0300 999 3407
• Post: Fundraising Regulator, 50 Featherstone Street, London, EC1Y 8RT

The Fundraising Regulator normally asks that you complain to us first. It can usually consider complaints made within one year of you becoming aware of the problem, and cannot consider complaints brought more than six years after the event.

If your complaint concerns fundraising for a charity registered only in Scotland, it should instead be directed to the Scottish Fundraising Adjudication Panel at www.goodfundraising.scot.

10. Anonymous complaints

We will accept anonymous complaints and will investigate them as far as is reasonably possible. Please be aware that if you do not give us your contact details, our ability to look into the matter fully, and to tell you the outcome, may be limited.

11. Confidentiality and personal information

We will handle your complaint in line with data protection law and our Privacy Notice, which is available at www.geckofundraising.co.uk/privacy-notice. Any personal information you give us will be used only to record, investigate, respond to and monitor your complaint, and will be kept in line with our retention schedule. We will share information about your complaint only where it is necessary to investigate it properly, or where we are required to do so by law or by our regulator.

Where your complaint relates to fundraising we have carried out for a client charity, we will normally need to tell that charity about it. This is so they can meet their own duties under the Code of Fundraising Practice and, where applicable, their statutory reporting obligations. We will cooperate fully with any investigation the charity carries out.

12. Records, learning and review

We keep a record of every complaint we receive, the outcome of our investigation and the reasons for our decision. We review these records regularly to identify any trends or wider learning, and to consider what we can do to improve our service and the experience of the people affected by our work.

We review this policy periodically, and whenever there is a relevant change to the Code of Fundraising Practice, to Fundraising Regulator guidance, or to the law.

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