Somerset Film Ethical Fundraising and Business Contract
OBJECTS OF CHARITY: The Company's objects are the advancement of public education generally and, in particular, in moving image production and distribution. [Somerset Film and Video Ltd Memorandum of Association paragraph 3]
Somerset Film and Video Ltd (trading as Somerset Film) is a social enterprise and registered charity dedicated to moving image and digital media. We are committed to the passing on of skills and to giving everyone the chance to get involved with the creative use of moving image and digital media - to produce, engage with and be inspired by.
BENEFICIARIES We work with and provide services to a wide range of individuals and community groups including those described as ‘hard to reach’. We prioritise those groups at risk of social or physical isolation or exclusion working with all age groups and abilities. Examples include: older people, those seeking employment, communities in transition, NEETs, adults with learning difficulties, students, artists etc
COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS ETHICAL ISSUES
To ensure SF can guarantee the availability of funds to serve its charitable purpose, the charity is continuously engaged in maintaining and growing a broad base of funding sources and business sales contracts. We actively seek opportunities to work together with external organisations to achieve shared objectives. However it is vital that we maintain our independence and do not allow external partnerships or business contracts relationships to compromise our objectives, or bring the name of SF into disrepute.
SF therefore seeks, so far as is practical and within the constraints of UK law
• to secure funding sources and business sales that do not compromise the independent status of SF.
• to ensure that the activities of organisations we work with are consistent with our organisational values.
The ethical fundraising and business contract policy is designed to create a robust framework for SF’s procurement and acceptance of grants, donations, sponsorship, loans, contracts and other forms of support. It is designed as a due diligence tool to ensure the needs of the organisation are balanced against its core values as defined in the SF 2022-25 Business Plan (extract attached as Apppendix 1). It has been devised to ensure clarity and openness to all our stakeholders.
SF ETHICAL FUNDRAISING AND BUSINESS CONTRACT POLICY
SF actively engages in fundraising and contracted activities through approaches to, and/ or collaboration with external organisations and individuals. In doing so, we adopt set criteria guiding the following:
1. Pursuance of, and acceptance of grants, donations, sponsorship, loans, business contracts and other forms of support (including volunteering or gifts in kind).
2. Avoidance criteria identifying the conditions under which we will not accept sponsorship, gifts, other forms of voluntary support or enter into contracted business relationships.
3. Fundraising initiatives involving corporate partnerships.
1. Pursuance and acceptance criteria
When pursuing or accepting any particular grant, donation, sponsorship, loan, contract or other form of support SF’s Facilitator and Trustees have a duty to demonstrate to the Charity Commission that they are acting and have acted in the best interest of the charity, and that association with any particular funder, donor, sponsor, contractor does not compromise SF’s ethical position, harm the charity’s reputation or put future funding at risk. SF strives to comply with all relevant legislation as set out in the Institute of Fundraising Code of Fundraising Practice and by following Charity Commission guidance
SF accepts grants, donations, sponsorship, loans, other form of support (including volunteering or gifts in kind) and business contracts from individuals, companies and other organisations on the following conditions:
• There are strong grounds for believing that the grant, donation, sponsorship, loan, contract or other form of support will result in benefit to our beneficiaries.
• If a grant, donation, sponsorship, loan, contract or other form of support is offered for a specific purpose then this must be a charitable purpose that is commensurate with SF’s objects.
• It is feasible to apply the grant, donation, sponsorship, loan, contract or other form of support in a way that is consistent with donor or funders’s wishes (for example reporting or evaluation requirements), given the operational constraints and strategic priorities of SF.
2. Avoidance criteria
SF will not pursue or accept a grant, donation, sponsorship, loan, contract or other form of support where any of the following criteria apply:
• The support or contract is known, suspected to be or derives from the proceeds of crime and/or contravenes UK, European or international law.
• Acceptance is likely to deter actual or potential supporters and beneficiaries from future engagement.
• Acceptance would involve onerous obligations, for example the upkeep of an unsuitable building, the cost of which might outweigh the benefit.
• Support is offered in an attempt to procure privileged access to services for the donor, funder, contractor or persons linked to the donor, funder or contractor.
• Acceptance would compromise SF’s status as an independent registered charity.
3. Fundraising initiatives involving corporate partnerships
SF welcomes co-operative relationships with organisations and companies from a wide range of sectors and industries and our collaboration could consist of one or several of the following:
• Staff fundraising
• Supplier fundraising and fundraising from other stakeholders
• Cause related marketing (i.e. a commercial activity by which the business and the charity form a partnership with each other to market an image, product or service for mutual benefit)
• Sponsorship (i.e. cash or in kind paid in return for access to exploitable commercial potential)
• Payroll Giving
• Donations
• Matched
• Giving
• Secondments
• Employee involvement and volunteering • Gifts in Kind
• Royalties
• Affinity relationships
• Events
• Re-cycling
PROCESS & TRANSPARENCY
SF will not accept more than 20 per cent of total income per annum from commercial organisations, so as not to compromise our integrity. This does not include money raised via employee and customer fundraising as part of any corporate partnership arrangements.
Potential funders will be screened through Corporate Critic Database (or other external research sources) to provide an independent assessment of funders before a decision is made) Contracts with partners must permit SF to withdraw from any partnership where new developments mean that areas of this ethical fundraising and business contract policy become breached.
A full list of corporate sponsors giving over £5,000]will be maintained on our website.
SF will communicate its commitment to this policy to the organisation’s stakeholders. A copy of this policy will be displayed on our website within 3 months of its adoption.
CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP GUIDELINES
• A written agreement/contract between the organisation or company and SF will be produced for each joint initiative/partnership.
• SF will retain full editorial control, and maintain copyright over all materials. sponsored by an organisation or company, offline and online.
• Approval must be sought from SF whenever its brand (name or logo/s) is used for any internal or external communications.
• All initiatives and partnerships will be regularly reviewed against
agreed success criteria.
IMPLEMENTATION
SF’s ethical fundraising and business contract policy must be followed by all SF staff, and those officially acting on behalf of the charity. Where the decision regarding acceptance or avoidance of a grant, donation, sponsorship, loan, contract or other form of support requires a balancing of the financial benefits versus exposure to financial or reputational risk, SF’s Trustees are responsible for ensuring that the decision is made in the best interest of SF’s objectives. In some cases it may be necessary (or useful) to obtain guidance from the Charity Commission before refusing a grant,
donation, sponsorship, loan, contract or other form of support.
Appendix 1
Extract from SF Business Plan 2022-25
Our core value is Inclusion and we achieve this through: Authenticity, Collaboration, Empowerment, Excellence & Innovation
Updated 6.06.22