fundraising Complaints form

Fundraising Complaints

Our commitment to open and responsible fundraising

At Together We Lift, fundraising is about far more than raising money. Every donation, Supporters Club contribution, event ticket, partnership and fundraising activity represents somebody choosing to place their trust in what we are building.

We take that trust extremely seriously. We are committed to fundraising in a way that is open, honest, respectful and transparent. We work hard to make it clear why we are raising funds, where those funds are going, and how they help us deliver our mission of making mental health support more visible, more local and more connected within the strength community.

We also recognise that getting things right means being willing to listen when somebody believes we could have done better. If you have a concern about any fundraising activity carried out by Together We Lift, or by somebody fundraising on our behalf, we want you to tell us.

A complaint will never be viewed as an inconvenience. It is an opportunity for us to understand what has happened, put things right where appropriate, and learn how we can continue to improve.

What is a fundraising complaint?

A fundraising complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about our fundraising activities, whether the concern relates to something we have done, something somebody acting on our behalf has done, or something you believe we should have done differently.

Examples could include concerns that:

• Information about how money would be raised or used was unclear, inaccurate or potentially misleading.
• A fundraiser, volunteer or representative of Together We Lift behaved in a way that you felt was inappropriate, disrespectful or placed unreasonable pressure on you to donate.
• Your wishes about how or when you should be contacted for fundraising purposes were not respected.
• You were not given clear information about the relationship between Together We Lift and a gym, charity, fundraiser, sponsor or other third party.
• Money raised for a particular event, campaign or purpose does not appear to have been handled or allocated in the way that was communicated.
• A fundraising collection, donation pot, event, online campaign or other fundraising activity was not handled appropriately.
• Someone fundraising using the Together We Lift name or branding caused you concern.
• You believe our fundraising activity has fallen below the standards we have committed ourselves to.
• You have previously raised a fundraising concern with us and do not believe it was dealt with appropriately.

You do not need to know whether a rule or standard has been broken before contacting us. If you are genuinely concerned about our fundraising, please tell us.

What may not be a fundraising complaint?

Some issues may fall outside our fundraising complaints procedure. For example, employment or contractual disputes, complaints solely about the quality of a product or service, or allegations of criminal activity may need to be dealt with through a different process or referred to another appropriate organisation.

If you contact us about something that falls outside this procedure, we will still do our best to explain why and, where reasonably possible, signpost you towards the most appropriate next step. Concerns involving suspected fraud or criminal activity may need to be reported to the police or the relevant fraud reporting service.

Where there is an immediate risk to somebody's safety or wellbeing, the appropriate emergency or safeguarding services should be contacted rather than waiting for our fundraising complaints process.

How to make a complaint

We have created a dedicated fundraising complaints form to make raising a concern with us as straightforward as possible.

When submitting a complaint, it is helpful if you can provide:

• Your name and contact details.
• The fundraising activity, event or campaign concerned.
• The approximate date the issue occurred.
• A description of what happened and why you are concerned.
• Details of anybody from Together We Lift or a third party involved, where known.
• Any emails, screenshots, photographs or other information that may help us understand what happened.
• What you would like us to consider or do to help resolve the matter.

Please provide as much information as you reasonably can, but do not worry if you do not have everything listed above. We would rather hear about a genuine concern than have somebody decide not to contact us because they are unsure what information to provide.

What happens when we receive your complaint?

1. We will acknowledge it

We aim to acknowledge fundraising complaints within five working days of receiving them. We will confirm that we have received your complaint and explain what will happen next.

2. We will review and investigate it

Your complaint will be reviewed by an appropriate member of the Together We Lift leadership team.

Where reasonably possible, somebody who was not directly involved in the matter being complained about will review the complaint.

Depending on the circumstances, this may involve:

• Reviewing emails, fundraising materials or financial records.
• Speaking with volunteers, Directors, event partners or other people involved.
• Contacting a gym, charity, sponsor, fundraising partner or third party where relevant.
• Asking you for further information or clarification.
• Reviewing the activity against our own policies and the Code of Fundraising Practice.

We will consider the information fairly and will not make assumptions simply because a complaint has been made.

3. We will respond

We will provide you with the outcome of our investigation in writing within 28 days of acknowledging your complaint. Our response will explain what we have considered and, where appropriate, what we have concluded.

If we believe something has gone wrong, we will say so. Depending on the circumstances, our response may include an apology, clarification, corrective action, changes to our procedures, additional guidance or training, or another proportionate action intended to prevent the issue happening again.

Being transparent means being prepared to acknowledge when we could have done better.

Our promise

Together We Lift exists because people choose to trust us. Whether somebody gives £3 through our Supporters Club, buys a ticket to one of our events, puts money into a collection pot, raises funds through their gym, partners with us, volunteers their time or simply helps us share our message, that support matters.

We want everyone who supports Together We Lift to understand what we are doing, why we are doing it and how their support contributes towards our mission. We will not always get everything perfect.

What we can promise is that we will work hard to be clear, accountable and transparent, that we will listen when somebody raises a genuine concern, and that we will always look for ways to improve.

Because trust allows us to build stronger communities and Together We Are Stronger.