Donation Transparency Policy

Responsible Funding. Independent Decisions. Public Accountability.

1. Purpose and scope

Right First Time UK (RFTUK) explains openly how it seeks, receives, records, uses and reports donations, grants, sponsorship and other funding. This policy applies to RFTUK fundraising, campaigns, member communications, events, digital services and work carried out by authorised representatives.

Donors should be told who receives the money, what an appeal supports, whether the gift is restricted, whether fees may be deducted and what accountability measures apply. Financial support does not buy control over RFTUK decisions.

2. Our legal position

Right First Time UK Ltd, company number 17493370, is a private company limited by guarantee operating on a non-profit basis. It is not a registered charity or a Community Interest Company (CIC). A guarantee-company structure does not by itself create a statutory CIC asset lock; any non-distribution and dissolution protections depend on the company’s Articles and applicable law.

RFTUK cannot claim Gift Aid on donations made to it unless it later becomes legally eligible and HMRC-recognised. Appeals and receipts must not imply charitable or CIC status.

3. Funding principles

RFTUK will use clear appeal wording; respect donor choice; keep accurate, auditable financial records; protect restricted funding; make proportionate spending decisions; prevent improper private benefit; safeguard donors in vulnerable circumstances; and report finances without unnecessarily disclosing private information.

Financial decisions must remain independent of donor, commercial and party-political influence.

4. What unrestricted funding may support

Unrestricted donations and other discretionary income may support lawful activities within RFTUK’s objects: public information, campaigning and petitions, research, evidence and publications, community-support information, safeguarding and accessibility, website/server/software costs, events, printing, communications, insurance, compliance, professional services, authorised expenses, appropriate staffing or contractor costs, approved grants or support to community projects, and reasonable reserves.

Any salary, Director remuneration or connected-party payment must be lawful, affordable, properly authorised and subject to conflict controls; the organisation’s non-profit purpose does not automatically forbid payment for genuine work.

5. Restricted, unrestricted and preferred donations

A restricted donation is accepted subject to an express purpose or condition. RFTUK must record that restriction, track the relevant income and expenditure, and not divert it to unrelated general costs simply because other priorities arise.

An unrestricted donation may fund any lawful RFTUK purpose and reasonable operating costs. A donor preference does not necessarily create a binding restriction, but appeal wording must make that distinction clear before payment.

If a restricted purpose becomes impossible, unlawful, fully funded or substantially changed, RFTUK must review the original terms and, where appropriate, seek permission to redirect money, return the balance or follow another lawful route. It must not quietly relabel restricted funds.

6. Appeals for another organisation

Where money is raised for a named charity, community group or third party, RFTUK should say who ultimately receives it, whether the campaign is “in aid of” or “on behalf of” the organisation, any permitted expenses and the intended transfer process.

Written agreements, solicitation statements, professional-fundraiser or commercial-participator safeguards must be put in place where applicable. Money collected for a named recipient must be separately traceable and transferred consistently with the stated arrangement.

7. Grants and sponsorship

Grants may carry permitted-cost rules, milestones, reporting requirements or repayment terms. RFTUK should accept only grant conditions it can administer, record them and track restricted grant spending.

Sponsorship may provide an agreed commercial benefit such as publicity, but cannot purchase editorial control, favourable investigations, suppression of evidence or campaign decisions. Significant arrangements and related benefits must be documented and checked for conflicts.

8. Donations, fees and Parent Contribution Service

Donations must be distinguished from Public Membership fees, ticket or merchandise sales, contracted services and other payments. A payment is not automatically a donation just because its proceeds support RFTUK.

Parent Contribution Service (PCS) is operated by Right First Time UK Ltd rather than as a separate legal entity. PCS access fees are payment for service access, not donations and not parent-to-parent child contributions. PCS helps parents with voluntary arrangements but does not itself receive, hold or transfer their parent-to-parent contribution money or exercise statutory enforcement powers.

Any donation for family-support work must be recorded separately. Participation votes, where applicable under RFTUK rules, may concern eligible unrestricted funds, not money accepted for a restricted purpose.

9. No purchase of preferential treatment

A donation does not purchase legal representation, personal case management, priority access, a guaranteed complaint outcome, a favourable campaign finding, control of research or protection from legitimate criticism. Any paid service must be described separately with its own terms.

Donors and sponsors may not direct RFTUK to change evidence, hide a complaint, promote a political party or favour a connected supplier.

10. Political independence and election rules

RFTUK is independent and non-party political. A donor’s lawful personal political affiliation does not automatically disqualify them, but funding cannot be accepted on conditions requiring party recruitment, candidate promotion, party fundraising or instructions on how to vote.

During regulated election or referendum activity, RFTUK must assess current Electoral Commission rules, including whether a contribution is a donation towards regulated non-party campaign spending and whether donor permissibility, spending, registration, imprints or reporting rules apply. Ordinary general-purpose donations are not automatically regulated electoral donations.

11. Conflicts, payments and expenses

Directors, Campaign Leaders and other decision-makers must declare material connections with donors, grant-makers, beneficiaries, contractors or sponsors. A conflicted person must not conceal the connection or improperly approve a payment benefiting themselves.

Employees and contractors may be paid for genuine, authorised work; Directors may be paid only if permitted by the Articles and law, on reasonable documented terms, and approved by unconflicted decision-makers. Volunteers are unpaid for their volunteering time, but may receive genuine authorised expense reimbursements with suitable records.

Fabricated expenses, secret related-party overpayments and private purchases unrelated to RFTUK purposes are prohibited.

12. Fair treatment and safeguarding of donors

RFTUK will not pressure, harass, shame or exploit donors, including people experiencing distress or vulnerability. A donor must be free to decline, stop a conversation or refuse recurring payments.

Disability, age or diagnosis alone do not establish lack of decision-making ability. If RFTUK knows or reasonably believes a person cannot make an informed donation decision in the circumstances, it should not accept the donation or should consider a return. Extra care applies when fundraising involves children.

13. Unusual donations and due diligence

Anonymous, unusually large or conditional donations may need proportionate checks of source, identity, sanctions, conflicts, legal status and potential improper influence. RFTUK may decline or return funding that is unlawful, linked to fraud, unsafe, impossible to administer or inconsistent with its objects and independence.

Significant decisions to accept with safeguards, refuse or return money should be documented. RFTUK is not obliged to accept every offer.

14. Refunds and mistaken payments

A voluntary donation is not generally a purchase and does not automatically become refundable because the donor changes their mind. RFTUK will consider duplicate, mistaken, unauthorised and otherwise inappropriate payments, as well as restrictions that require repayment.

Applicable consumer, payment-provider, chargeback and other legal rights remain unaffected. Decisions must be communicated fairly and recorded.

15. Payment systems, cash and third-party fundraisers

Where payment platforms, banking services or fundraising providers deduct charges, RFTUK should explain material fees and avoid misleading “every penny” promises. Provider statements must be reconciled with company accounts; data-security and privacy requirements also apply.

Cash collections must comply with required permissions and licences. Cash should be counted and recorded with appropriate controls and placed promptly in authorised RFTUK accounts. Volunteers must not collect RFTUK funds in private accounts unless an exceptional arrangement is specifically lawful, approved and documented.

Professional fundraisers and commercial partners must have any necessary agreements, disclosures and oversight.

16. Donor privacy and communications

RFTUK will use donor information for lawful purposes and protect it under the Data Protection & GDPR Policy. Donor names, contact details and amounts will not be published merely to demonstrate openness.

Making a donation does not provide unlimited permission for marketing. Optional fundraising and campaign messages must follow applicable UK GDPR and electronic-communications rules, including opt-out choices.

17. Records, controls and oversight

RFTUK will maintain records, where relevant, of the amount/date, payment route, appeal, restriction or preference, provider fees, refunds, transfers, donor details where necessary, authorised expenditure and invoices or receipts. Company and personal funds must be kept separate.

Expenditure should follow the Financial Controls & Expenses Policy and delegated authorisations. Higher-risk, unusual, connected-party or restricted-fund transactions require stronger checks. Suspected fraud or diversion of funds should be escalated promptly, with records preserved and authorities contacted where appropriate.

18. Public financial transparency

RFTUK aims to report meaningful categories of income and spending, including unrestricted and restricted income, membership receipts, grants and sponsorship, fundraising costs, programme and campaign expenditure, technology and operating costs, professional fees, authorised expenses and appropriate paid work.

Public reporting can be periodic rather than real-time and need not reveal personal, banking, safeguarding, privileged, security-sensitive or genuinely confidential information. Public transparency updates do not replace Companies House accounts or HMRC obligations.

19. Questions, refunds, complaints and corrections

Questions about restricted donations, sponsorship, refund requests, donor pressure or published figures may be raised through the RFTUK Contact Us page. Complaints may also be sent to complaints@rightfirsttimeuk.com. Claims about a particular person should be handled fairly and, where practicable, by someone without a material conflict.

If an appeal or published funding statement becomes materially inaccurate, RFTUK should correct it promptly, update the appeal and consider whether donors should be contacted or offered an appropriate remedy.

20. Related policies and review

Read this with RFTUK’s Articles of Association, Fundraising Policy, Financial Controls & Expenses Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, Safeguarding Policy, Complaints Policy, Data Protection & GDPR Policy, and other applicable membership and governance documents.

The policy will be reviewed at least annually and earlier when material changes occur in funding methods, company governance, financial controls, relevant law or regulatory guidance. Previous policy date: 16 June 2026. This revision: 12 October 2026.

Official guidance

• Fundraising Regulator - Code of Fundraising Practice
• Fundraising Regulator - donors in vulnerable circumstances
• HMRC - Gift Aid eligibility
• Electoral Commission - non-party campaigners
• GOV.UK - director general duties