Propel Donor Charter

Our Pledge is to:

• To treat all our donors with respect, honesty and openness.
• We commit to being accountable and transparent so that donors and prospective donors can have full confidence in Propel Education.
• We promise we will effectively apply your gifts to us for their intended purposes.

We commit that you our donors and prospective donors will:

• Be informed of the organisation’s mission, and of the way the organisation intends to use donated resources.
• Be informed of the identity of those serving on the organisation’s governing board, and that the board will exercise prudent judgement in its stewardship responsibilities.
• Have access to the organisation’s most recent financial statements.
• Be assured your gifts will be used for the purposes for which they were given.
• Receive appropriate acknowledgement and recognition.
• Be assured that information about your donation is handled with respect and with confidentiality to the extent provided by law.
• Expect that all relationships with individuals representing the charity will be dealt with professionally.
• Be informed whether those seeking donations are volunteers, employees of the organization or hired third party agents.
• Have easily available the agreed procedures for making and responding to complaints.
• Have the opportunity for any names to be deleted from mailing lists and to be informed if the organisation intends to share the mailing lists with third parties.
• Receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers to questions you might have of the organisation.

Propel Education is committed to maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance across all areas of its work. Propel Education is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. A voluntary Board of Directors is responsible for the strategic development and governance oversight of the charity.

The Governance Code

We are compliant with The Governance Code – a Code of Practice for Good Governance of Community, Voluntary and Charitable Organisations in Ireland: www.governancecode.ie

Propel Educations accounts are prepared in accordance with the new standard FRS102 (The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland). FRS102 is the applicable standard for Public Benefit entities whose financial statements are intended to give a true and fair view of the financial position and income and expenditure for a period. Our annual accounts are published on propeleducation.org each year and also filed with the Companies Registration Office.

We also work to ensure the organisation complies with legal requirements under a wide range of Acts, policies and charters including: Registration with the Charities Regulatory Authority; Garda vetting; data protection legislation; employment legislation; health & safety legislation; Children First guidelines; the Irish Charities Tax Reform Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising, and the new Lobbying Act 2015. 

Fundraising

Propel Education has adopted the standards contained within the Statement of Guiding Principles Fundraising from the Irish Charities Tax Reform group. The Statement of Guiding Principles for Fundraising exists to:

·         Improve fundraising practice

·         Promote high levels of accountability and transparency by organisations fundraising from the public

·         Provide clarity and assurances to donors and prospective donors about the organisations they support

·         Cash and cheque donations are receipted and recorded.

·         Donations received online receive an automated thank you reply for the donor’s records; further receipt is provided on request.

·         Donations received from charity fundraising online giving websites (e.g. justgiving.ie , everydayhero.ie) are lodged directly to Propel Educations Fundraising bank account by the websites and a monthly report is issued to the charity.

·         All payments have to be authorised for payment by the Accounts administrator independent of the CEO and then approved by the CEO.

·         Any out-of-pocket expenses must be vouched and receipts attached.

Code of Conduct on Images & Messaging

Propel education also complies with the Code of Conduct for Images and Messages 

This Code of Conduct on Images and Messages has been written by charities working in the areas of emergency relief, long term development and development education. 

The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to provide a framework on which organisations can build when designing and implementing their public communications strategy. The Code offers a set of guiding principles that can assist practitioners in their efforts to communicate their organisation’s programmes and values in a coherent and balanced way.

Signatories to this Code are acutely aware of the many challenges and difficulties entailed in conveying the scandal and injustice of poverty while striving to meet the ideals of the Code.

It is a reality of our world today that many of the images of extreme poverty and humanitarian distress are negative and cannot be ignored.

You can contact us with feedback by emailing pat.bergin@propeleducation.org