The European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) has recently published extensive research on fundraising regulation detailing patterns and best practices of legislation and self-regulation of fundraising activities in Europe. There has been a limited amount of research regarding how civil society organisation fundraising is regulated, and this report is attempting to fill the gap and highlight the legal framework for fundraising in Europe.

The priority of the ECNL is to promote an enabling legal environment for civil society in Europe through building expertise and capacity on legal issues affecting not-for-profit organizations. This research paper is the first step towards further research to assess the impact and implementation of legislation and self-regulation on private giving. It is also a step towards creating global guidelines on the minimum standards of fundraising regulation and self-regulation to encourage reforms.

The guide looks at different types of fundraising, international and European frameworks, and country level regulations.

In order for this initial experiment to work the ECNL would like to invite those working in this area to get involved and help create a better environment for philanthropy. Your contributions would surrounding the following topics:

  • Opinions on the recommendations and other findings of the research
  • Suggestions on issues that would benefit from further analysis

They are also happy to answer any questions you may have and will provide further details and research into the topic. Opinions, comments and suggestions from those who get involved will contribute to a multi-stakeholder dialogue on how best to regulate fundraising to ensure the financial sustainability of civil society organisations in the pursuit for a better environment for fundraising activities.

To see the full report click here.