Introduction 

Pharmacist Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting pharmacists and their families, former pharmacists, trainee pharmacists and pharmacy students. We are committed to making decisions that align with our charitable objectives and serve the best interests of our beneficiaries. 

Financial support from individuals and organisations is essential for achieving our vision that no one in our pharmacy family faces challenging times without us by their side. In line with best practice, the charity has a policy which sets out our approach to accepting, refusing and returning donations practice and is intended to ensure transparency, consistency and accountability. We have aligned our donations policy with guidance from The Charity Commission and ensured it is compliant with the Code of Fundraising Practice.   

Accepting or refusing donations 

In accordance with Charity Commission guidance, our default position is to accept donations so that we can use them to successfully fulfil our charity’s objectives.  

In exceptional circumstances, however, it may be necessary to refuse a donation. These include situations where acceptance would: 

• prejudice the aims of Pharmacist Support,  

• compromise the charity’s independence,  

• threaten our reputation,  

• bring unacceptable burdens that outweigh the donation’s benefits.

We must also refuse a donation if it  

• originates from an illegal source or comes with illegal conditions 

• is from a donor who lacks the mental ability or capacity to decide to donate,  

• cannot legally be given to the charity (for example, where the donor does not own the property that they are donating),  

• must be returned under specific terms (for example, a grant agreement that says that the charity must return any unused funds by a particular date, or return any funds that cannot be used for the purpose for which they were given).  

We can accept anonymous donations but will monitor for any suspicious circumstances and put adequate safeguards in place. Any anonymous donation of £25,000 or more will be reported as a serious incident to the Charity Commission. 

We welcome partnerships with, and gifts and donations from, a wide range of supporters.  

The Board of Trustees delegates the responsibility for day-to-day procedures and decisions regarding donations to the Pharmacist Support senior management team. This includes carrying out due diligence. If, any reputational, legal or other such-deemed risks are identified, the Board of Trustees will be informed, and the donation will be discussed and agreed upon in accordance with our internal procedures.  

The Trustees take overall legal responsibility for decisions relating to whether a donation is accepted or refused and must always be able to demonstrate that they have acted in the best interest of Pharmacist Support and our beneficiaries. The decision must be rational and reasonable, and supported by clear evidence. As per their legal obligation, trustees must not allow their or others’ personal motives, opinions, or interests to affect their decision(s) or influence them to act in a way that is not in the charity’s best interests.  

Returning donations 

In accordance with Charity Commission guidance, our starting point is to retain donations so that we can use them to successfully fulfil our charity’s objectives. However, in exceptional circumstances, we may need to return a donation. Such decisions will be made by the Board of Trustees in line with our internal procedures and Charity Commission guidance. Decisions to return donations will be carefully balanced and recorded, along with the reasons.  

Conclusion 

The Charity Commission advises that we must always carefully balance all relevant factors to ensure all and any decisions are in the best interests of Pharmacist Support and those we are here to support. 

In the event that Pharmacist Support decides to refuse or return a donation, we will record both the decision and the reason.