The European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) is currently seeking to contract a short-term Consultant on fundraising regulatory frameworks to conduct comparative research and analysis of licensing, permission and notification procedures for public fundraising of civil society organisations (CSOs). In January 2018, ECNL and its umbrella organisation, the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL), published a comparative research on the regulatory framework for fundraising in Europe. The research maps out a spectrum of issues affecting the right of CSOs to secure resources. ECNL is now aiming to expand its existing research and ultimately develop principles to help local stakeholders, including CSOs and public officials, assess the current health of the environment for fundraising in their countries and inform their advocacy strategies and policy activities.
Description of assignment:
For the purposes of the research we intend as: Civil society organisations (“CSOs”): non-governmental organisations (charities, human rights, development and advocacy organisations), social development organisations and in general all nonprofit organisations working for social good. Fundraising: the solicitation of voluntary philanthropic contributions from the public, either physically or online. Licensing: requirement by law/regulation to apply to the relevant public authority in order to obtain a distinct seal of approval (“license”), which certifies that the CSO conducting the fundraising activity is acting legitimately. Permission (or “permit”): previous authorization issued by a public authority and required by law/regulation to organize a public collection of money or in-kind contributions (e.g., items for re-selling or re-use). Notification: requirement by law/regulation to inform the relevant public authorities of the intention to conduct a public collection of money or in-kind contributions (e.g., items for re-selling or re-use). The Expert/Consultant will work in close coordination with the ECNL team and with the support of ECNL Core Group of Experts on Fundraising Standards and Regulations to conduct research and analysis on the following topics of interest:
- Specific models of licensing/permission/notification procedures for CSOs primarily based on money/public collection laws: what kind of requirements are needed, what are their declared purposes and what fundraising activities are affected?
- Trends of regulation (or lack thereof) of such procedures and their rationale: are the requirements established by law/regulation, self-regulation or a mix of both?
- Related implementation challenges: are there significant gaps in the regulation, self-regulation or co-regulation of the required procedures? Has their effectiveness even been thoroughly assessed and how? Are there any best practices?
The full details of the scope of tasks, number of consultancy days foreseen and timelines will be defined and agreed upon between ECNL and Consultant.
Required qualifications and eligibility of applicants:
- Law degree from an accredited school;
- Excellent research, analytical, writing, and presentation skills;
- Demonstrable understanding of the needs of civil society both in Europe and globally, especially concerning financial sustainability and fundraising activities of civil society organisations;
- Fluency in English (written and oral); knowledge of other European languages an asset;
- Highly desirable: at least 3 years of professional experience, working in several countries and multicultural environments;
Compensation:
Consultancy fee to be negotiated based on experience and qualifications and level of budget available for this assignment. Please note that ECNL applies a strict conflict of interest policy. The selected expert is responsible to settle the VAT, income and other taxes and duties arising in relation to this assignment in conformity with their relative laws.
Application:
To apply, please send by 18.00 CET, June 30, 2018 to [email protected] the following documents with the subject “Expert/Consultant on Fundraising Regulatory Frameworks:
- CV;
- Motivation letter;
- At least two relevant references from previous related work on mechanisms for financial sustainability of civil society organisations
Only short listed candidates will be contacted by the Review Committee. ECNL is the leading regional organization promoting the strengthening of a supportive legal environment for civil society. ECNL’s aim is to create societies which can be shaped by the people working together. We support the creation of environments where people can establish groups, movements, and formal civil society organisations (CSOs); assemble, demonstrate and protest; and fully participate in policy making. We work at the global and European level in countries of Europe and its neighbourhood. ECNL is the affiliate of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law. The assignment is part of the project ‘Sustainable Framework for Public Fundraising”, managed by ECNL. The project is made possible by the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) through the Civic Space Initiative.