Complaint handing by not-for-profits
1. Complaints to charities and not-for-profits
Not-for-profits should provide a safe and effective service to those who wish to make a complaint to or about an organisation, whether regarding mismanagement of people’s information and data, use of donations, costs of fundraising or fundraising methods, the provision of services or the quality of the service.
Many complaints occur because of alleged services failures, relevant information is not readily available, is difficult to understand, incomplete or misleading, does not appropriately address common concerns or frequently asked questions, is not provided or made available within a reasonable period of time.
2. Benefits of handling complaints well
Good complaint handling can provide you with knowledge which can be used to:
- Improve products and services
- Build better relationships with your donors and those you serve
- Improve your bottom line
- Empower your staff to resolve issues fairly and efficiently
Bad complaint handling can cost your organisation:
- Donor and customer loyalty
- The lifetime value of a donor
- The public reputation of your organisation
- Direct financial expenses in relation to the complaint
3. Consider the following:
- Is it easy to make a complaint to your organisation? For example:
- Is the information about who to contact easy to find?
- Do you have feedback or complaint forms in print and electronic formats?
- Is it possible to resolve a complaint informally by talking to the individual and providing an explanation or apology?
- Are there regular reviews of the issues raised by complaints to or about your organisation?
Download the Complaints Handling Policy from the Community Directors policy bank.