1. Charity Information
Name: The Pink Festival Group (referred to as ‘the charity’)
Registered charity number: 1163298
2 Commitment to Address Ethical Issues
We actively seek opportunities to work with external organisations to achieve shared objectives. However, it is vital that we maintain our independence and do not allow external partnerships to bring the name of the charity into disrepute.
The charity therefore seeks, so far as is practical and within the constraints of UK law;
• initiatives that do not compromise the independent status of the charity.
• to ensure that the activities of organisations we work with are consistent with our organisational values.
• the charity name (or event name) is not used in a manner that would express or imply the charity’s endorsement of the company/organisation or its policies.
This policy has been devised to ensure clarity and openness to all our stakeholders. It is designed to address sponsorship and cause-related marketing. ‘Sponsorship’ means payment by a private sector organisation – or individual –, in return for public association with an activity, project, event or asset. This could be in cash or in kind.
We welcome comments, criticism and suggestions as to how these goals can be met.
3. Avoidance Criteria
The charity will not accept support that could compromise who we are and what we do or undermine our effectiveness in achieving our goals.
It would not be appropriate for us to partner with companies whose commercial objectives would conflict with our goals and values, or which could promote inaccurate or misleading messages about our commitment to those goals and values. All partners will be subject to a reasonable due diligence process whereby the charity will seek to understand any potential risks of the partnership.
There are sectors that are inherently incompatible with a healthy and happy society and planet. Therefore, we will not enter into a sponsorship agreement with:
- companies in the fossil fuel sector such as exploration, extraction, processing or sale
- companies in the tobacco sector
- companies in the arms sector
- companies in the adult entertainment (pornography) sector.
In addition to the sectors listed above, circumstances where the charity will have legitimate concern include (but are not limited to):
- national/multi-national companies without a formal sustainability strategy addressing material risks and impacts
- companies with a poor reputation or track-record for ethical sponsorship or cause-related marketing, including green washing and pink washing
- companies with a poor reputation or track-record for diversity, equality and/or inclusion
4. Cause-related Marketing, Affinity Marking and Product Endorsements
The charity does not endorse or approve products or companies, and a statement to this effect will be included alongside any branding or promotion associated with products. It is an expectation that sponsor companies will advocate for and enable LGBTQ+ rights to be upheld.
Only the charity will have direct access to our databases. The charity does not provide partners with access to individual beneficiaries of our charitable work.
5. Engagement
The charity believes that benefits to both partners can be enhanced if the charity partner has an input into policy issues at the commercial organisation. To this end, for substantial partnerships of more than 12 months duration, the charity will seek to establish a formal process for consultation.
6. Process
The charity will not accept more than ten per cent of total income per annum from one corporate partner, so as not to compromise our integrity. This does not include money raised via employee and customer fundraising as part of any corporate partnership arrangements.
All cause-related marketing and sponsorship with a value of more than £2,500 must be approved by the Board of Trustees.
Contracts with partners must permit the charity to withdraw from any partnership where new developments mean that areas of this ethical sponsorship policy become breached.
7. Transparency
A full list of corporate sponsors giving over £1,000 will be maintained on our website.
the charity will communicate its commitment to this policy to the organisation’s stakeholders. A copy of this policy will be displayed on our website within 3 months of its adoption.
Policy version 1.1 (October 2023)
We/our/us refers to The Pink Festival Group, the charity delivering Cambridge Pride.