Frequently asked questions
In Finland, fundraising is regulated by law, which defines who can request donations and for what purpose. According to the Fundraising Act, which came into force on 1 March 2020, the requirement for organising a fundraising event is either a fundraising permit issued by the National Police Board and valid until further notice or a small fundraising notification submitted to the police department. In fundraising events requiring a permit, the main rule of the law is that the activities of the fundraising organizer and the purpose of the fundraising event are of public benefit. A small fundraising event based on a notification and aiming for less than 10,000 euros can be organised for purposes other than public benefit, but not for business activities or to increase the assets of a legal entity.
VaLa encourages its members and other fundraisers to be ethical in their fundraising.
Do I dare to trust the party that is requesting a donation? - When requesting a donation, the fundraiser provides the donor with clear and understandable information, including information about the fundraiser organizer and the intended use of the funds reported to the authority. In addition, donation requests must include the permit number or small collection number received from the authority.
What if the person requesting a donation does not have a fundraising permit or small fundraising number? In some cases, requesting donations and support is not subject to a permit or notification and is still legal, for example in the following situations: fundraisers, collections, charity events or bequests and anniversary donations. - Without a permit, money can be collected, for example, to help a person or family in financial difficulties and for the benefit of daycare centers, schools and hobby clubs. In addition, election candidates are allowed to collect funds for their election campaign without a separate permit.
How can I be sure that my donation will reach the collection site? You can check the following points before donating: - Does the collection agency have a website and does the information provided on the website seem credible? - Does the collection agency have a contact person who can provide additional information about the collection and the community's activities? - Is the information provided by the collection agency open and reliable? For example, is it possible to obtain the community's annual report?
If the information provided by the fundraiser is not reliable, do not donate. If you want to verify the information of the fundraiser, you can check whether the information can be found in the list of valid fundraiser permits maintained by the police: https://poliisi.fi/rahankeraykset Contact the police if you want to report a suspected crime: - local police department, when it concerns small-scale fundraising - National Police Board, when it concerns fundraising requiring a permit
In Finland, fundraising is regulated by law, which defines who can request donations and for what purpose. According to the Fundraising Act, which came into force on 1 March 2020, the requirement for organising a fundraising event is either a fundraising permit issued by the National Police Board and valid until further notice or a small fundraising notification submitted to the police department. In fundraising events requiring a permit, the main rule of the law is that the activities of the fundraising organizer and the purpose of the fundraising event are of public benefit. A small fundraising event based on a notification and aiming for less than 10,000 euros can be organised for purposes other than public benefit, but not for business activities or to increase the assets of a legal entity.
VaLa encourages its members and other fundraisers to be ethical in their fundraising.
Do I dare to trust the party that is requesting a donation? - When requesting a donation, the fundraiser provides the donor with clear and understandable information, including information about the fundraiser organizer and the intended use of the funds reported to the authority. In addition, donation requests must include the permit number or small collection number received from the authority.
What if the person requesting a donation does not have a fundraising permit or small fundraising number? In some cases, requesting donations and support is not subject to a permit or notification and is still legal, for example in the following situations: fundraisers, collections, charity events or bequests and anniversary donations. - Without a permit, money can be collected, for example, to help a person or family in financial difficulties and for the benefit of daycare centers, schools and hobby clubs. In addition, election candidates are allowed to collect funds for their election campaign without a separate permit.
How can I be sure that my donation will reach the collection site? You can check the following points before donating: - Does the collection agency have a website and does the information provided on the website seem credible? - Does the collection agency have a contact person who can provide additional information about the collection and the community's activities? - Is the information provided by the collection agency open and reliable? For example, is it possible to obtain the community's annual report?
If the information provided by the fundraiser is not reliable, do not donate. If you want to verify the information of the fundraiser, you can check whether the information can be found in the list of valid fundraiser permits maintained by the police: https://poliisi.fi/rahankeraykset Contact the police if you want to report a suspected crime: - local police department, when it concerns small-scale fundraising - National Police Board, when it concerns fundraising requiring a permit