Sponsorship Guidelines

Sponsorship Guidelines (DOC 94kb)

Eurocarers Policy on Commercial Sponsorship

Ethics first and foremost are about respecting all members and continually building on trustworthiness. Ethical guidelines act as a guide for working in the best interests of our members.

Eurocarers wishes to have co-operative relationships with individual companies.

Eurocarers recognise that there are common interests between Eurocarers and some companies, to address the needs of carers and cared for persons and safeguard their interests in receiving good quality products and services.

Separate interests are also recognised, i.e. that Eurocarers  exists for the public good, does not produce private profit or other benefits, while industry must satisfy its investors and shareholders and is obliged to make profits to exist and to fund future development.

The basis of sound and equal partnership is recognition of mutual rights and responsibilities and this policy document is required to make this clear.

These Ethical Guidelines are intended to establish a clear understanding of the separate roles of Eurocarers and sponsoring companies, for the avoidance of doubt and for public interest and awareness.

Eurocarers will always protect and safeguard its independence and reputation.

Background

Eurocarers is an independent not for profit organization that wishes to ensure a positive and collaborative relationship with a number of stakeholders.

To progress our work Eurocarers will co-operate with commercial companies, within the guidelines of this document. 

Aim of the guidelines

The aim is to ensure that the co-operation between Eurocarers and commercial companies is done in a responsible and meaningful way and is carried out in such a way that the independence of each respective partner is safeguarded from a legal or ethical point of view.

Guidelines include

  • Openness about the co-operation
  • Financial and other kinds of support
  • General guidelines for co-operation

Openness and contract

All co-operation projects must be formally approved by the Executive Committee.
Contracts and agreements between Eurocarers and companies will be written and made available to our members.

Contracts will include an account of the co-operation and clearly describe each partner’s rights and responsibilities. With regards to a co-operation which is smaller in nature a written agreement is sufficient. A written agreement of this kind will apply to project up to and including €10,000 but not exceeding that figure.

Guidelines for co-operation:

The co-operating company must have a business that is not in conflict with Eurocarers purpose, aims and ethos.

Companies cannot be offered critical influence in the planning and carrying out of Eurocarers activities, therefore, projects shall be planned together and carried out in a way that both partners can agree on.

All information, publicity and publications shall make clear that there is a co-operation between both partners.

In particular projects exclusive rights can be given. Exclusive rights cannot be given in general contracts or agreements.

Eurocarers logotype and name in information material may only be used following approval from the Executive.

Respective Roles and Structures

The companies and Eurocarers should familiarise themselves with each other’s structures, relevant national regulations or law, and should respect the modes of operation and representativeness at European, national or local level.  The companies are expected to avoid any activity or the creation of any organisation that could compete with Eurocarers or give rise to confusion about its identity.

Limitations

Eurocarers does not approve, endorse or recommend any specific product.

Eurocarers will not open its lists of members, cared for persons or supporters to any commercial organizations beyond what is in the public domain.

Information or data provided by Eurocarers to a company must be credited in publications and its use must be agreed with Eurocarers before publication. 

Such information or data must not be used to imply endorsement of a product or company by Eurocarers.

A donation or payment for the use of such information or data will not be required or accepted, in line with Europe’s normal practice for commercial bodies.

All information provided to Eurocarers’ publications or events must be within the terms of current national / international law and conventions.  Eurocarers will not attempt to use its status as “International Not For Profit Organisation” to circumvent these.

Depending on the individual case and purpose, Eurocarers will consider providing anonymous statistical data about its members or cared for persons.

Funding

Eurocarers welcomes sponsorship from the commercial sector and will always report these as part of its usual accounting and transparency arrangements.

Donations are welcomed by Eurocarers in respect of its normal work programme, but will not be accepted as an inducement to influence or change its positions on issues, plans or priorities.

Private donations to individual officers or members of Eurocarers, whether paid staff or volunteers, are not acceptable.

When Eurocarers accepts a donation in support of any specific activity it retains control of the content at all times.

Acknowledgements and Disclaimers

Acknowledgement of financial support by sponsoring companies will be made for all supported programmes and research; however, references will not be made to specific products, only to the corporate name.

We ensure that we are able to demonstrate that any funding we receive is unconditional, within the terms of these guidelines, and we seek to identify funds from a variety of sources in order to maintain independence.

Funding must be clearly identified as restricted or unrestricted.

In addition to the acknowledgement, a disclaimer is also required on publications and other materials.  An acceptable disclaimer is as follows:
“Acceptance of this unrestricted grant from  XYZ Company does not constitute endorsement by Eurocarers of any particular product of XYZ Company.

Acknowledgement of Sponsors:

Type of acknowledgement:

  1. The placing of the sponsors logo on the site.
  2. The placing of a statement of acknowlement on the site
  3. The use of both of the above where the sponsor works with Eurocarers, in addition to providing fundings, for example, in the development work of the project.

Location of acknowledgement:

  1. On some specified pages.
  2. Position of acknowledgement on page.

Size of acknowledgement:

  1. Size of logo in relation to size of page and Eurocarers logo
  2. Size in relation to other non-Eurocarers logos
  3. Size of type acknowledgement.

Duration of Acknowledgement:

  1. Based on duration of project or time period.
  2. Based on number of units (website = number of hits)
  3. Based on type of sponsorship, once off, ongoing.

Wording of Acknowledgement:

  1. Sponsored by
  2. Eurocarers acknowledges the sponsorship and collaboration of

Acknowledgement at meetings  / events:

  • A company can be offered the opportunity to be recognised in programmes for meeting, on signs and through oral acknowledgement.  Only the name of the company can be used, not the product.
  • It is acceptable to have available at a workshop or educational session, company brochures or hand-outs providing the information is restricted to describing the company’s information or product support telephone lines and web sites.  Such materials can be made available to individuals who wish to have them (for example, placed on a table in the room), but should not be distributed to each participant. 
  • It is not acceptable for the company to attempt to sell their products at a workshop or educational session.
  • Display booths of products can be set up at Eurocarers programmes or events.

These guidelines will be reviewed in twelve months.
(Dated: 19th Nov. 2009)