Funding partnership statement

SAFE brings together its member patient organisations and other relevant organisations to promote understanding of stroke and how it can be prevented. We also advocate for better stroke care through better research and good practice implementation.

SAFE relies on partnerships for the continuation and sustainability of its operations.  In order to ensure its independence, SAFE has produced the partnership principles which describe the conditions in which a company or organisation can work with SAFE.

In summary, SAFE does not accept donations that are dependent on policies set by others. The Board ensures that funding does not condition SAFE’s priority setting, mission, messages, or any other activities.

SAFE will only partner with companies and organisations of high standing and reputation. All partnerships must be transparent to SAFE and its membership, its key stakeholders, as well as to prospective partners and donors.

Partnership principles

Open and transparent

• SAFE seeks a diverse funding base in the interests of financial sustainability and to avoid both dependence and the appearance of dependence on any one source.
• SAFE will be open and transparent regarding our board’s and staff’s relationships with the funders / industry. We will identify any conflicts of interests that arise from the activities of our board and staff in relation to any collaboration SAFE has with funders / industry.
• With permission, SAFE will acknowledge significant financial contributions from funders /industry in its annual report and on our website.
• SAFE will acknowledge sponsors of individual projects or activities proportionately so as to avoid advertising. SAFE will consider carefully any request to display corporate logos and avoid giving them undue prominence.
• SAFE will be open and transparent about its policy and influencing priorities, and how these are developed and pursued.
• This policy was adopted by the Board on February 2020 and will be published on SAFE’s website and reviewed annually.

Furthering our charitable objects

• SAFE’s priorities and work programmes are informed by the interests of our members; are determined in a collaborative effort; and are approved annually by the board.
• SAFE will undertake only those activities which are consistent with our agreed priorities and work programme.
• SAFE needs to recover all its costs to ensure that it can remain a viable organisation. We will therefore favour unrestricted funding arrangements that support core costs and will otherwise seek to recover the full overhead costs associated with specific activities.
• SAFE will retain complete editorial control of the content of its plans, policies, written outputs including research and policy materials and the programmes for its meetings.

Protect our independence and reputation

• SAFE welcomes financial and other material support for its work as long as funding is provided free of any conditions that might compromise SAFE’s charitable status, reputation and independence. Any support that is accepted will further SAFE’s objectives and will be judged by its potential benefit for people with stroke. SAFE will not endorse or promote products or services provided by funders, industry or other supporters, or lobby for their commercial interests, and will seek to avoid acting so as to give the appearance of favouring any commercial interests. We will work alongside supporters on campaigns, lobbying and calls to action only where these align with SAFE’s own priorities and values.
• SAFE’s name and logo are its property and may not be used by a funder without prior written agreement of the charity, and vice versa.
• Where funding is sought for particular projects or activities SAFE prefers to engage with more than one party. Exclusivity may be considered at the discretion of SAFE.
• SAFE will not accept funding or support from any party whose activities and business practices are demonstrably unlawful or unethical.
• SAFE will not accept funding or support from any party whose activities are demonstrably harmful to health and wellbeing, or in other ways demonstrably harmful to the public good, in the judgment of the board. SAFE will expect funders to comply with their respective industry codes of practice governing funding relationships with third parties such as charities.
• SAFE will on occasion use information available in the public domain to research potential funders and funding opportunities

Treat all funders fairly and honestly

• SAFE will, when providing information, insight or opportunities to support activities, take reasonable steps to ensure that information is shared with all relevant parties at the same time. We will be transparent about co-funders on any given project.
• SAFE will store all information it receives from funders securely and confidentially and not share contacts without the funder’s prior consent.
• SAFE will not alter the project funding goal or timeline without advising the funder in advance.

Due care and attention

SAFE will accept funding from funders, industry and other parties when:

• It believes that the funding will benefit SAFE and people affected by stroke
• The funder agrees not to influence SAFE’s policies or activities, either explicitly or implicitly.
• In particular, every collaboration will be assessed and agreed on an individual basis by the director general and board of SAFE.
• All proposals to accept pharmaceutical/medical device industry support will be notified in advance to the board by the director general, alongside an account of the due diligence performed on the potential funder.
• This due diligence will cover the nature, activities and reputation of the third party funder; the nature of the funding or support relationship proposed; the associated activities proposed; the size of the proposed contribution; and any risks posed to SAFE and associated mitigation.
• Where the proposed level of funding from each individual funder equals or exceeds 25 per cent of SAFE’s forecasted income in any one financial year, or is likely to have a significant impact on SAFE’s workload, the board must formally approve the proposal, on advice from the director general, before it can proceed.
• A written agreement will be drawn up at the beginning of each new partnership with a funder /industry and each partnership will be monitored and evaluated.

Approved and adopted by SAFE’s board on February 2020

Reviewed March 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Date for review: March 2025

In addition, the board approved a supplementary position on how we work with partners with respect to our events and initiatives.

Our recent partners

Join us as a partner

If you are a company or organisation who wishes to see progress in preventing, treating and researching stroke and its consequences, and who will work within the limits of our partnership principles – please get in touch

Arlene Wilkie, SAFE’s Director General, would be pleased to discuss any opportunities for partnership working and can be reached on  arlene.wilkie@safestroke.eu

Past and present supporters: