Accountability
The Fabian Society is accountable to our members and committed to transparency
Democratic accountability
The society is led by a democratically elected Executive Committee consisting of members representing all parts of the society. Elections take place every two years.
The executive reports to the society’s Annual General Meeting which takes place in November.
Rules
The rules and by-laws of the Fabian Society are the society’s constitution. Rules are approved by general meetings, by-laws are approved by the executive committee. Autonomous sections of the society and local Fabian societies also have their own constitutions.
Annual reports and accounts
We are an unincorporated membership association (not a company or charity). Our financial year runs from 1 July to 30 June. Our annual report including audited accounts is presented to our Annual General Meeting in November for approval by members.
Independence
The Fabian Society has editorial control of all our publications. Funding partners are invited to comment on draft outputs when they have relevant expertise but are not permitted to determine the contents of what we publish. We do not undertake lobbying projects.
The society is entirely independent from the Labour party. Its editorial output is not shaped or controlled by the party in any way.
Financial transparency
The Fabian Society is funded by our members and subscribers; by organisations who award us grants and sponsorships in connection with specific projects; and by sales of publications and event tickets.
Our funding relationships are governed by a fundraising policy, approved by our executive committee. In particular this stipulates that we will not accept funding from companies’ whose practices are deemed to be unethical; and that we do not carry out lobbying projects.
Our financial transparency has been assessed by Who Funds You and Transparify
Financial transparency reports
Financial regulation
The society is both a think tank and a membership association comprising mainly of members of the Labour party. It therefore qualifies as a ‘members association’ under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. This means that any payment associated with a project that ‘promotes policies for adoption by the Labour party’ is a regulated political donation and must be declared to the Electoral Commission when in excess of £7,500. Only a small minority of our projects fall into this category, as we are a think tank not a campaigning organisation: our focus is not advocacy but research, education, debate and platforming ideas.
The society complies with the requirements of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 during regulated periods prior to elections.