Many of us support charities in one way or another; you too may help through volunteering, fundraising or donations.
Charities are part of the fabric of our society. They bring communities together, help those in need and reach areas that the state can struggle to access. We would be far poorer without them.
The Fundraising Regulator was formed in 2016 and it is their job to help charities fundraise in an ethical, transparent way. Here, Gerald Oppenheim, CEO of the Fundraising Regulator, shares details of the Fundraising Preference Service, a service designed to help you manage unwanted or high volumes of charity communications:
‘The service allows you to block communications from up to three named charities at a time. You can decide whether you want to stop emails, phone calls, text messages, letters or all four. This can be really helpful if you’re feeling overwhelmed by charity communications.
To use the service, simply visit the website, https://www.fundraisingpreference.org.uk/. Alternatively, you can call on 0300 3033 517. If you’re not sure which charity has contacted you, our team can help you with that, too.
We want the service to help vulnerable people, but we understand that some people might not be able to use it easily by themselves. So we made sure that people can use it on behalf of others.
For instance, if you are worried about any communications your parents receive, you can use the Fundraising Preference Service on their behalf. I am pleased that 25% of our registrations have been made on behalf of others, because this means that we’re reaching people who might otherwise be unable to manage their communication with charities.
More broadly, the Fundraising Regulator is here to help you. If you’re unsure about whether a fundraiser has crossed a line, you can use the Code of Fundraising Practice to check what standards they should be following. You’ll find the Code on our website: https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/code.
If you have a question about fundraising practice, or if you feel that a fundraiser has broken the Code, then get in touch. We have a team dedicated to investigating complaints and ensuring that donors are protected. We can be reached on 0300 999 3407.
Charity fundraising is a brilliant thing. It does enormous good. Our job as the Fundraising Regulator is to make sure that fundraising happens in a way that works for both charities and the public. I think that’s a good thing for everyone.’
