We recently published our Annual Complaints Report 2023/24 which shares learnings from our own casework and the complaints received from a sample of the UK’s largest fundraising charities. In this blog, I share a few key takeaways from this year’s report that may be especially useful for charitable organisations in Northern Ireland to consider in their fundraising work.
Misleading information is a leading cause of complaints to the regulator
One of the most consistent themes in complaints over the past three years has been the use of misleading information across different types of fundraising.
Many complaints arose when organisations created a restricted fund by stating that donations would be used for a specific purpose through the information provided in a fundraising appeal, but with funds then spent on another purpose.
Charities should think about wording carefully when creating an appeal and keep good records of where money is used to help avoid complaints or respond if a complaint does occur.
This year, many complaints around misleading information focused on digital fundraising. It's convenient to allow people to donate at the click of a button online, such as on a charity’s website or social media. However, charities should make sure they give enough information before or during the donation process, so people know how the donation will be spent.
Door-to-door fundraising continues to drive complaints
Door-to-door fundraising continues to receive many complaints both directly to us and to charitable organisations. These findings align with our recent research into the ‘the publics’ experience and expectations of charitable fundraising’ which found that door-to-door fundraising is unpopular with many people.
Although door-to-door fundraising is an effective way to interact with the public and generate income, it is essential for charities to maintain robust monitoring and oversight of their agency partners. Our market inquiry report emphasised the importance of fundraiser training, monitoring, and a clear line-of-sight in contracts throughout the subcontracting chain.
Fundraising by community interest companies (CICs) is seeing increasing numbers of complaints
Another emerging trend was an increase in complaints about fundraising by some CICs - which accounted for 12% of all complaints we received this year. Complaints mostly related to negative fundraiser behaviour, pressure to donate, inadequate licences and permissions, and misleading fundraising practices.
The public often finds it difficult to tell the difference between fundraising carried out by CICs and charitable organisations. If a CIC engages in poor fundraising behaviour, it can therefore negatively impact the reputation of the charity sector. Because of this, we are continuing to work closely with other authorities and regulators to ensure that CICs are aware of, and comply with, the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Find out more
You can read the full Annual Complaints Report 2023/24 on our website. If you have any questions or want to discuss any part of the report, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
