Who regulates fundraising?


The Fund Raising Standards Board is now the primary regulator of fundraising activity in this country. If you have a complaint about an organisation's fundraising you should first try to resolve the matter by contacting the charity directly. If you are still not satisfied you can report the matter to the Fund Raising Standards Board (FRSB) who will investigate the matter on your behalf.

All fundraising that takes place in the UK should meet the standards laid down in the Codes of Fundraising Practice produced by the Institute of Fundraising. Members of the FRSB's scheme are bound by these codes and also by the Fundraising Promise.

At present the scheme administered by the Fund Raising Standards Board is voluntary and not every charity is participating. The Board will advise you if your complaint is about a non-member. Where this is the case you may be able to take up the matter with the Advertising Standards Authority, the independent body set up by the advertising industry to police rules laid down in a related set of codes. Although it is called the 'Advertising' Standards Authority it does in fact police all the broadcast media, direct mail and electronic communications such as websites and e-mail.


Data protection legislation also affects many aspects of fundraising. The Data Protection Act lays down the rules on how personal data (like your name and address) can be used, and ensures that you can find out what information is held on you and what it is being used for.

In simple terms, an organisation cannot pass on personal information or start using it for a new purpose without contacting you and giving you the chance to say ‘no’ to this. It is also illegal to hold more personal information than is required for a certain purpose, or to hold it for longer than it is needed.

More detailed information and a guide to the Data Protection Act can be found on the Information Commission website.