• 12 Dec 2023
• •
• 2 min read

Tis the season for giving – tips for charities on encouraging charitable giving  

As we approach the festive period we look at some top tips that can help charities demonstrate that a gift to them can be given safely and how to assist in preventing people getting caught out by those who seek to take advantage of people’s festive spirit and goodwill.

Display your information clearly

Clearly display your charity name and registration number on all correspondence, literature, adverts and at any fundraising events. This will enable the public to clearly see who they are donating to and enable them to check the details on the Register of Charities.

If you have people fundraising on your behalf, make sure they clearly display the charity details and say who and for what they are collecting donations for.

Tell us what are you fundraising for?

If you are collecting donations for a specific project, be clear about what the project is and how the funds will be used. Let your supporters know what will happen to the funds if the project raises too much, or not enough, funds, for example, will any funds that can’t be used for the specific project be returned or used for the charity’s general purposes.

If you are collecting goods or supplies, be clear about where these will be used.

Do you have a Fundraising Badge?

If you are registered with the Fundraising Regulator tell your supporters this and display your fundraising badge as this helps to show that the charity is committed to good fundraising practice.

Do you use street or doorstep fundraisers?

If you use doorstep or street fundraisers, make sure that they clearly display a proper ID badge, tell people who they are fundraising on behalf of, and that any collection tins are sealed, undamaged and managed safely.

Ensure that the fundraisers know about the charity, it’s purposes and any specific projects the fundraising is for so they can discuss and explain this to any supporters wanting more information.

There are many ways the public can support charities, and giving tends to increase during the festive period, however it is crucial that the public can do so confidently and in the comfort that their donations are going to the intended recipient. Anything that charities can do to help provide this assurance will be hugely beneficial.  

If you would like to speak to our charities team about your charity governance or fundraising practices, please do get in touch with [email protected].