To mark 'Giving Tuesday', an international day of increased generosity, the Fundraising Regulator, Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) and Action Fraud have today launched their annual safer giving campaign to remind people how to give safely to charities.
The campaign launch comes as new data from Action Fraud reveals fraudsters diverted more than £2.7m from charities in the last year. The data also revealed there were 501 charity fraud crime reports between 1 November 2022 and 31 October 2023.
The regulators stress that most charity fundraising is genuine. However, fraudsters and criminals sometimes take advantage of public generosity at times of increased giving, using methods such as fake appeal websites, email appeals that falsely use the name of genuine charities, or appeals from fake charities.
Helping to ensure donations reach their intended cause remains vital as the cost-of-living crisis continues to have a significant impact. According to recent research from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, nearly one in five charities are at risk of stopping operations this winter, mostly due to lower incomes, higher costs and increased demand.
Upon launching the campaign, which spans the festive period, the regulators highlighted that following safer giving steps should empower people to feel reassured as they donate to genuine good causes, and not feel disheartened by the data.
People who want to donate to charity this winter can do so with confidence by following some simple steps and top tips for giving safely:
- Check the charity's name and registration number on the Charity Register at www.gov.uk/checkcharity - most charities with an annual income of £5,000 or more must be registered.
- Make sure the charity is genuine before giving any financial information.
- Be careful when responding to emails or clicking on links within them.
- Contact or find out more online about the charity that you're seeking to donate to or work with to understand how they are spending their funds
- Look out for the Fundraising Badge - the logo that says 'registered with Fundraising Regulator' - and check the Fundraising Regulator's Directory of organisations which have committed to fundraise in line with the Code of Fundraising Practice.
- A face-to-face fundraiser should have a licence from the relevant Local Authority Licensing team or the Metropolitan Police (in Greater London). Never feel under pressure into donating immediately. Ask the collector f
