FPS launched and live - here's what you need to know

14 July 2017
Governance and Compliance
Standard Content

With the recent launch of the Fundraising Preference Service (FPS) we are keen to give you, our members all the support and guidance you need, and offer some useful information to make sure you are ready for the changes in place.

The Fundraising Preference Service is an online service set up by the Fundraising Regulator. It will allow individuals to end direct marketing communications from charities they specify through a central system. The service aims to give the public greater control over the communications that they choose to receive from charities. A supporting helpline is also be available to help those who cannot access the service online.   

If you are one of the charities required to pay the Fundraising Regulator’s levy, the Fundraising Regulator will proactively ask you to register on the FPS system. However, if the Fundraising Regulator does not approach you then nothing will change until a member of the public expresses a preference to no longer hear from you via the FPS. Either way, it’s useful to familiarise yourself with the Fundraising Regulator’s new requirements to the Code of Fundraising Practice which reflect the launch of the FPS.

With a commitment from the Fundraising Regulator to review the system in due course, you can get in touch with them for any feedback or questions. 

There is also a wealth of online material to help, from the Charities Guide to FPS to FAQs for both charities and members of the public, all helpfully put together by the Fundraising Regulator.

For fundraisers in Scotland

Fundraising regulation in Scotland is different to the system in place within England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The FPS is a way for the Fundraising Regulator to help the public in the UK to manage communications from charities which are registered in England and Wales. That means the FPS will not apply to charities only registered in Scotland. Donors living in Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, can also use the FPS to stop communications from charities registered in England and Wales. FPS will also apply to charities in Northern Ireland later in 2017.

Naz Nabeeh
Naz Nabeeh
Content Manager at the Institute of Fundraising
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