Protecting supporters

People of all ages and abilities find it incredibly rewarding to support charities and their local community through volunteering or donating. But charities need to be particularly mindful when working or coming into contact with potentially vulnerable people, children and the elderly, to ensure that they treat everyone appropriately, respectfully and fairly, remain alert to any particular needs the individual might have and never take advantage of the situation. 

Good fundraising should always be: legal, open, honest, respectful, responsible and accountable (see the Fundraising Promise). This means always treating people fairly, never placing anyone under undue pressure to give or taking advantage of someone’s lack of knowledge or need for care.

• Make fundraising information clear and accessible.
• Always treat a donor fairly, taking into account any additional needs they have to enable them to make an informed decision about donating.
• Never pressure someone into making a donation.
• Be alert to signs that someone may be confused or vulnerable and need additional support.
• Take care not to take advantage of mistakes by donors or to exploit their lack of knowledge or need for care. 
• Don’t accept a donation from an individual if you believe he/she lacks capacity to make the decision to donate.
• Avoid asking for a donation if a person clearly indicates that they do not wish to engage with the fundraiser. 
• Don’t deny someone the right to give on account of their age or other factor, so long as this is what they want to do.

See our Treating Donors Fairly guidance, and the following sections on Working with Volunteers and Working with Children.

Safeguarding supporters will also mean treating people’s personal information and contact details responsibly, fairly and in line with their wishes. Personal data should be kept safe, secure and updated.

• What personal data do we process?
• How can we use that data?
• What permissions do we have?
• How will we keep that data safe?
• What data can be shared and with whom?
• How will it be kept up to date?
• How to handle any breach?
• When should we delete data?

For more information, see the IoF’s online resources, the Fundraising Regulator’s guide to Personal Information and Fundraising or contact the Information Commissioner’s Office