The Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator have issued joint guidance for members of the public who raise money for charity. In a GOV.UK notice, the regulators said the document is designed to help people organise appeals in a way that protects donors, protects the charity concerned and reduces the risk of disputes once money has been collected. The intervention gives public fundraising a clearer compliance frame. Rather than treating community appeals as informal acts of goodwill, the regulators are signalling that anyone who opens an appeal in a charity's name should understand the duties that follow from that decision.
According to the joint guidance, the person who sets up an appeal is responsible for making sure the money reaches the intended charity. That is the central legal point in the notice. Unless a fundraiser is acting under a charity's own arrangements, the duty does not pass automatically to the charity whose name is being used. For that reason, the regulators are advising organisers to identify a named charity from the outset and to state clearly what the appeal will support. Public messaging should include the charity's registered number and should explain the purpose of the fundraising in terms that donors can check before giving.
The GOV.UK guidance also sets out basic operating standards for appeals. Fundraisers are asked to set a defined financial target and an end date, so donors can see the scale and duration of the campaign. Where any costs will be deducted before money is passed on, those deductions should be explained upfront rather than after funds have been collected. The regulators also steer organisers towards reputable online giving platforms instead of personal bank accounts. That approach improves record-keeping, gives donors a clearer trail for payments and reduces the chance that an appeal appears opaque. The guidance adds that organisers should make contingency plans in case circumstances change or the original funding plan can no longer be followed exactly.
This is the first time the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator have published joint guidance aimed specifically at members of the public who want to fundraise for charity, rather than at donors deciding whether to give safely. The move reflects a concern that well-intentioned appeals can still create problems if funds are delayed, purposes shift or public messaging is incomplete. In the regulators' account, early planning can reduce the need for later administrative intervention and limit public criticism that money is not reaching the intended cause quickly enough. It can also help separate genuine appeals from activity that may be seen as misleading or fraudulent, particularly during emergencies, local tragedies and other high-profile campaigns.
The financial context helps explain the focus. The Charity Commission's Annual Return 2024 analysis found that the sector reported total gross income of £101.87 billion, of which £32.4 billion came from donations and legacies, equal to 31.64 per cent of all charity income. For charities with income below £500,000, the share from donations and legacies was 45.57 per cent, rising to 56.25 per cent among charities with income under £10,000. That level of dependence means weak controls around public appeals can affect cashflow, reputation and donor confidence, especially for smaller organisations. Even among charities with income above £1 million, the same income category accounted for 32.14 per cent of income, valued at £27.43 billion, according to the Charity Commission's published analysis.
Within the regulatory system, the Charity Commission oversees charities in England and Wales, while the Fundraising Regulator regulates charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and takes a lead role where charities primarily registered there fundraise in Scotland. In the joint announcement, Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth said the purpose of the guide was to help members of the public understand the legal responsibilities attached to charity fundraising. Fundraising Regulator chief executive Gerald Oppenheim said the guidance is intended to help donations reach charities quickly and without avoidable problems. For organisers, the practical effect is clear: appeals with a named charity, a defined purpose, transparent handling of costs and a credible payment route are less likely to attract complaints or regulatory follow-up. The full guidance is published on GOV.UK, and suspected illegitimate appeals can be reported through Report Fraud.