Charity Fundraising Rules Explained for the Public

Setting up a fundraiser can feel wonderfully simple. You pick a cause, open a page, share it with friends, and watch the donations come in. But the new joint guidance from the Charity Commission and the Fundraising Regulator starts with a point many people miss: if you are raising money for a charity, you are the person responsible for making sure that money reaches the right place. That matters most in moments of urgency. After a local tragedy, a health crisis or a major news event, people often want to help straight away. The regulators are not telling you not to act. They are saying pause long enough to set the appeal up properly, because good intentions do not cancel legal and practical duties. They also say this is the first joint guidance they have issued specifically for members of the public who want to fundraise for charity.

This is not a tiny part of charity finance. According to the Charity Commission’s analysis of 2024 annual returns, the sector reported £101.87 billion in gross income, with £32.4 billion coming from donations and legacies. That is 31.64 per cent of all charity income. For smaller charities, the dependence is even stronger, which helps explain why unclear appeals can cause real problems. **Why this matters:** when public fundraising is organised well, charities receive money faster and donors feel confident about giving. When it is disorganised, the result can be delays, confusion and mistrust. A charity may end up facing questions about an appeal it did not even set up itself.

The clearest rule in the guidance is also the easiest to overlook. Fundraise for a named charity from the start, and say plainly what the money is for. In practice, that means using the charity’s full name and registered number in your posts, messages and fundraising page so donors know exactly where their money is meant to go. This may sound formal, but it protects everyone. Donors can check that the charity exists, the charity can see how it is being represented, and you have a clear public record of what you promised to do. If you stay vague, you make misunderstanding much more likely.

The regulators also want fundraisers to be open about time, money and method. Set a target and an end date for the appeal. Tell people in advance if any costs will be taken out before the final donation is passed on. And if you are collecting online, use a reputable fundraising platform rather than a personal bank account wherever possible. **What this means for you:** transparency is not an extra detail to add later. If you need to cover event costs, printing, platform charges or anything else, say so before people donate. That gives donors the full picture and helps avoid the feeling that the rules changed after the money arrived.

One of the most useful parts of the guidance is its focus on back-up plans. Appeals do not always go to plan. An event may be cancelled, a charity may no longer be able to accept funds in the way you expected, or the situation behind an emergency appeal may change quickly. The advice is clear: think about those possibilities before you launch, not after confusion begins. That is not just about paperwork. It is about trust. Most people understand that plans can change for honest reasons. What they struggle with is silence, vague updates or money sitting in limbo with no clear explanation. Once that happens, organisers can face criticism, complaints and extra attention from regulators.

Both regulators are trying to protect something bigger than one appeal: public confidence in giving. Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth said the guidance is there to help people raise money in a way that is legal, ethical and effective. Gerald Oppenheim of the Fundraising Regulator made a similar point, saying public fundraising only works when donations reach the intended cause quickly and properly. There is an important lesson here for all of us. Online fundraising often feels informal because it lives on social media, payment apps and community pages. The law does not treat it as casual. If you organise the appeal, you are not only supporting a good cause. You are taking responsibility for other people’s money.

If you are thinking about launching an appeal, the safest approach is to do the basic checks before the first post goes live. Choose the charity first, confirm its details, state the purpose clearly, decide how long the appeal will run, explain any expenses and keep records from the beginning. The full public guidance is available on GOV.UK, and it is worth reading before you share a single link. And if something about a fundraiser does not look right, trust that instinct and check it. The original notice says suspicious collections or appeals can be reported through Report Fraud. **What it means for you:** generosity matters, but care matters too. The best fundraising protects both the cause and the people giving to it.