The changing shape of face-to-face fundraising

Face-to-face fundraising is an essential part of a charity’s fundraising strategy. But scandals involving pressure tactics to encourage donations and the poor treatment of vulnerable donors have blighted the reputation of face-to-face fundraising in recent years.  

Action is being taken, most notably by the Fundraising Regulator through its inquiry into how the use of subcontractors in fundraising can be improved. Sector body the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIoF) has also updated its guidance to offer charities and fundraisers further advice to improve how they look to collect donations face to face.  

Below, we look at changes being made to face-to-face fundraising, especially those intended to curtail poor behaviour by subcontractors. 

The challenges of face-to-face fundraising  

In 2023, the Fundraising Regulator launched an inquiry into the use of subcontractors  fundraising firms amid concerns of pressure tactics being used and a failure to identify and respect potentially vulnerable people.  

A particular concern is that some fundraising contractors are being impacted by an influx of more ‘sales oriented’ salespeople, who have been made redundant from energy firms as this sector moves away from face-to-face sales. 

The Fundraising Regulator’s subsequent report, released in 2024, urges charities and fundraisers to review their relationship with such subcontractors in a bid to tackle pressure tactics and protect vulnerable people. 

This includes urging charities to closely monitor subcontracted fundraising firms to ensure staff receive “appropriate training” to convey charitable messages rather than pressure people to give.  

“It is crucial for charities to have a clear line of sight to those who fundraising in their name,” said Fundraising Regulator Head of Proactive Regulation and Projects Jim Tebbett. 

Recent cases of concern 

The Fundraising Regulator has dealt with several concerns in recent years around the conduct of fundraisers working for subcontractors. 

For example, in 2024, it raised concerns around the conduct of a street fundraiser who approached an autistic shopper who did not want to be engaged with. Despite this, the fundraiser persisted in their conversation and then laughed when a passerby made a derogatory mark about the shopper.  

The fundraiser was working for fundraising company Zen Fundraising, collecting on behalf of SOS Children’s Villages UK, which said afterwards that it had updated its training “to ensure that fundraisers can better identify and take into account the needs of potentially vulnerable individuals”. 

In 2025, the regulator found 11 breaches of its fundraising code following an investigation into Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity), its fundraising agency Acwyre, and subcontractor IBA Global. 

This investigation launched after GOSH Charity self-reported concerns raised by a journalist at The Times about the culture and behaviour of fundraisers working for IBA Global.  

“The evidence suggested a performance culture at the sub-contractor which focused more on successful sign-ups than on following the fundraising standards in the code,” said the regulator at the time.

The charity has since acted on concerns, including improving its training for fundraisers.