GOV.UK
Contact the charity first - you can then speak to a charity regulator if you’re still not happy.
Complain to the charity
Contact the charity directly if your complaint is about:
- how the charity has approached you for donations on the high street
- the amount of emails or mail you get from the charity
- the services the charity provides
- the amount paid to a professional fundraiser
- an advertising campaign you think is offensive, deceptive or inaccurate
If you’re not satisfied with the charity’s response
Contact the industry bodies that regulate fundraising if you’re unhappy with the charity’s response. There are 2 different bodies that deal with different complaints:
- contact the Fundraising Standards Board to complain about bad fundraising practice, the use of professional fundraisers, or how you’ve been approached for a direct debit donation on the high street,
- contact the Advertising Standards Authority to complain about a charity’s advertising
More serious complaints
You can only complain to the Charity Commission if you have a serious concern, eg if a charity is:
- losing a lot of money
- being used for personal profit
- harming the people who benefit from it
- involved in criminal or terrorist activity
The Charity Commission only investigates where there’s enough evidence to take up the case.