Data protection, and the rules and regulations surrounding it, have been day-to-day concerns of charities for many years. When they get it wrong, especially when using data for fundraising, the reputational damage can be serious. Keeping up to date with the ever-changing situation can be a challenge.

Each year, the Charity CRM Survey, organised by Fundraising Magazine and Charity Finance, tracks how informed respondents feel. In 2026, 84% of the over 400 organisations which responded consider that they are aware of changes to data protection legislation (see figure 9). This compares to 56% four years ago and 64% last year.