The Fundraising Standards Board has dismissed a complaint about a Smile Train mailing which promised not to mail recipients again if they donated.

The children’s charity sent out a direct mail package with the slogan ‘Make one gift now and we’ll never ask for another donation again!’ last year. The mailing was the charity’s most successful appeal, reported the FRSB. However, five complaints were received about the slogan between September and October last year.

The complainants argued that the slogan was pressuring recipients to give by the implication that otherwise they would be sent more appeal material. They also complained there was no other way to opt out of the mailing.

After revising the complaint, made in October 2011, the FRSB today published its adjudication report.
The complaint was not upheld due to the fact that opt-out clauses and FAQs were included within the mailings. Smile Train successfully argued this meant that donors were not under pressure to give.

However, the FRSB has recommended that the envelope be changed to make clear that recipients can opt out of future fundraising correspondence without having to make a donation or, alternatively, the regulator has suggested that the slogan be reworded.

FRSB chair Colin Lloyd said that while charities must attempt to make their brand stand out “it is crucial that the public do not feel pressured into giving”.

“Smile Train has taken an unusual approach with its one gift campaign and we understand that it has been the charity’s most successful appeal. We were reassured that the mailing contains all the necessary information to clarify the slogan on the front cover, but we hope to see greater clarity on the envelope itself in future.”

Smile Train did not respond to civilsociety.co.uk's requests for comment.