The Fundraising Regulator has commissioned an 18-month research project into complaints that charities receive about their fundraising.
Conducted by BMG Research, the project will look at the types of fundraising complaints that charities receive during 2026-27 and how the sector can learn from their experience.
A sample of charities will be invited to take part voluntarily in the research project, which is expected to conclude with a report on the findings in mid-2027.
The project forms part of the regulator’s plans to change the way it collects and presents data in its annual complaints report (ACR).
Until 2023, the regulator collected data from 58 large charities and reported the types of fundraising complaints they had received as part two of the ACR.
However, after feedback from the sector, the regulator announced plans to review how it collects data from the charities to “widen participation, deepen insights, and better reflect the sector’s needs”.
Research will ‘significantly expand’ on previous method
In a blog post last year, the regulator’s policy specialist Claire Herbert said the new data collection method would be rolled out from 2026.
Herbert said in an article this week: “We decided to contract out the work to enable us to expand the research and give more fundraising charities of all sizes the opportunity to get involved. We are now delighted that this project can begin.”
She said the forthcoming research would “significantly expand” on the 58 charities previously involved in the regulator’s ACR and include smaller organisations.
“The next steps for the new research will include a sample of charities being selected and invited to take part by BMG. We encourage all charities in our directory to watch out for a potential invite,” she said.
“The data and information submitted to researchers by individual charities will be anonymised in the final report and the Fundraising Regulator will not know which charities have participated in the research.
“We really hope those invited to take part will want to get involved and help the sector and the Fundraising Regulator understand more about current fundraising practices.”
