The Institute of Fundraising has revised its code of practice on telephone fundraising to help clarify whether charities can fundraise in cold calling control zones.

Fundraisers are encouraged to look into the way a cold calling control zone has been set up – whether it is targeted and responds to a clear need to protect consumers – before making any calls to the group.

Organisations are also warned against making ‘silent calls’, wherein consumers receive calls made by an automatic dialling machine and when there is not a person on the other end to handle the call. The inclusion of measures discouraging silent calls follows a revision of Ofcom guidance on the practice.