The guidance provides a framework for fundraisers when interacting with vulnerable people – defined as those who have mental capacity to donate to a charity but may need additional support to assist them in making their decision. This should not be confused with the term vulnerable adult, which is defined in legislation and is often used in adult safeguarding (most commonly in relation to health and social care).

The updated guidance is the latest outcome of the Etherington Review, instituted in response to the suicide of Olive Cooke in 2015. The death of Cooke, who was receiving up to 3,000 mailings a year from charities, raised concerns about how charities communicate with donors and share data.