FPS an important service for small & declining number of users, evaluation concludes
Melanie May | 16 November 2020 | News
Public awareness of the Fundraising Preference Service is low with usage declining, although it remains an important tool for members of the public wanting to opt-out of receiving communications from multiple charities, an independent evaluation of the service has found.
The FPS evaluation was commissioned by the Fundraising Regulator as part of its commitment to review the service three years on from its launch. The evaluation was conducted by independent consultancy, Action Planning, using surveys with members of the public, interviews with a wide range of third sector stakeholders and a charity focus group.
According to the evaluation report, the principle of an independent fundraising preference service is important for maintaining public trust, and ultimately strengthens charity fundraising. Users questioned said that the service gave them convenience and peace of mind, particularly when wanting to stop direct marketing from multiple charities and that it was generally easy to use.
Analysis of the FPS also found that the 31% of total suppressions since the FPS was launched were made on behalf of someone else, and in some months, this was over 50%.
However, public awareness is low with the service not easy to find through an online search about how to stop charity direct marketing. From January to June 2020, the FPS received an average of 36 requests per week from 26 users.
Charity satisfaction with the FPS is also generally low, with only 44% of charities surveyed ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ satisfied with the FPS. Several charities noted that they found the service more complex than it needed to be and were concerned about its cost effectiveness. Another common issue raised by charities was that a large proportion of people who have requested for their data to be suppressed through the FPS are not identifiable on the charity database.
The report states:
“The reality is that the FPS is an important service for a very small and declining number of users. The FPS was designed when demand was not known, so includes automations and systems to manage a significantly larger number of users than it is ever likely to encounter. The cost of the system is “the major bugbear for most charities” and leads the majority to question its value.”
The report makes several recommendations for improving the FPS, including: exploring ways to reduce the cost of the service by investigating simpler, less complex options, focusing on those in vulnerable circumstances; encouraging charities and others to promote the FPS to people in vulnerable circumstances; and issuing guidance to charities about what to do if they receive a suppression request via the FPS from someone who isn’t on their database.
The Fundraising Regulator has accepted the recommendations outlined in the evaluation report.
Lord Toby Harris, Chair of the Fundraising Regulator, said:
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“The launch of the Fundraising Preference Service was a key recommendation put forward in the cross-party review and we welcome this independent evaluation. Its pleasing to see that the service remains a vital support service for the public, particularly for those who are more vulnerable and their relatives.
“The FPS was established three years ago, and we recognise that since then the demands and need for the service have altered. The recommendations outlined in the review provide a significant evidence base from which to make improvements and enhancements to the service.
“Our board has accepted all of the recommendations; some will require us to consult and work with the sector, while others are more straightforward to implement. We remain committed to regulating in the public’s interest, in order to protect the trust in fundraising that the sector has worked so hard to build.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.