Changes to Fundraising Preference Service announced following review
Melanie May | 22 April 2022 | News
People can now request that up to 10 charities stop sending them direct marketing in one go through the FPS online, amongst other changes.
The previous maximum people could suppress was three charities in one online transaction, and it is still possible to suppress up to 20 charities at a time by contacting the FPS via telephone.
The Fundraising Regulator unveiled the changes to the FPS this week. They have been implemented in response to an independent review.
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It has also been made easier for charities to see if a suppression request has been made on behalf of someone else, with the aim of helping to indicate quickly whether a potentially vulnerable person is involved.
Further information has also been added to the Fundraising Regulator website to help charities understand what they need to do when they receive a suppression request and to support the public to use the FPS effectively.
In addition to the recommendations made in the evaluation, the Fundraising Regulator has introduced a way for people to submit an FPS request on behalf of someone who has died. When charities access their FPS requests, those made on behalf of a deceased person are clearly shown so that these records can be handled differently to other requests.
Alongside these measures, the Fundraising Regulator is working to increase awareness of the FPS by educating members of the public as well as charities about its use and importance. This includes launching targeted digital marketing campaigns, working with other organisations to promote it to people in vulnerable circumstances, and engaging with people with a specific interest in charities and people who may be caring for a friend or relative.
Gerald Oppenheim, Chief Executive of the Fundraising Regulator, said:
“The Fundraising Regulator is committed to protecting members of the public, particularly those people in vulnerable circumstances, and equipping charities with the tools they need to protect them too. Operating the FPS is a vital means of doing this and we will continue to work with the charitable fundraising sector to make sure it can be easily accessed by anyone who might need to use it.”
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.