Online fundraising tops complaints list during pandemic [WHILE THE ONLINE WORLD was widely embraced across the
board by the UK during the pandemic, a flipside of the coin was revealed by the Fundraising Regulator’s latest Annual Complaints Report. Online fundraising was the most complained about method of fundraising during the height of the pandemic. It was the first time in four years that online fundraising has been the most complained about method reported by the sample charities. From 1 April 2020 to 31 March this year, 56 of the UK’s largest fundraising charities reported 5,836 complaints about online fundraising to the Fundraising Regulator, which is a 252% increase on the figure reported in the previous year. Online fundraising methods include social media, charity websites and advertising banners. The regulator points out that, despite the increase in complaints, the number reported by charities about online fundraising is relatively small when compared with the level of activity carried out. The report finds that one in 1,886,192 impressions received a complaint. Over the same period, the Fundraising Regulator received 84 complaints directly from members of the public about digital fundraising methods, which is an increase from the 56 complaints it received last year. The increase in online and digital fundraising complaints aligns with how charitable fundraising activity shifted during the pandemic. When restrictions on person-to-person contact were put in place, many charities increased their use of online fundraising, while public fundraising methods, such as events fundraising, street fundraising and door-to-door fundraising were paused. Other methods of fundraising reported by charities as receiving a high number of complaints were addressed mail, with 3,687 complaints, and corporate fundraising, with 2,504 complaints. Those were the second and third most complained about methods respectively.
The report also finds that the total number of complaints received by the sample charities was down during the pandemic. In 2021, 17,800 complaints were received by the charities: down by 4% on last year’s figure. That decline is mirrored by the complaints about charitable fundraising reported by the Fundraising Regulator itself: it closed 362 complaints during 2020/21, which is down slightly on the 368 the previous year. For the third year in a row, charity bags were the most complained about method of fundraising received by the regulator directly. The second most complained about method was digital and the third was addressed mail. The most common cause of complaint across all fundraising methods was misleading information – which could involve unclear claims about why donations are needed or how they will be spent, or a failure to present information that allows the donor to make an informed decision. The Fundraising Reguator’s chief executive Gerald Oppenheim explained: “The Annual Complaints Report provides us with a really important overview of how the fundraising landscape has changed over the past year. This report is an early indicator of the impact of the pandemic on the charity sector and it is a vital tool to help us understand where the sector needs to improve its fundraising practices. “It is encouraging to see that the overall number of complaints about charitable fundraising continued to decline during the pandemic, which shows that good fundraising practice has prevailed at a time of unprecedented challenges for the sector. “We will continue to work closely with charities to support them in some of the areas the report has identified – particularly in relation to online fundraising – and make sure both charities and the public are equipped with the tools to fundraise and donate safely.”q
Sending out an SOS for the owls [ESTABLISHED IN 2001, the Suffolk
Owl Sanctuary – known, appropriately, as S.O.S. – operates a comprehensive facility for the rescue, care and rehabilitation of owls across East Anglia. It also promotes the need for the conservation of endangered owl species throughout the UK with its Saving Britain's Owls initiative. The S.O.S. owl and raptor hospital at Stonham Aspal is unique in the region. It is specially equipped for the care and treatment of the many injured wild owls and other birds of prey it receives every year as a result of road traffic accidents, mishaps, starvation, trauma, disease, poisoning and sometimes even shooting or trapping. Many of the birds can be given a recuperative, short-term pick-me-up before being re-released into the wild. Those that are more seriously injured but stand a chance of recovery are given medical aid and/or surgery, as determined by their vet. The birds are then allowed space and time to fully recuperate in one of the secluded recovery aviaries, before being carefully returned to the wild. S.O.S. is regenerating its wild owl nest box scheme that includes building, locating and curating long-lasting, environmentally-friendly nest boxes in appropriate locations to replace the gradual erosion of natural nesting sites. S.O.S. is funded purely by donations, and as a small charity the legacies it receives play an important role in enabling it to continue developing its resources in the interests of conserving owl and other bird of prey wildlife in the UK. q
17 17
