FundRaising Standards Board

Advice & Regulation

• The Standards
  • The Codes of Fundraising Practice
  • The Fundraising Promise
  • Self-regulation
  • Influencing the Standards
• Complaints
  • Identifying a Complaint
  • Handling a Complaint
  • Our Process
  • Adjudications
  • Annual Return
• The FRSB Tick
  • Public Confidence
  • Using the Tick
  • Download the Tick
  • Promoting Your Membership
• Your Membership
  • What It Means
  • Getting Started
  • Communicating your membership
  • The Advisory Forum

Identifying a Complaint

So how do you identify a complaint?

Every organisation is likely to determine whether a contact from a supporter is a complaint in different ways. If you're unsure perhaps the easiest way is to use the British Standard (BS8600) definition:

“An expression of dissatisfaction whether justified or not”.

Some issues can start out just as a simple contact, such as a supporter telling you that their address is wrong or being asked to be removed from a mailing list. However, dealt with incorrectly, or not at all, it can soon turn into a full blown complaint.