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8 June 2010

FRSB Unveils Annual Fundraising Complaints Report

The Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) is announcing the publication of the UK’s annual fundraising complaints report; a summary of all fundraising complaints received by FRSB members during 2009.  

Members are required to monitor all fundraising complaints each calendar year and to submit a complaints return to the FRSB during the first quarter of the following year. The complaints report and analysis are published within the FRSB’s annual report ‘A Confident Future for Fundraising’, available from 8th June 2010. 

Direct mail, telephone and door-to-door fundraising top the chart in terms of the highest number of complaints but, as a proportion of fundraising volume in each of these areas, complaint levels are modest. For direct mail, there are just three complaints for every 100,000 donors contacted. Additional analysis of direct mail and telephone fundraising complaints identifies that it is the frequency of mailings and tone of the telephone calls respectively, that are of most concern to the public.

Although fundraising complaints have increased by 67% year-on-year, only 19 complaints (one less than in 2008) were escalated to Stage 2, requiring the formal intervention and proposed resolution by the FRSB. Of the 19 Stage 2 complaints, 17 concerned direct mail practice and the remaining two addressed cash collections. All complainants were satisfied with the resolution proposed by the FRSB at Stage 2. Therefore, no complaints were elevated to Stage 3 for final adjudication.

Key observations:

• Of 2.7 billion donor contacts made, under 13,000 complaints were received
• 19 complaints were escalated to Stage 2 of the FRSB 3-step complaints procedure and none went to adjudication (Stage 3)
• The top 3 fundraising activities by volume are online fundraising, direct mail and door drops
• Direct mail generates the highest number of complaints, but this only represents 0.003% of the reported volume
• The top 50 charities by voluntary income account for 84% of all complaints and 98% of fundraising volume reported by FRSB members
• Although reported complaints have increased by 67%, this reflects 31% growth in membership, a 42.3% increase in responses from member charities and improved monitoring and reporting
• Reported door to door fundraising activity has risen by 78%, but complaints have increased by 340%, this may well be accounted for by more members, better reporting and higher response rates
• Telephone fundraising has seen a 48% increase in volume, but an 83.5% increase in complaints
• New media fundraising (email and online fundraising) has seen a dramatic rise in reported volume (626% and 825% respectively) from a relatively low base, but very little increase in complaints (11% and 7%)

 The annual report also reveals that in the year February 2009/January 2010, the FRSB:

• Achieved membership growth of 31%, with 272 new members.
• Doubled supplier membership from 35 to 70
• Grew membership in Wales by 65% with the launch of FRSB Wales in July 2009.

Nick Hurd MP, Minister for the Civil Society, comments:

“It is testament to the innovation and energy of our nation’s charities, many of whom have endured their toughest times yet in recent years, that they continue to invest in and deliver such a broad variety of fundraising techniques to ensure that the needs of their beneficiaries are met. It is essential that fundraising is maintained at a high standard and that the sector can demonstrate this and build donor confidence through membership of the Fundraising Standards Board”.

Alistair McLean, Chief Executive of the Fundraising Standards Board, said:

“We believe that member charities continue to fundraise at a very high standard across all disciplines and, on the whole, complaints remain reassuringly low. What is more, the FRSB is seeing evidence of a growing understanding of best practice in complaint handling. We are increasingly supporting members at the forefront of the complaints process, advising them how best to tackle complaints to ensure a swift resolution and continued donor relationships. As a result, the large majority of complaints were quickly resolved with only 19 requiring the formal intervention of the FRSB. This suggests that members are handling public concerns well and sensitively.”

COMPLAINTS: A THREE-YEAR PICTURE

 *In 2007, members were required to record and report complaint figures only, not fundraising volumes.

**2008 data has been revised from 26,349 complaints and 489,996,849 volume to the above figures after 2 members’ inaccurate returns were corrected and annual returns from suppliers were removed to ensure no duplication. These revisions have been made to enable the FRSB to present a more consistent and clearer picture of fundraising complaints year on year.

** *This number only denotes the number of people who sign up and complete a direct debit donation form. It does not take into account the number of people that are approached by a street fundraiser and decline to donate.

Alistair McLean, Chief Executive of the Fundraising Standards Board, continues:

“Although 67% growth in complaints may seem high, we believe that this is largely reflected by the 31% increase in FRSB membership and better response rates by those members many of whom are larger charities with highly active fundraising departments that deal with much larger volumes of activity. Members’ tracking of campaigns has also evolved leading to more accurate reporting, particularly in digital fundraising.

“What is evident from three years’ cumulative data is that complaints remain low relative to activity. And yet, there are a few core areas of fundraising that consistently attract a higher rate of complaints than others. It is clear that no two years in fundraising are the same, particularly during and post a global recession. The techniques used vary considerably as fundraisers innovate and adapt to the changing demands of donors. ”

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