If you are donating through Direct Debit
Having a conversation with you on your high street or in your local shopping centre allows charities to tell you about their work and answer your questions.
Charities collecting on private sites, such as supermarkets or railway stations, should have permission from the site owner/manager. Direct Debit fundraisers on high streets must follow the Fundraising Regulator’s rules on behaviour and may be subject to local conditions through a local authority Site Management Agreement.
Check the Chartered Institute of Fundraising website to see if your local authority has a Site Management Agreement in place.
Street and private site collections are usually carried out by professional fundraisers. This can offer better value for money as the charity spends less on staffing costs. If you agree to donate, fundraisers must tell you how much the company they work for is paid and how this was worked out. This can be verbally or in writing, but should be before you give any financial details.
To donate by Direct Debit you only need to give your account number and sort code. You should never give your card number, PIN or security code.
If you think a collection is not legitimate, contact the charity to see if they are collecting in your area. If the charity is not aware of the appeal, report it to the police.
