Charities have primary responsibility for dealing with fundraising complaints under the enhanced self-regulation system so if you have a fundraising complaint you should, in the first instance, contact the charity and ask them to resolve this. If you remain unsatisfied with the resolution, you can escalate your complaint to us where we will make an adjudication in line with the requirements of the Code of Fundraising Practice.
This is known as the 3-stage process and you can click through the stages below to find out more information about each. If you’ve contacted the charity through stage 1 and 2, and remain unsatisfied, please complete the online complaint form available at stage 3.
If your complaint relates to a charity registered in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you should contact the Fundraising Regulator.
Complain to the charity direct*
It’s important for charities to get your feedback, so they can understand any problems, address your specific concerns and improve their fundraising practice.
You should contact the charity by phone or in writing, either by email or post, at their head office to make your complaint. If you’re not sure of the contact details, please search the Scottish Charity Register using either the charity name or charity number.
* Many small and medium sized charities may only have a 1-stage process and your complaint may go directly to the trustees. Please check with the individual charity on their specific complaints process.
Appeal to the charity trustees
The charity trustees have a legal responsibility to make sure their charity is run well. This includes overseeing their fundraising practices.
If you are unsatisfied with the resolution at stage 1, whether you’re unhappy with how your complaint was handled or feel the issues raised were not fully addressed, you should then appeal to the charity trustees.
You can phone, write to or email the charity’s head office, noting ‘For the Attention of the Chair’. You can search the Scottish Charity Register for contact details.
Refer to the Independent Panel
If you remain unsatisfied with the way the charity has dealt with your concerns, you can refer your complaint to us.
Before you bring your complaint to us, please ensure you’ve followed stage 1 and 2 as we will require details of this in the online complaints form. We are very unlikely to take a complaint forward that has not followed the 3-stage process and may return the complaint to you for further action.
You’ll find the online complaint form below. Should you have any questions, please email us at complaints@goodfundraising.scot or call us on 0808 164 2520.
- STAGE 1
-
Complain to the charity direct*
It’s important for charities to get your feedback, so they can understand any problems, address your specific concerns and improve their fundraising practice.
You should contact the charity by phone or in writing, either by email or post, at their head office to make your complaint. If you’re not sure of the contact details, please search the Scottish Charity Register using either the charity name or charity number.
* Many small and medium sized charities may only have a 1-stage process and your complaint may go directly to the trustees. Please check with the individual charity on their specific complaints process.
- STAGE 2
-
Appeal to the charity trustees
The charity trustees have a legal responsibility to make sure their charity is run well. This includes overseeing their fundraising practices.
If you are unsatisfied with the resolution at stage 1, whether you’re unhappy with how your complaint was handled or feel the issues raised were not fully addressed, you should then appeal to the charity trustees.
You can phone, write to or email the charity’s head office, noting ‘For the Attention of the Chair’. You can search the Scottish Charity Register for contact details.
- STAGE 3
-
Refer to the Independent Panel
If you remain unsatisfied with the way the charity has dealt with your concerns, you can refer your complaint to us.
Before you bring your complaint to us, please ensure you’ve followed stage 1 and 2 as we will require details of this in the online complaints form. We are very unlikely to take a complaint forward that has not followed the 3-stage process and may return the complaint to you for further action.
You’ll find the online complaint form below. Should you have any questions, please email us at complaints@goodfundraising.scot or call us on 0808 164 2520.
