Nearly a third of all complaints about charity fundraising relate to 'direct mail'. The Fundraising Standards Board had expected face to face fundraising would attract most complaints.

Contrary to its expectation that face to face fundraising would attract most complaints, the Fundraising Standards Board's first annual report shows that most complaints were about direct mail fundraising (31.1 per cent). Nearly 22 per cent of complaints were about data protection, 21 per cent about telephone fundraising and 14 per cent about face to face fundraising.

In its report, the self-regulatory body for charitable fundraising recognises that "some practices used in direct mail are causing concern for many charities and supporters alike". The Fundraising Standards Board is hoping that the publication of a new code of practice on direct mail will "help to drive up standards" of direct mail as a fundraising activity.

The 826 charities that are a member of the Fundraising Standards Board reported a total of 8,434 complaints which they dealt with without the need for intervention by the organisation. Because its has grown since the scheme was launched in February 2007, not all members provided it with information about the number of complaints received from this date. The actual number of complaints received is therefore higher.

Only one complaint escalated to the final stage of adjudication by the Fundraising Standards Board; in January 2008 it rejected a complaint from a member of the public about the number of appeals he received from Cancer Research UK.

The Fundraising Standards Board's annual report can be read here (PDF, 838Kb).