Guidance Note: Fundraising Appeals By Charities - Suitable Wording for Appeals

This Guidance Note: Fundraising Appeals By Charities - Suitable Wording For Appeals provides helpful guidance about the legal requirements which apply to charity fundraising by means of an appeal to the public for donations to that charity. 

Unless the wording of an appeal conforms to certain legal requirements, a charity will not be legally able to use any funds raised in the way it wishes. So it is vital to make sure that the appeal is worded correctly for the charitable purposes anticipated and these guidance notes should assist in getting this process right.

To assist the charity in making sure that it can use the funds raised in the way it wishes, this note gives various examples of wording of appeals. The guidance note outlines the law relating to wording of appeals and explains how certain types of wording may be too general or too specific to meet the needs of the charity.

The guidance note also explains some of the issues that a charity may face if it raises either too much or too little money from an appeal with inappropriate wording and the complex and time consuming problems that may result.

The Charities Act 2022 received Royal Assent on 24 February 2022. Its provisions in relation to fundraising appeals were implemented with effect from 31 October 2022 by means of regulations made under the Act. Those provisions reform the law relating to charities making appeals for donations -  see our information page here on how the Act affects such appeals.

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