Information for Charities interested in Face-to-Face fundraising

The PFRA works with 95% of the charities and fundraising organizations engaged in public fundraising by personal solicitation on the street and door-to-door.

The advantages of this method are long-term committed givers; an opportunity to raise the profile of your organization; donors with a younger profile than are attracted by other methods and the opportunity to increase the sums raised through gift aid.

However, face-to-face does require considerable investment both in recruiting donors and in developing and retaining them over the long-term, though many charities have seen a 500% return on their initial investment. Economies of scale mean that most charities and not-for-profit organizations find it particularly economical to work with specialized fundraising agencies. There are many variations between fundraising style and costs between agencies, though we strongly recommend you only consider working with PFRA members who are bound by a strict code of practice and have undergone the PFRA accreditation process.

We strongly recommend that charities engaged in face-to-face also join the PFRA, in fact, most reputable agencies will insist on it. The PFRA offers networking opportunities and the chance to drive forward standards in face-to-face fundraising. Crucially, the PFRA can also offer access to sites for fundraising across the UK, guaranteeing your organization will not be in competition with other charities on the streets. The PFRA is also working with the Home Office and Institute of Fundraising on the future regulation of fundraising and has links to the Association of Town Centre Managers and Institute of Licencing.

If you are interested in experimenting with this technique the PFRA would welcome you as a guest at one of our monthly User Group Meetings. We can also put you in touch with agencies by completing one form outlining your requirements so that PFRA accredited agencies can contact you if they are able to help.