Direct approach works best

More donors are signing up to charities after being approached directly by fundraisers.

New figures from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIoF) show there were 28,400 door-to-door sign-ups in April 2022 compared with 14,500 in the same month in 2019.

Some 31,000 pledged to give to charity on their doorstep in May 2022, up from about 18,000 in May 2019.

There were also 28,400 door-to-door sign-ups in April this year, nearly double the 14,500 who agreed to give in April 2019.

However the increase has not been driven by a rise in door-to-door fundraising activity since 2019, the CIoF said. 

The body has taken data from about 80% of its members which it regularly consults for accurate statistics on fundraising.

Covid massively affected door-to-door fundraising, its data shows, with about 96,600 people registering in total in 2020, down 100,000 compared with 2019.

Daniel Fluskey, director of policy and communications at the CIoF, said: “A real-life conversation is meaningful, memorable and deepens the connection between an individual and a cause. 

“Door-to-door fundraising has for many years been a brilliant way to make these connections, reaching out to people in a respectful and engaging way, which often result in long-term support that benefits us all.”