Annual Report 2012Face to face fundraising FAQs
Amnesty International has face to face fundraisers working with us across the UK, fundraising both door-to-door and on the street of your local town or city. Please find answers to some of your questions about face to face fundraisers below.
- Why do you use face to face fundraising?
- Are your fundraisers trained?
- Was the fundraiser I spoke to genuine?
- I'm concerned about the security of my personal data and bank/building society account details
- Is this form of fundraising regulated?
- My son/daughter has signed up to a fundraiser in the street and I want to cancel their gift
- I'm worried about face to face fundraising conflicting with my local Amnesty group event
- How do I make a complaint about one of your fundraisers?
- How do I become a face-to-face fundraiser?
Why do you use face to face fundraising?
Face to face fundraising is a very cost effective way of generating income to help fund our work and of raising awareness about Amnesty across the UK. We have been using this form of fundraising for over 10 years and have recruited thousands of new supporters through it. We have found that this type of fundraising appeals to a younger generation and this will help Amnesty continue to be a relevant and successful organisation in the future.
The nature of Amnesty's work is far reaching and we find that talking to people about it one-on-one helps them to understand more easily why it is so essential.
Are your fundraisers trained?
Yes, we have a dedicated in-house training manager who meets with all the fundraisers on an ongoing basis to make sure they are well-informed, passionate, professional and represent us appropriately on the street. The organisations that directly employ the fundraisers also have ongoing training programmes.
Was the fundraiser I spoke to genuine?
It is likely that the person you spoke to on the street was genuine. All our professional fundraisers are easily identifiable by their black t-shirt/jacket with white Amnesty candle logo or white bib with a black Amnesty candle.
They will also be wearing ID badges with our registered charity number (1051681), along with a photo of themselves and our contact details.
If you have any reason to feel that the person you spoke to was not an authorised fundraiser for Amnesty, please contact us on 020 7033 1777 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm).
I'm concerned about the security of my personal data and bank/building society account details?
We take the security of your personal details very seriously and have processes in place to protect your details from being lost or shared inappropriately. If you are seriously concerned about the safety of the account details you have given someone, you should always contact your bank/building society straight away and ask for their advice.
Our fundraisers will only ask you for bank account information that is readily available on a cheque and some bank cards. Under the direct debit guarantee scheme run by all banks and building societies in the UK, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund for any mistakes or unauthorised withdrawals.
We will also send you a letter confirming your gift and you will have at least 10 working days before the gift is taken from your account to change your mind.
Is this form of fundraising regulated?
Yes, Amnesty and all the agencies we work with are members of the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA), and all our fundraisers are trained to adhere to a strict code of practice regulating face to face fundraising. Find out more
We are also members of the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) and Institute of Fundraising (IOF). The FRSB works to make sure that organisations raising money from the public do so honestly and in a proper way. Find out more
We are also committed to attaining the highest standards of fundraising as set out in the codes of practice from the IOF.
My son/daughter has signed up to a fundraiser in the street and I want to cancel their gift
We will only ask people over 18 to support us through our street fundraising. If your son or daughter has signed up to a gift on the street and is over 18, legally we would need them to contact us directly to confirm they would like to cancel their gift.
I'm worried about face to face fundraising conflicting with my local Amnesty group event?
The London office provides local groups with a diary of where the fundraisers will be each week. If you are a local group member and would like to gain access to the secure page detailing this information, you can get in touch with our Activism team on 0207 033 1675 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm) or by email at activism@amnesty.org.uk.
We also ask local groups to send us details of events they are running throughout the year so we can make sure that a fundraising team will not be in your local area at the same time as an event you are running. Please call us on 0207 033 1675 (Mon-Fri 9am-6pm) for further details or to inform us of an event.
How do I make a complaint about one of your fundraisers?
We welcome any feedback about our fundraising teams and we take all complaints about their work very seriously. Please use our online feedback mechanism to report any concerns you may have. If you are unhappy about a specific incident please provide as much detail as you can, including where it happened, what date and time, the name of the fundraiser or a brief description of the fundraiser if you were unable to ascertain their name.
Amnesty International values all feedback from its supporters, positive or negative, as it helps us continue to improve our organisation. If you have any comments or complaints, please visit our feedback page.
How do I become a face-to-face fundraiser?
Face-to-face fundraising plays an important role in generating donations to Amnesty International and supporting our work for human rights. If you are interested in getting involved, please apply through one of the two agencies we work with:
