I recently had the privilege of presenting at Fundraising Everywhere, and one part of my session sparked a conversation I want to carry further here. I spoke about what we at REAL believe genuinely drives long-term donor retention and why the way face-to-face fundraising is often done is working against the very outcomes charities are trying to achieve.

People, Planet, Purpose first. Before Profit.

At REAL Fundraising, we’re a values-led, face-to-face fundraising agency. That’s not a tagline it’s the operating principle that shapes every part of how we work. Our starting point is an organisational culture where people, purpose and planet come before profit. That filters all the way down to how our fundraisers show up at events, in shopping centres, and at doors.

So what is Ethical Fundraising? Here’s what we’ve concluded and what we practise.

1. Organisational culture

Everything starts here. If your agency, or your in-house team, or fundraising partner doesn’t have a genuine culture of doing the right thing, every other tactic is built on sand. At REAL, we talk about doing what’s right when no one is watching. That’s not aspirational tagline but what we do in practise day in day out.

2. Asking open questions

Fundraisers who ask open questions and who genuinely listen to donors rather than steering them toward a predetermined yes create better conversations. Donors feel heard. They’re more likely to give freely, and more likely to stay. Scripted closed questions might win a signature on the day, but they’re not building a relationship of long term giving.

3. Making donors comfortable to say no

This one frustrates me when I see it done badly. A donor who feels pressured into giving is not a retained donor they’re a cancellation waiting to happen. When fundraisers make it genuinely easy to say no, the people who say yes are making a real choice. That’s the foundation of a sustainable relationship.

4. A clear monthly ask

The ask itself matters. Donors need to know exactly what they’re committing to, amount, frequency, and what it funds. Clarity builds trust. Vagueness breeds doubt and cancellations. Lets make a concerted effort to eradicate the £2 a week ask from F2F. Be loud and be proud of what we are asking for because it changes lives.

5. No “Jonesing”

This is the industry term for the pressure tactic of implying that everyone around a potential donor is already giving, or that there’s social momentum they’d be missing out of. We don’t believe in it. It’s manipulative, it erodes trust, and it doesn’t produce donors who stay.

6. No sales tactics

Guilt tripping. Forcing people to say yes. Treating a conversation as a transaction to be closed. These things damage charities and damage the sector. We’re not in the business of selling we’re in the business of connecting people to causes they genuinely care about.

Why This Matters for Charities

If you’re a charity using face-to-face fundraising, these aren’t abstract principles; they’re directly connected to your attrition rates. The gap between a low-retention campaign and a high-retention one often comes down to exactly these behaviours at the point of dialogue.

When fundraisers adopt these practices because they’ve built a culture that values them you see it in the numbers.

And frankly, it’s the right way to treat people.

By Liam McEntegart, Managing Director, REAL Fundraising

REAL Fundraising is a B Corp and Culture Award Winning F2F Agency, REAL is a CIoF Member, committed to the real Living Wage, ethical practice, and values-led fundraising. If you’d like to talk about any of these things drop me a comment or DM.