1. Introduction
Hope and Homes for Children is committed to the highest standards of fundraising practice. We value every supporter and strive to ensure that all interactions with our organisation are positive, respectful, and transparent. We recognise the importance of listening and responding to concerns or complaints to improve our work and maintain public trust.
This policy reflects the standards set out in the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice (effective 1 November 2025) and the Regulator’s complaints handling guidance.
2. Purpose of this Policy
This policy sets out how individuals can raise concerns about our fundraising activities and how we handle, investigate, and resolve those complaints.
It applies to all fundraising carried out for Hope and Homes for Children, including by our staff, volunteers, professional fundraisers, commercial participators, and any third-party agencies or partners fundraising on our behalf.
3. What Counts as a Fundraising Complaint?
A fundraising complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about actions taken or a lack of action in relation to our fundraising. This includes concerns about:
- Our fundraising methods, communications, or materials
- The behaviour of anyone fundraising for us
- Compliance with fundraising regulations or standards
- How personal data has been used in the context of fundraising
- Any situation where a supporter feels we have fallen short of expectations in our fundraising practices
Where it is unclear whether a communication is a concern or a complaint, we will err on the side of caution and treat it as a complaint.
4. How to Make a Complaint
We aim to make the complaints process clear and accessible. Complaints can be made through any of the following channels:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 01722 790111
- Post: Hope and Homes for Children, Unit 6, Wilton Village, King Street, Wilton SP2 0RS
To help us respond effectively, please provide as much information as possible, including:
- Your name and contact details
- Details of your concern, including dates, locations, or reference numbers
- Any supporting information
Accessibility. If you need any adjustments to make a complaint — for example, an alternative format, additional time, or support to communicate with us — please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate.
5. How We Handle Complaints
We treat all complaints seriously and confidentially. Our process is as follows:
- Acknowledgement. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days of receipt, explain the process that will be followed and confirm when we expect to provide a full response.
- Investigation. The relevant team will investigate the issue thoroughly and fairly. Where possible, the complaint will be investigated by someone within the organisation who is independent of the events complained about.
- Response. We aim to provide a full response within 20 working days. If more time is needed, we will keep you informed and explain the reason for any delay.
- Outcome. We will explain our findings, any actions taken, and what steps we will take to prevent similar issues in future. Where we have fallen short, we will acknowledge this, apologise, and set out what we will do to put things right.
6. Escalation Procedure
If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may request that the complaint be reviewed by a senior manager.
If you remain dissatisfied after that review, you are entitled to raise the matter with the Fundraising Regulator. The Fundraising Regulator is the independent regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and adjudicates on fundraising complaints where the complainant and charity cannot reach a resolution.
Please note the Fundraising Regulator’s own time limits: they ask that complaints are raised with us within three months of the original incident, and that any escalation to them is made within two months of our final response to you.
Information on how and when to escalate a complaint to the Fundraising Regulator can be found at: https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/service/complaints-and-investigations/make-complaint
7. Confidentiality and Data Protection
All complaints will be handled in accordance with data protection legislation. Any personal information you provide will only be used to process, investigate and monitor your complaint, and will be retained in line with our data retention schedule.
8. Anonymous Complaints
We will accept and consider anonymous complaints and investigate them so far as is reasonably possible. Where a complaint is made anonymously, our ability to investigate and to feed back the outcome may be limited.
9. Learning, Reporting and Improvement
We are committed to continuous improvement. Complaints are logged, reviewed, and analysed to help us identify trends and strengthen our fundraising practices. Insights gained from complaints are shared appropriately within the organisation and with senior management and trustees to support learning.
The number of fundraising complaints received in the year is disclosed in our Trustees’ Annual Report in accordance with section 13 of the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016.
10. Monitoring and Review of this Policy
This policy will be reviewed annually, or sooner if required, to ensure that it remains compliant with legal requirements, the Code of Fundraising Practice, and sector best practice.
For any questions about this policy or our fundraising practices, please contact us at [email protected].
