The Institute of Fundraising (IOF)is backing the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA) in the light of reports of differences of opinion about face-to-face fundraising between the PFRA and Wandsworth Council.

When carried out according to best practice standards established by the Institute of Fundraising, face-to-face fundraising is highly effective – for instance, members of the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association recruited 681,000 new donors in 2008/09, representing a pledge value of £70m.

IOF says this is a valuable and highly cost effective source of income to many UK charities, and allows fundraisers to engage with a different demographic of donor.

People have a choice of how and where they support charity - and on the street is one place they might wish to do so. Fundraisers should have the right to ask for support from donors and potential donors, to ensure that they are best able to provide for beneficiaries.

Louise Richards, director of policy and campaigns at the Institute of Fundraising, said: “We are pleased to support the PFRA and its role in the regulation of face-to-face fundraising, in the light of recent negative press reports about face-to-face as a fundraising method.

“In this particular instance, we have some concerns about the way in which Wandsworth Council has responded to this situation. If, as the Council suggests, businesses and residents have an issue with face-to-face fundraising, where is the evidence of these complaints?

“Why has Wandsworth Council not taken these complaints to the Fundraising Standards Board, which runs the self-regulation scheme for fundraising bodies in the UK and adjudicates complaints against the rigorous best practice standards set by the Institute of Fundraising?”