Face-to-face fundraisers - frequently asked questions

Here is everything you need to know about the RAF Benevolent Fund's team of face-to-face fundraisers, who you may have met recently on your doorstep. 

Where are you fundraising?

Our fundraisers will be in Wales, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire until mid-April 2024.

The exact postcodes they are visiting this week are; LN4, LN10, LN6, NG34, PE20, PE21, PE22, DN36, LN11, PE25, PE23, LN8, LN13, CF3, and SA11.

Is face-to-face fundraising allowed?

Our fundraisers only work in areas where a license has been granted by the local council which includes both street and door to door fundraising. 

What are you fundraising hours?  

All our fundraisers adhere to strict guidelines set by ourselves and other bodies such as the Institute of Fundraising

Our fundraisers only work in areas where a license has been granted by the local council to fundraise up until 9pm, which includes weekends and bank holidays which we find are our most successful times to visit.

Why do fundraisers knock on someone’s door more than once? 

Our fundraisers will often revisit streets and houses where they have had no answer to allow everyone the opportunity to hear about our charity and offer to set up a monthly contribution.

As per our fundraising guidelines, fundraisers can visit a maximum of three times.

If a fundraiser has had an answer to a door-to-door visit, they will make a note of the house to ensure they do not revisit the address.  

If the fundraiser has not had an answer, they will make a note of how many times they have visited a particular house to ensure they do not visit more than three times. 

Why do fundraisers ask for my date of birth?

A fundraiser will check a new supporter's date of birth as it is illegal to ask someone to make a financial commitment if they are under the age of 18.

As a charity we have a minimum age for anyone who would like to sign up to support us with a fundraiser and this varies between campaigns.

We warmly welcome support of all ages and if anyone is unable to complete a sign up with a fundraiser they can support us in other ways.

Why do you ask for my card details?  

We ask people for their card details in order to set up a monthly recurring card donation to support our work.  

Our fundraisers use a tablet device to complete an electronic sign-up form. The device makes sure people's details are kept secure through encryption once an application is completed.

We do not share any information about our supporters with any third parties.

What is the purpose of a welcome call?

Following a monthly recurring card sign up with a fundraiser, our call agents will attempt to telephone new supporters.

As well as thanking them for their generosity, these calls are designed to ensure we have the correct information and to get feedback about our fundraisers.

If we are unable to get through, the monthly donations will still go ahead, and details of their giving will be outlined in a welcome pack we send out to all new supporters.

How do you look out for vulnerable people?

Any individual employed to work on our behalf receives detailed training before they are allowed to start representing us, and teams also undergo regular refresher sessions.

There are specific sections covering fundraising compliance and ethics, which include training on how to recognise cues that suggest potential vulnerability, and how to act in situations where there are any causes for concern.

We also attempt to conduct a welcome call with our new supporters. Our call agents are trained to look out for any signs of vulnerability during these calls and to flag any instances where the interaction raises any concerns.

We believe that this is an important and effective quality assurance activity.

What fundraising agencies do you work with?

We work with third party face-to-face fundraising agencies who employ fundraisers to represent us and fundraise on our behalf.

We currently work with Family First Professionals

How do I contact you about your fundraisers?  

If you wish to get in touch with us about our face-to-face fundraising, visit our Contact us page. We aim to get back in touch to all queries, feedback, or complaints within 2 working days.