Thanks to a successful campaign by UK charities, new legislation is set to make it easier for them to contact supporters through email and text. The proposed changes would extend the “soft opt-in” rule—currently only available to businesses—to include charitable direct marketing.
Why This Matters to Fundraising Teams
Until now, you couldn’t send direct marketing messages (like donation appeals or campaign updates) to supporters without explicit consent—even if they’d donated before. This limitation meant missed opportunities to re-engage warm contacts.
The updated rules will finally change that. Charities will now be able to follow up with previous supporters, provided certain conditions are met.
What Is the “Soft Opt-In”?
The soft opt-in allows marketing to individuals without explicit consent, as long as:
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You collected their contact details during a previous interaction related to your charitable purpose.
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You’re contacting them about similar charitable aims.
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You offer a clear and easy way to opt out—at the time of data collection and in every message.
This brings fundraising in line with the business world, where this flexibility has long been standard practice.
The Campaign Behind the Change
The change comes after 19 leading charities—including WaterAid and Oxfam—joined forces with the DMA to call for reform. Their open letter to Government highlighted how the previous rules unfairly devalued donor relationships.
Their efforts led to an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill, now in its final stages in Parliament. The DMA estimates this change could boost UK donations by £290 million per year.
What to Do Next
If your charity wants to make use of the soft opt-in, now’s the time to prepare. Key steps include:
1. Review Consent Data
Ensure you know:
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Who provided explicit opt-in.
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Who will fall under the new soft opt-in category.
Segment your database accordingly.
2. Update Systems and Processes
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Implement clear opt-out tools in all marketing.
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Make sure email/SMS platforms actually record and honour those opt-outs.
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Train staff on the new compliance boundaries.
3. Keep It Purpose-Driven
Marketing messages must directly support your charitable purposes—not promote unrelated products or third-party offerings.
4. Stay Compliant
The ICO has welcomed the change but warned charities to proceed carefully—especially in sensitive contexts (e.g., past crisis service users). Also, fines for breaches could increase to £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover.
This is a huge opportunity for fundraisers to re-engage supporters, grow income, and deepen donor relationships—ethically and compliantly. But it also brings new responsibilities.
Start preparing now. With good systems, clear messaging, and proper segmentation, your fundraising programme can benefit significantly from this long-overdue reform.
Thank you for reading! We hope this blog has provided you with some valuable insights on direct mail, happy marketing!
