Editorial: What kind of messages does this fundraising adjudication send out?

By Stephen Cook, Third Sector, 30 January 2008

Last November, the Fundraising Standards Board published the results of a survey of 2,000 people that showed widespread dislike of the practice by charities of putting gifts in direct mail appeals.

Only 16 per cent thought it was acceptable, and 93 per cent thought the money spent on such gifts might be better spent on the cause. There followed a fierce debate on our letters page and website, with charities arguing that what the public says in surveys is often different...