The United Kingdom’s Charity Commission released guidelines for emergency fundraising that non-profits should follow. The guidelines specify when and how non-profits can contribute to relief efforts.
New rules to guide emergency fundraising in the UK
The Charity Commission, in an X post announced the release of an updated guide for non-profits to follow. The guide will help non-profits understand how they can support emergency relief efforts legally. The guidelines apply to England and Wales.
Can your charity fundraise for an emergency?
Read our updated guide to understand how you can support emergency relief efforts legally and effectively.https://t.co/va95VJy24M pic.twitter.com/K6uu1ewDox
— Charity Commission (@ChtyCommission) March 19, 2026
The guide contains information on whether a non-profit can fundraise, what they can do with the money, and how they can participate in emergency relief efforts. It also dives into whether a charity can fundraise for a particular emergency.
Moreover, the new guidelines emphasise that a non-profit can only raise funds for its purposes. A charity’s governing document states its purpose. It contains what the charity is set up to achieve.
- A charity cannot set up fundraisers for purposes not contained in its governing document. The governing document also specifies who the charity can support and where it can operate.
However, charities can through other steps support fundraising initiatives not stated in their purpose through another route. They can direct donors to the appeals of other charities whose purposes are aligned with the emergencies.
In other cases, staff or members can collect donations for the emergencies in their personal capacity. However, staff must not collect or bank donations in the charity’s name.
The Commission also requires charities to be clear about what they intend to do with the money being collected. The appeal must tally with what the fundraised amount will be used for.
Also among the guidelines are the steps charities must take in supporting the relief work of other organisations. It states how charities can partner with organisations overseas and also pass appeal funds to other organisations.
Guidelines prohibit fundraising for foreign armed forces
While the guidelines list actions for charities to take in order to participate in foreign aid convoys, it prohibits donations to foreign armed forces.
“Your charity must not provide either lethal or non-lethal supplies to any foreign armed force for use in carrying out its military role,” reads the updated guidelines.
Examples of non-lethal supplies are combat clothing and battlefield medicines. The guidelines state that such activities will not carry out any recognisable charity purposes.