What a good fundraising complaints process looks like

24 July 2026 · 5 min read

Make it easy to raise the concern

A complaints pathway should be visible, accessible and capable of receiving concerns from supporters, clients, venue stakeholders and team members. Requiring perfect evidence or formal language at the outset creates an unnecessary barrier.

Triage before investigating

The first task is to assess immediate safety, privacy, payment and reputational risks. Serious allegations may require field activity to pause, records to be preserved or a client to be notified before the full facts are known.

• Acknowledge promptly and explain the next step.
• Identify conflicts before assigning a reviewer.
• Separate interim risk controls from final findings.
• Keep a clear record of evidence, decisions and communication.

Use proportional responses

Not every complaint requires the same process. A misunderstanding may be resolved through clarification; repeated conduct concerns may require training, supervision or discipline. The response should reflect seriousness, evidence, impact and prior history.

The complainant should receive an outcome and reasons where lawful and appropriate, along with a route to request review.

Learn at campaign level

Complaint closure is not the end of the process. Themes should be reviewed across locations, leaders, scripts, payment methods and campaign stages. The objective is to reduce recurrence, not simply finish a case.