The Fundraising Regulator’s income from its charity levy rose by 5 per cent last year.
The number of charities registered with the regulator also rose, from 4,980 to 5,700, while income from registration fees went up from £245,000 to £278,000.
The levy – a voluntary payment by large charities to help fund the regulator – was worth £2.27m in 2021/22, up from £2.17m the previous year.
The levy was paid by 98 per cent of eligible charities, in line with the past two years.
The data is included in the Fundraising Regulator’s annual report and accounts for the year to the end of August 2022, which were published today.
The levy is requested from all charities that spend more than £100,000 a year on fundraising activities and is set according to the size of the charity. It has not increased since 2018, but the regulator is consulting on a planned rise in 2025.
The Fundraising Regulator investigates complaints about charity fundraising and provides services including the Fundraising Preference Service. The FPS allows members of the public to block charities from contacting them about donations.
Its total spending on regulatory activities went up from £2m to £2.2m. Total staff costs increased from £1.1m to £1.3m.
The growth across the regulator’s work is in line with its long-term plans to expand its work over the next five years.
Research commissioned by the regulator found that public awareness of its work had doubled since 2019, a development welcomed by Lord Toby Harris, its chair.
Harris said: “Our primary role is to protect the public. So it is encouraging to see an increasing public awareness of our work alongside a rising number of charities committing to legal, open, honest and respectful fundraising by registering with us.
“We look forward to further developing our proactive approach to regulation, so the public has confidence and trust in fundraising and charitable fundraising can thrive.”