On 17 April 2024, the Fundraising Regulator for England, Wales and Northern Ireland confirmed details of upcoming increases in its annual voluntary levy for charities that spend over £100,000 on their fundraising activity to pay to fund its services.
This is the first increase since the voluntary Code of Practice was introduced in 2016. Trustees should reconsider whether the payment of the voluntary levy is still in the best interests of their charity. Around 5,700 charities chose to pay in 2022, but four out of five respondents to a 2022 survey remain unaware of the Regulator's work.
The levy will be increased for all charities on a progressive scale so that the charities that spend the most on fundraising will see a fifty per cent increase over the next two years. The smallest charities will notice a fee increase from £50 to £60.
From September 2026 the levy will increase on an annual basis, tied to the consumer prices index, so that future increases are more gradual.