Boy strokes kitten in Blue Cross employee's arms

Our supporter charter

Everything we do is working towards improving the welfare and quality of life for pets.

Our supporters are vital to our success. Your generosity means that we can achieve positive outcomes for many more pets that need our help. That’s why we are also committed to treating you with the highest respect and we will do all we can to earn and retain your trust. We value each individual who supports us, and we never take that support for granted.

Our five core principles

1. We are committed to following the highest fundraising standards in any activity we undertake

  • We are members of the Institute of Fundraising (IOF) and are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and fully comply with their codes of practice.
  • We also do our very best to make sure that the ways we fundraise meet our own organisational values, which include being compassionate, responsible and acting with integrity in everything we do.
  • We don’t undertake any form of fundraising which we believe a person might find uncomfortable to experience, such as making unsolicited telephone calls to the general public who are unaware of Blue Cross.
  • We sometimes undertake cash collections outside our shops or at shows and events; we also knock on doors or approach members of the public at private sites, such as shopping centres, to talk to people about our work and to ask them to support us with a regular gift. However, we always get permission from the local authority, ensure all regulations are upheld and closely monitor activity to ensure your experience of this type of fundraising is a positive one.
  • We sometimes call supporters who have given us permission to do so to thank them and provide them with an update on our work and provide an easy means to give again. We aim for this to be an enjoyable and positive experience whether or not you decide to help us further at this time.
  • We are sensitive to fundraising from vulnerable individuals and our staff, volunteers and partners adhere to the Institute of Fundraising's policy on vulnerable people.
  • We take care to make sure all fundraisers are appropriately trained, and we closely monitor activities, especially when we work with external partners for fundraising because our Blue Cross team just isn’t big enough to undertake all our activity.

2. We welcome all feedback and listen to it, taking action whenever and wherever appropriate

  • We love to hear your views about what we’re doing and where and when we could improve.
  • When we get things wrong, we’ll be upfront about our mistakes, apologise and do our best to put things right.
  • We have a separate Complaints Procedure for responding to any complaints. We treat all complaints seriously, investigate them fully and respond to them as promptly as possible.

3. We recognise and respect each supporter, maintaining confidentiality at all times regarding your personal details and data

4. We are transparent about how we use your donation(s)

  • We promptly acknowledge and thank all donations of £15 and over received via post or email, this ensures our thanking is cost effective and makes sure more pets are helped from your donations. If you would rather not have a thank you letter, you can opt out by ticking the relevant box on your donation form. For all donations made online, you’ll receive a prompt thank you email regardless of the amount.
  • We will use your donation carefully and responsibly, putting it to work as quickly as we can.
  • If you request us to allocate your gift to a specific project, location or type of work, we will ensure this happens wherever possible. If this is not possible, we will advise you of this and proceed according to what you decide.
  • We will maximise the value of your donation through Gift Aid whenever we can, and where you confirm your eligibility and consent for us to do this.
  • We publish clear financial reports in our Annual Report and a top-level summary of our activity in our Impact Report, both of which are available on our website.

5. We seek to keep you updated about our news and the positive impact on pet welfare we are making, communicating with you in ways you prefer

  • We will communicate with you, where we have your permission, to keep you updated on how your support is helping pet welfare and share stories that demonstrate how you’re helping transform the lives of pets in need.
  • We will only communicate with you in the ways you want us to when you tell us your preferred contact method. If you contact us about a change in your preferences, or how frequently you want to hear from us, we will make those changes as quickly as possible.
  • We will be honest about the challenges we face and show you how you can further support us and pets in need, unless you ask us not to.
  • We will not put you under pressure to make a donation and if you do not want to give again or stop being a supporter, we will respect your wishes.