One in four Scots losing trust in charity fundraising

More than a quarter of Scots have lost faith in charities in aftermath of concerns over aggressive fundraising, new research has found.

28 per cent of Scots said they were losing faith in charity fundraising.

But charities in Scotland still enjoy greater public trust and confidence then their counterparts south of the Border. Charities came under fire last year after widespread reports of aggressive targeting of elderly and vulnerable people through mailing lists and cold calling.

A total of 82 per cent of Scots trust charities and believe they act in the public interest – compared to 57 per cent in England and Wales, the Ipsos Mori report found. But 28 per cent of Scots said their trust in charities dropped.

John Downie, of the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, said: “We’re urging charities in Scotland to help design a new system of fundraising 
self-regulation to ensure that the public can completely trust, and have confidence, in how they raise funds.”