The last 18 months have been tough for charities and their fundraising teams. It has also been tough on suppliers. The scandals of 2015/16 saw a slew of closures and bankruptcies among fundraising service providers from GoGen to Pell & Bales to Neet Feet. Trust had been damaged on all fronts. Not only was public trust in the sector at an all time low, but fingers were also being pointed within the industry. At times it felt like the sector was in freefall, without a safety net. Things, though, are moving on and those suppliers that have survived the cull are now adapting to the new regulatory environment and redefining their relationships with their charity clients.

To get some insight into the current sentiment among agencies and other providers, the Fundraising Magazine Suppliers’ Survey 2017 ran online for three weeks in January and February in conjunction with the newly-launched Institute of Fundraising Suppliers Forum. The survey included 15 questions covering everything from attitudes towards regulation to prospects for future growth to charity-supplier relationships.