The number of complaints about fundraising has jumped sharply in the last year – notably about direct mail, telephone and doorstep. This increase might be matched by a rise in fundraising volume, but every complaint matters. By Alistair McLean.

Whether a supporter is unhappy that their name has been misspelt, that a charity has started calling them or that there is something fundamentally wrong with the way an ‘ask’ has been made, it is rarely easy to talk about complaints.