People are more likely to be “very annoyed” by fundraisers asking for money on their doorstep or over the phone, than by those on the street, according to nfpSynergy’s latest public survey.

In fact, more people are amenable to being approached on the street by a chugger than via email, direct mail, text message, and online advertising too.

But doorstep fundraising was the most irritating technique, cited as "very annoying" by 51 per cent of the 1,031 respondents aged 16 and over, with telephone fundraising just behind at 50 per cent.

nfpSynergy’s Joe Saxton said: “At least half the population find doorstep and telephone fundraising very annoying.  This puts them a long way ahead of face-to-face in the aggravation stakes.”

Some 32 per cent said they found street fundraising very annoying, but 12 per cent said they were happy to be asked to donate in this way.  This compares with just 1 per cent happy to be asked over the phone, 3 per cent by text and 4 per cent on the doorstep.

The most favoured ways of being asked were via collection tin (33 per cent), ads or leaflets in newspapers or magazines (17 per cent), and through a TV ad with a telephone number to call (15 per cent).

Also, 38 per cent of donors said they get too many appeals from the charities they support.