New safeguards for fundraisers paid by commission
Stuart McKay · Posted on: February 12th 2026 · read
A new report has been issued by international fundraising think Tank Rogare in relation to fundraisers and commission-based pay.
Historically, the UK Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice prohibited paying fundraisers a commission - that is, variable pay linked directly to the value of income they generated - in almost all circumstances. However, recent revisions to the Code now shift charities away from a ban toward a requirement to “give appropriate consideration” to choices in how they pay fundraisers.
There are arguments that this could result in more money being raised as smaller charities with limited budgets could compete with larger ones. However, think tank Rogare argues that commission-based pay could harm fundraisers’ psychological wellbeing and therefore calls for safeguards to be introduced.
The think tank has proposed 12 safeguards to protect fundraisers and other stakeholders if commission is to be paid.
The following are some of the recommendations:
- Commission-based pay should always be disclosed to donors.
- Commission should never be part of the pay package for salaried fundraising staff nor form the sole form of remuneration for any fundraisers.
- Commission payments should always be capped and they should never be due on unsolicited donations.
- Professional institutes could implement a permitting scheme that would give permission to organisations to pay commission to fundraisers, contingent on these safeguards being in place.
This is useful food for thought for any fundraising charity when considering how it structures and oversees its fundraising activity. Done well, commission-based models can help smaller organisations access additional income at a time when other funding streams may be limited - provided the approach is well-governed, transparent and aligned to the charity’s values.
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