---
title: "Why do charities send me so much post and email?"
description: "Because contacting existing supporters is far cheaper than finding new ones, so charities keep asking."
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/why-do-charities-send-so-much-post
retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:24:30.561Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

Trust & independence

# Why do charities send me so much post and email?

**In short:** Because contacting existing supporters is far cheaper than finding new ones, so charities keep asking. You can stop it: tell the charity directly, use the Fundraising Preference Service to stop contact from a named charity, or register with the Mailing Preference Service for unaddressed mail.

Data from [CharityCompare editorial](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 12 August 2026.

Charities must have a lawful basis to contact you and must honour your preferences under UK data protection rules. If they are not doing so, you have three escalating options:

- **Ask the charity** to stop, or to reduce contact to once a year. Most have a preference centre.

- **Fundraising Preference Service** — a free service that requires a named charity to stop contacting you within 28 days.

- **Information Commissioner’s Office** — if a charity keeps contacting you after you have objected, this is a data-protection matter.

Volume of post is not a sign of a badly run charity in itself, but the cost does show up in the accounts under fundraising expenditure — which you can check on any [profile](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity-directory).

## Related questions

- [→ Are you affiliated with any charities?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/affiliation)
- [→ Can a charity pay to improve its score or ranking?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/can-a-charity-pay-to-change-its-score)
- [→ Is CharityCompare free to use?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/is-charitycompare-free)
- [→ What if a charity disagrees with its score?](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/answers/what-if-a-charity-disagrees-with-its-score)

Look up any UK charity's free Clarity Score from regulator filings.

[Search charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity-directory) [Read the guides](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides)

**Information only** — see [guides](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides) for more detail.