The U.K.’s The Public Fundraising Regulatory Association – the self-regulatory body for all types of face-to-face (F2F) fundraising – has announced preliminary results on F2F fundraising.

With the final few weeks of 2009/10 still to be compiled, F2F sign-ups on the street and door are recorded at almost 625,000 (and are estimated to close at around 650,000). This represents a fall of just under 16 per cent on the 741,000 sign-ups for 2008/09, but still suggests an upward trend in the successful use of F2F as this year’s results are significantly higher than 2007/08’s 587,000.

PFRA’s ceo Mick Aldridge says: “The year 2008/09 really was an exceptional year and it was unlikely we would hit those heights again. But F2F sign-ups are still extremely high. Many charities have been using this type of fundraising for up to 10 years, some for longer, and have the returns on investments to go with it. F2F signs-ups are high because charities are choosing to put their acquisition budgets into this type of fundraising. It is totally demand-led.”