Third Sector
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Beware of ‘commercial’ doorstep collections

The Nation’s heart charity loses £3 million a year to these ‘middlemen’.

The British Heart Foundation are launching a new campaign, warning households to be vigilant when making doorstep donations of second-hand goods to their chosen charity, as they could be lining the pockets of third party organisations working for commercial gain, not the charity.

They hope to raise awareness of the effect these ‘middlemen’ are having. In some cases, as little as 5 percent of the income is paid to the charity1.

The BHF has not formed a partnership with these ‘middlemen’ meaning their activity is costing us an estimated £3 million in stock donations.

Although this is a legal way to raise money, too often charities who form partnerships with these companies are being short-changed.

Householders need clear information on collection bags detailing how much profit the charity will actually make from the collection. Currently this is not clear and some information is very misleading.

BHF are encouraging people to 'check before you give'.  Help them  raise awareness of the problem in your area by writing to your local newspaper.

Mike Lucas, Retail Director for the BHF says: “Companies working for commercial gain are a huge problem for charities. At the BHF, we have seen a 25 percent drop in our household collections due to this commercial activity and we believe it will cost us £3 million in the next year - money which could be spent in the fight against heart disease. 100 percent of the profits made from donations to the BHF stay with the charity and help us continue our lifesaving work, whereas as little as 5 percent can go to the charity via a third party collection.

“The BHF believes it’s only right householders are given clear information from collectors about where the proceeds of their goods are going so they can make an informed choice.”

The BHF carries out doorstep collections using clearly identified vans and drivers. Our advice to householders is to:

  • Take your donations directly into your local charity shop or donate to a charity that organises its own collections
  • Ask the collector for identification – sometimes donations are stolen from doorsteps before official collectors get there
  • Check collection bags and leaflets for clear information about how much of the proceeds from your goods go to that charity

BHF urgently need donations of good quality clothes, shoes, handbags, bric-a-brac, CDs, DVDs and books to help us continue the fight against heart disease.  To find out more or to locate your nearest BHF Shop please call 0844 412 5000 or visit bhf.org.uk/shops.

Some charities form partnerships with commercial companies, who collect door-to-door. The company keeps all the donated goods and then re-sells them for profit, mostly to overseas markets. They then make a royalty payment to the charity. In some cases, charities are getting £50 to £100 per tonne of goods collected when, in fact, the goods can sell abroad for an average of around £500 per tonne but can reach up to £1,800 for top-quality, sorted textiles.




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