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Vulnerability Assessment for Fundraising

Vulnerability Assessment for Fundraising

Policy Owner: Director of Fundraising & MarComs
Last Updated: March 2026

We believe that choosing to give to The Royal Hospital Chelsea should be a positive experience for all.

What is a vulnerable person?
We recognise that some of the people we engage with through our fundraising activities will not always have the capacity to fully understand the nature of the donation they are choosing to make to The Royal Hospital Chelsea, or the consequences of making that donation.
All individuals, at some stage in their life, may be considered vulnerable or have the need for additional care and support. This will depend on their own personal circumstances, health, bereavements and other life events.

An individual who finds it difficult to immediately make an informed decision about the choices offered to them is called a 'vulnerable person'. A vulnerable person may experience:

  • Physical and mental health conditions eg. Dementia
  • Disability
  • Learning difficulties
  • Times of stress or anxiety (eg. Bereavement, redundancy, COVID-19)
  • Financial vulnerability (where a gift from a supporter may impact on their ability to sufficiently care for themselves or leave them in financial hardship)
  • English not being their first language
  • Influence of alcohol or drugs
  • Domestic violence victim
  • A child (anyone below the age of 18 years old)

Our obligation to protect vulnerable people
The Royal Hospital Chelsea has an obligation to protect vulnerable people and those in vulnerable circumstances. Whenever we suspect that someone we engage with is in vulnerable circumstances and unable to make an informed decision on making a donation – we call them a 'vulnerable supporter' – we will take steps to terminate the contact in a way which seeks to:

  • protect that person
  • protect their dignity
  • note any desire they have expressed to support The Royal Hospital Chelsea

If a fundraiser suspects that a person they are talking to may be vulnerable, they must end the conversation immediately. They should do this politely, without:

  • making a request for a donation
  • asking about the individual’s capacity to make a decision or the existence of vulnerable circumstances

We know that it may be difficult in some situations for fundraisers to decide whether or not someone is in a vulnerable circumstance or lacks capacity, our approach is always to err on the side of caution.

This applies to all fundraising, by our direct employees and volunteers or through a third party or agency.

We believe everyone has the right to donate if they wish to and are able to do so. That's why we offer further support for people in vulnerable circumstances who want to make a decision about whether to make a donation. Our policy is informed by the Institute of Fundraising’s (IoF) code of fundraising practice and their guidance,

The Royal Hospital Chelsea is compassionate towards its supporters and will never exploit vulnerability. 

Our vulnerable person charter:

  • The Royal Hospital Chelsea will always do everything we can to assist supporters to make informed decisions about the support they choose to give to The Royal Hospital Chelsea
  • The Royal Hospital Chelsea fully comply with the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice
  • The Royal Hospital Chelsea allows supporters or those acting on their behalf to declare vulnerability
  • Regardless of whether a declaration has been made or not, The Royal Hospital Chelsea does not accept donations where it has reason to believe that a supporter may be experiencing vulnerable circumstances and that accepting the donation would be ethically wrong and/or harmful to the donor
  • Should a situation arise where The Royal Hospital Chelsea becomes aware that it has unknowingly accepted donations from an individual during a time that they were experiencing vulnerable circumstances, it will endeavour to return all donations accepted during this period
  • The Royal Hospital Chelsea recognises that it may sometimes be difficult for fundraisers to assess the vulnerability of a supporter; in cases where a fundraiser is unsure, they must ask their manager for a second opinion and approval to accept any donation
  • Should The Royal Hospital Chelsea receive information regarding a supporters vulnerability from a third party, it will not act on any request to alter the supporters preferences unless the third party can provide evidence that they have authority to act on behalf of the supporter
  • The Royal Hospital Chelsea will only work with telephone fundraising professionals who agree and follow the DMA’s guidelines for call centres dealing with vulnerable consumers (August 2015)

Signed: Director of Fundraising & MarComs
April 2026