Churches are being warned that tithing and in-service offerings constitute public fundraising activities and are covered by the new Code of Fundraising Practice, meaning that appropriate safeguards should be implemented.
This also applies to other forms of collections, appeals and legacies.
It follows findings by the Fundraising Regulator (FR) that a church in London breached the fundraising code following a large donation made by a vulnerable donor. In February 2026, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) was found to have breached the code by failing to take into account the needs of the vulnerable church member who had made the large donation.
