Articles

🔔 Attention Charities – Are you ready for the new “charitable-purpose soft opt-in” rule?

From January 2026, new rules will allow charities to send electronic direct marketing about their charitable purposes without the recipient’s prior consent but only if you meet specific conditions. 

This change opens up opportunities, but it also brings responsibilities. Now is the time to review your policies, systems and processes to ensure you’re ready.

Start with these questions:

• Do you clearly define your “charitable purpose” in your communications?
• Have you documented how you obtained each contact’s data, and whether they’ve opted in (or whether the new rule can apply)?
• Are your retention and deletion schedules up to date?
• Do your direct marketing messages meet the criteria laid out by the ICO-guidance?
  

For charities this is a great chance to future-proof your digital engagement and build trust with supporters.

🔍 Quick reminder: Read the full guidance on the ICO website so you understand both the opportunities and the obligations. Don’t wait until the last minute.