The ICO has just updated its guidance on direct marketing using electronic mail, to include the fact that charities can now email, text and message supporters without prior consent under a new “soft opt‑in” if requirements are met. This is called the charitable purposes soft opt-in.
According to the ICO press release which you can read at https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2026/04/charities-given-new-flexibility-to-contact-supporters-under-data-law-change/, the change is expected to open up new opportunities for the sector, giving charities a new way to engage with people who’ve already shown genuine interest or support for their work.
We have already contacted our active and retainer clients and offered one-to-one workshops to explore the changes, how best to take advantage of the new opportunities, and how to make sure everything is done in a compliant way.
For other charities, we are also offering a free 25-minute Zoom call to answer any questions you may have, and to signpost you to helpful free resources. To take advantage of this, please:
- Review the press release above and the two updated documents it refers to, being ‘Guidance on direct marketing using electronic mail’ and ‘How do we comply with the PECR electronic mail marketing rules?’ (particularly the ‘How do we use the charitable purposes soft opt-in?’ section). Please do this before booking a call.
- If you have any questions or would like to discuss how the changes apply to your specific situation, you can book a free 25-minute call with the link https://calendly.com/zorva/25-minute-chat-with-nick. These calls are subject to availability and are only available to current insight subscribers, though you are welcome to have others in your charity join the call.
If this is prompting you to consider reviewing your general UK GDPR compliance, then do get in touch using the contact from below for a conversation about how we can help.