Four checks before donating to a social media appeal

A social media appeal can reach you at exactly the moment help is needed. Before you give, take two minutes to check who is asking, what the money will support and where your donation will go.

The Charity Commission's 2026 risk assessment, published on 18 August, says most charities operate without issues that concern the regulator. It also reports that cases involving concerns about charitable status being abused for private benefit rose by 29% to 374 in 2025-26.¹ A short check helps your generosity reach the cause you intended.

1. Check the charity behind the appeal

Look for the charity's full name and registration number. For charities in England and Wales, search the Charity Commission register and compare the name, aims and official website with the appeal. The register also shows trustees, finances and recent reporting information.² Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate registers.

Some legitimate organisations will not appear on the England and Wales register because they are exempt, excepted or below the usual registration threshold. If you cannot find a match, use the charity's official website or contact it directly before giving.

2. Read what the money will support

A clear appeal should identify the charity, the people or purpose it will support and how donations will reach the charity. The Fundraising Regulator's current social media guidance says fundraising information should cover the beneficiaries, intended impact, evidence behind claims and the scope of the appeal, including any secondary purpose.³

Open the linked fundraising page and read beyond the social post. Check the target, dates and what will happen if plans change. Our guide to the five checks a fundraiser should make before sharing a page shows the information you should expect to find.

3. Open a trusted donation route

An unexpected message can use a familiar logo, name or photograph. The Charity Commission's Donate with Confidence campaign advises donors to pause before clicking and to check the charity independently.⁴ Search for its official website or find the fundraiser through the platform itself.

On Wonderful.org, each fundraising page is connected to a charity listed on the platform. Donations are transferred directly from the donor's account to the charity's account. Wonderful.org charges no platform or processing fee and makes no tip request.⁵ If the bank-payment step is unfamiliar, read this calm explanation of a Wonderful.org donation before continuing.

4. Pause when the details do not line up

Treat social account badges and familiar branding as supporting clues. Check the account name, website address, charity number and donation destination together. Pressure to act immediately, a personal bank account, a recently created lookalike page or conflicting charity details all justify a pause.

Contact the charity through details you found independently. If an appeal appears fraudulent, report the post to the social platform and make a report through Report Fraud, the reporting service for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. People in Scotland should report fraud through Police Scotland on 101.⁶

Make the check part of giving

Open the charity register now and search for the organisation named in the appeal. Then return through its official website or the fundraising platform and confirm that the charity, purpose and donation route all match. When they do, you can give with confidence.

Footnotes

Charity Commission, Charity Sector Risk Assessment 2026, published 18 August 2026. Link
GOV.UK, Search the charity register. Link
Fundraising Regulator, Fundraising on social media, updated 21 July 2026. Link
Charity Commission, Donate with Confidence. Link
Wonderful.org, Fees and charges. Link
Report Fraud, UK reporting and support service. Link