Dear Editor,

I am writing in support of the Data & Marketing Association (DMA UK)’s letter to the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology issued November 25, 2024, regarding charity email marketing soft opt-in.

Clause 115 of the previous Data Protection and Digital Information Bill extended the soft opt-in to charities, as well as businesses.

However, this hasn’t carried over to the new Data (Use and Access) Bill, leaving charities severely disadvantaged.

Wood for Trees data analysis indicates charities could potentially earn significantly more revenue – 3 per cent additional income per year, equivalent to £252m for the sector (England and Wales) – from the reinstatement of charity soft opt-in.

However, without email marketing soft opt-in, charities currently have a contactable file of around 20 per cent.

We’d expect this to grow considerably for committed charity donors to around 50 per cent (considering businesses currently have between 30-70 per cent of customers opted in, depending on the sector).

We anticipate this could lead to an additional annual gain of £840m in the next 10-15 years.

Including the voluntary income figure for Scotland and Northern Ireland, we estimate this will increase these figures by 15 per cent, upping the total to £290m of potential additional UK charity income per annum.

Email marketing for charities can be an extremely valuable asset to improve supporter experience and increase long-term value.

We’ve the chance to make a real difference and ensure charities don’t continue to miss out on £millions of additional revenue to fund their critical missions by reinstating soft opt-in for charities in the DUA Bill and securing government support.

J Cromack

Chief growth officer, Wood for Trees, part of Salocin Group