After months of “in force, but please proceed with caution,” the wait is over. On 27 April 2026, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) published its final guidance on the new charitable purposes soft opt-in, the rule that lets your charity send marketing emails and texts to supporters without first collecting their explicit consent.
This is a meaningful moment. The provision came into force on 5 February 2026 as part of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, but most charities (sensibly) held off using it while the regulators finalised the detail. Now we have clarity, and there’s a real opportunity here, both to strengthen relationships with supporters and to unlock new fundraising income.
If you’re a fundraising lead, comms manager, or trustee, this is your cue to move. Here’s what changed, what it means in practice, and the practical steps to take on your website and in your data systems.
In a nutshell:
“Instead of asking supporters to opt-in to hear from you, you can now contact them by default, so long as you’re transparent and give them a clear, easy way to opt out.”
