One thing that fundraising isn’t short of are rules and regulations (OK, I know that’s two, but I’m sure you get the picture).

There are taxation regulations that define what fundraising materials must contain in order to be exempt from VAT.

There are the industry rules and regulations that tell us what fundraisiers must, ought and should do.

There are the brand guidelines that tell us what style of language we can use, what typefaces and colours are acceptable and what pictures should be featured.

There are the unwritten rules that dictate that we should communicate with our donors in a certain way because that’s ‘how we do it here’ or that’s what ‘our donors like’.

It’s not surprising that with all this red tape that we can forget that giving should be a pleasure that brings a little joy into our hearts.

And that’s why we should remember that it’s often easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.