Home / How we check every case
How we check every case
Every live case on Giving121 is backed by a sponsor: a charity, council, school, housing association or NHS team that already works with the person. We check each sponsor once. The sponsor confirms the need and the price, and sends a receipt or photo afterwards. Your money pays for the item and never goes to the person as cash.
Is it safe to give to someone I don't know?
You're never asked to trust a stranger's word alone. An organisation that knows the person has checked the need and the price before it's listed. You pay the sponsor organisation or the shop, not the person, and you get a receipt or photo once the item has arrived.
Who checks a case?
Two checks happen before a case goes live.
1
We check the sponsor. We look the organisation up on the Charity Commission register, Companies House or gov.uk, and call it on its main number, not a number it gives us.
2
The sponsor checks the need. They confirm the item, the price (with a link or a quote) and that the person has agreed to the wording.
What stops fraud?
Only checked organisations can list
A person can't list a case on their own. A sponsor we've looked up and called has to back it.
The money pays for the item
You pay the sponsor organisation or the shop. It never goes to the person as cash, and Giving121 never holds it.
Proof afterwards
The sponsor sends a receipt or a photo of the item. We pass it on to you.
One giver per case
Each case is funded once, by one giver, so it can't be paid for twice.
A real phone number
Call 0800 246 1094 and talk to a person about any case.
Is Giving121 a charity?
No. Giving121 is run by Independent Check Ltd, a UK company, number 08302295. Most sponsors will be charities, councils and schools, but Giving121 isn't a charity. That means Gift Aid doesn't apply to what you give.
Is it regulated?
Not by the Fundraising Regulator. Its Code doesn't cover giving to personal causes on online platforms, and each case here is for one person. So we don't show a regulator badge. What we can show you is who runs the service, how cases are checked, and where your money goes.
What if something goes wrong?
If the item can't be delivered, you get your money back (from the sponsor, or the shop if you paid it), or with your OK it goes to the same person's next listed need.
To complain about a case, a sponsor or us, email info@giving121.com and put "Complaint" in the subject. We reply within 1 working day.
How do you protect people's privacy?
A case never shows the person's name, photo, town or contact details. The area is the county at most, and the person agrees to the wording before it goes live.
If you fund a case, we share your name and email with the sponsor so you can arrange payment. The person doesn't get your details. Read the privacy policy.