Behind the face
FAQ on face-to-face fundraising
What is UNICEF’s Face-to-Face programme?
UNICEF’s F2F is a donation program for members of the public who are interested in supporting UNICEF in our mission to help protect the rights and improve the lives of the world’s children on a monthly or 6-monthly basis.
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to promote and protect the rights of children. UNICEF contributes to their well-being through programs that help children in Malaysia and globally survive and thrive to adulthood, providing essential medicines, vaccines, educational, health and emergency supplies. UNICEF also uses our global influence to advocate for the long-term needs of children and women around the world. Because UNICEF is not funded by the United Nations, we depend entirely on regular donations to continue making positive changes for children in Malaysia and around the world.
In the past, we discovered through our interaction with the public that many people wanted to donate to UNICEF more regularly but in smaller amounts. Hence, F2F is an answer to that request. The face to face approach makes it easier for those who do not have the opportunity to contribute through other channels, such as visiting our office or via direct mail.
How does UNICEF promote the F2F?
F2F is promoted through the face to face channel, because it is an easily accessible and friendly method of providing members of the public a chance to find out more about UNICEF’s work. UNICEF’s F2F is promoted at a host of venues including events, shopping malls, business and commercial buildings in Kuala Lumpur, the Klang Valley as well as other states throughout Malaysia.
Why does UNICEF use the F2F as a fundraising channel?
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The F2F program has been a very successful channel and fundraising source for many charities for nearly ten years. Professional fundraising such as the F2F is an investment in UNICEF’s future income, we have enough experience with the technique to be able to predict the amount of money that we will raise for children in the future, and we know that this is one of the most inexpensive and efficient ways of engaging donors to support our cause
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Engaging directly with people in dialogue around children’s rights issues and understanding better what makes Malaysians want to support causes for children
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All fundraising costs money, be it Direct Mail, Telemarketing, Online or F2F. Even volunteer fundraising costs money due to the management and coordination of volunteers involved. It is just a matter of getting as much return on investments as possible in order to raise maximum resources for children. F2F is perhaps the most cost-effective fundraising that we do, and is an important part of supporting our programs for children
Which parties are involved in this F2F?
There are 3 parties: UNICEF Malaysia, Salesworks Sdn Bhd, and SG Global Support Services Sdn. Bhd.
UNICEF has engaged Salesworks Sdn Bhd, a reputable international marketing company, to provide the manpower to promote our F2F in Malaysia. Salesworks Sdn Bhd sends out small teams of trained fundraisers known as UNICEF representatives to work for UNICEF on a short-term basis and carry out the F2F fundraising activities at popular venues in Kuala Lumpur, the Klang Valley and other states.
SG Global Support Services Sdn Bhd, our other partner, helps us manage the administrative tasks for the F2F.
How can I make a monthly or 6-monthly donation to UNICEF?
3 methods: Through credit card, debit card or via auto-debit from a Maybank (MBB) account.
(Note: UNICEF fundraisers are NOT authorized to accept cash donations. Donation method via cheque is ONLY accepted when the donors prefer NOT to donate through their credit cards or MBB bank account)
How does my donation get deducted monthly?
After you make your initial donation, future donations will be automatically charged to your credit card or deducted monthly from your bank account. For example, if you choose to make a monthly donation of RM100 today, your next donation of RM100 will be automatically charged to your account in exactly one month to the day, and each subsequent month thereafter.
Why does the program have monthly or 6-monthly donation schemes?
Monthly giving provides a steady and cost-effective source of income to UNICEF Malaysia. As our country programs are long-term and permanent, your monthly donations allow us to focus on teaching, encouraging and mentoring local communities to build local capacity and help their own children. It also allows us to focus on strategic long-term goals in order to provide permanent solutions to ongoing worldwide difficulties for children.
Because monthly and 6-monthly donations are processed automatically, this helps UNICEF reduce our administrative costs— which allows us to spend more on programs for children.
Although part of the United Nations system, UNICEF does not receive any funding from the UN. All of the funding UNICEF receives is provided on a voluntary basis, with about two-thirds of contributions coming from governments, and the other third coming from private businesses and the general public.
Can I make a one-off donation through this program?
No, this is a regular pledge program where your donation is directly debited every month or half-year.
However, if you are not prepared to make a pledge for a longer period, we also welcome your one-off donation. Every Ringgit is valuable to support our cause for the health, education and protection of children.
One-off donations can be made directly to the UNICEF Malaysia donation website.
What happens to the funds raised?
As stewards for the world's most vulnerable children, we believe it is our responsibility to use every Ringgit received from our donors wisely. Donor contributions go directly towards the mission of our organization, including program services and engaging the public. For more information, kindly refer to UNICEF Annual Report 2018.
How is UNICEF funded and how much of UNICEF’s funds goes to children?
UNICEF is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from governments, private individuals and businesses from around the world, as well as foundations. For more information regarding funding and expenses allocation, kindly refer to UNICEF Malaysia Annual Review 2018.
How many years am I pledging to donate for?
As a monthly pledge donor, you are in total control of your own giving. You can change your gift at any time. UNICEF would like to encourage you to give for as long as possible, as this way you can make more of a difference to the lives of children.
What do I get in return for my pledged gift?
You will receive regular updates on how your money is being spent to help the children of Malaysia and around the world. You are eligible for tax exemption for your donation to UNICEF.
What do I need to take with me to make my donation?
These are the details that our fundraisers will require:
1. Name and IC no.;
2. Address;
3. Email address;
4. Credit Card or Maybank account number.
Will my credit card and bank account information remain confidential?
UNICEF Malaysia adheres to a strict policy regarding donor privacy. Your personal information will be dealt with the utmost confidentiality within the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).
Why doesn’t UNICEF use its own staff for F2F?
As much as we would like to, we are not able to bear the considerably high cost and expertise in managing and carrying out F2F. That is why we are partnering with a market leader like Salesworks Sdn Bhd that specializes in face-to-face marketing. This partnership enables UNICEF Malaysia to save costs and channel much more of your valuable donations directly to our programs that benefit vulnerable children in Malaysia and all around the world.
Why doesn’t UNICEF use volunteers for this programme?
“Face to face” fundraising is a regular, professional job that requires long-term commitment, hard work and specific skills. All UNICEF representatives undergo extensive and intensive training by UNICEF Malaysia’s senior management team and Salesworks’ division, before they begin work. While we sincerely thank our volunteers for playing a valuable role in specific fundraising activities, their commitments outside the time that they generously donate to UNICEF mean that they are not the ideal candidates for this particular type of program.
How to identify UNICEF Fundraisers?
Our friendly fundraisers will have a UNICEF-branded ID badge with the name and number of the fundraiser; they have information on the company that employs them and UNICEF contact details on them. They will be wearing a UNICEF T-shirt and/or jacket. They only collect direct debit information and will never ask for cash. The UNICEF Customer Service team has a list of names of the fundraisers and the areas they are operating in. You can contact the Customer Service team on 1300 30 0010 (9.00am - 5.30pm) or email enquiry-MLYA@unicef.org to confirm their identity.
How do I know the authenticity of the UNICEF Fundraisers?
All our fundraisers are required to carry their ID badge. You can also contact us directly (UNICEF contact details as below) for further verification by providing us with the full name or ID badge number of the representative you wish to verify.
I have some feedback regarding a UNICEF fundraiser, who should I contact?
We are always striving to improve the way in which we operate, so we would really appreciate it if you could contact us directly (UNICEF contact details as below) with your feedback regarding our fundraisers. To enable us to better attend to your feedback, please also provide us with the following information where possible:
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Name of fundraiser
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Fundraiser ID
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Date and location of encounter with our fundraiser
Does UNICEF sell merchandise at its F2F booths or on the streets?
No. UNICEF does not sell any merchandise at any of our booths nationwide nor do we sell merchandise on the streets to raise funds for our programs.
How do I make changes to my monthly or 6-monthly donation to UNICEF?
Every Ringgit is crucial to carry out the important work we do for children and we hope we continue to merit your important support. However, should you ever need to stop your donation, all you have to do is contact us through the contact details provided below. Please allow a maximum of 30 days for the termination of auto debit, debit card or credit card arrangements to take effect. Our contact details can be found below:-
UNICEF Malaysia
United Nations Children’s Fund,
Menara PJH, Level 10, No. 2,
Jalan Tun Abdul Razak, Precint 2,
62100, Putrajaya, Malaysia.
Donor Hotline: 1300 300 010
Fax: +603 2093 0582
Email: enquiry-mlya@unicef.org
Contact: Customer Service Team
Office hours: Monday - Friday; 9.00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Are there other ways to sign up for the pledge programme?
Yes, you can contact our office at 1300 300 010; or email enquiry-mlya@unicef.org to request for the form to be sent to you. Alternatively, you can make sign up for the pledge program via online donation through UNICEF website.