Frequently Asked Questions

Registering and accessing your portal account

I'm an existing member. Why can't I log in?

Following the launch of our new website in early 2026, you'll need to re-register for an account by following the steps below.

Click the link to access the new portal: https://ciof.org.uk/account
When the log in screen loads, click on “don't have an account? sign up now”. You’ll be asked to input your email address.
You will then receive an activation code to your email address, this may take a few minutes and may land in junk, so please check. You will need to copy and paste the verification code from the email into the login screen to complete the re-registration process. Verification code will come from the email address: msonlineservicesteam@microsoftonline.com.
This will take you straight to your portal, where you can review and update your profile information.
Once you’ve registered, please make sure your profile information is up to date. We also recommend adding a secondary (personal) email address so we can stay in touch if you change jobs.
If you no longer have access to the email address linked to your membership, please contact our Membership Hub at membership@ciof.org.uk.

I’ve tried to register but haven’t received the verification code, what can I do?

Occasionally, organisations email providers block verification code emails from coming through as a security precaution. If this is the case and you are unable to receive verification codes at all, you may need to speak with your organisation’s IT team to ask them to “whitelist” the email address msonlineservicesteam@microsoftonline.com as this is the email that verification codes come from

If you have attempted to log in multiple times without success, and then tried to register using the same details but have not received the verification code, you may need to clear your browser cache. The below steps will show you how to do this in the most common browsers, Chrome and Edge. If you work in another browser, please email us and will try to assist you.

To clear cache on Microsoft Edge:

Click on the three dots on the top right of your browser, and select “Clear browsing data”.
When the “Delete browsing data” window opens, uncheck all boxes except “Cached images and files”.
To confirm your choice, click “Clear now”.
You can then try again to register.

To clear cache in Chrome:

Click on the three vertical dots on the top right of your Chrome browser, and select “Delete browsing data”.
Uncheck all of the boxes except “Cached images and files” and click on “Delete from this device” to confirm.

I moved organisations and no longer have access to my work email address, can I update it?

Yes, you’ll need to log into your account portal using your current email address and password. You’ll then be able to change your email address by opening your account dashboard (the button that says “Welcome+your name”) and clicking on “Change email”. You’ll then be able to input a new email address and verify it.

If you had registered an account on our website prior to February 2026, but have not yet re-registered on our new website, please get in touch with us before registering. We can update the details we have so your account links when you register.

Your portal account

Where can I find my individual membership information and
member number?

Once logged in, open your account dashboard (the button that says “Welcome+your name”) and then select “My Membership”. The details of your current individual membership will be at the top.

Where do I sign up for your newsletters?

Open your account dashboard (the button which says “Welcome+your name”)band then select “My contact options”.

You can select the newsletters you would like to receive. In this list there are also newsletters from our regional and special interest groups.

If you change your mind, you can revisit this page and amend at any time.

How do I change the email address linked to my account?

Open your account dashboard and select “Change email”. you’ll be asked to input your new email address and verify it. Just follow the onscreen prompts.

I forgot my password. How do I reset it?

On the log in screen click on “Forgotten password” and then follow the onscreen prompts to reset it.

Membership

Membership types

At the Chartered Institute of Fundraising we offer three membership options.

They are:

Individual membership - this is personal membership and offers a generous package of benefits to you only.
Organisational membership - this is membership for charities based in the UK (and registered with the Charity Commission), and offers a package of benefits that can be accessed by all staff at the organisation.
Corporate membership - for businesses that offer services to charities and the fundraising sector.#

You can find more information of the different types of membership here, or by clicking the membership type above.

Staff members of an organisational member can access guidance and resources in the same way as individual members (except for the Knowledge Hub, which is available to organisations only). However, some benefits are exclusive to individual members, such as:

Discounted rates to short training courses and qualifications
My Career
Membership Plus
Fundraising magazines and access to CivilSociety.co.uk

If you work for an organisational member and are interested in becoming an individual member as well, please get in touch with us and we can offer you a discount on your first year.

We are a small charity and would like to apply for your complimentary organisational membership.

To be eligible for our small charity complimentary rate, your organisation must be registered with the UK Charity Commission and have an annual voluntary income (donations and legacies) of less than £50,000.

Annual Voluntary Income (AVI) is the money you receive solely through donations and legacies. We use the figure you last reported to the commission to determine your rate.

I work for an organisational member, but would like to become an individual member too. Do you offer a discount?

Yes, we offer a discount on your first year. Please email membership@ciof.org.uk for information.

Managing your membership and accessing member benefits

How do I know when my membership is due for renewal?

Individual membership: We’ll be in touch via email around a month before your membership is due to renew. You’ll be asked to log in to your account and your renewal will be visible in “My orders”. You’ll then be able to move your order to your basket where you can checkout and pay on a card, set up a direct debit or create an invoice. If your organisation pays your membership, you’ll be able to add a billing address when you choose to create an invoice.

Organisational or corporate membership: Primary contacts and membership administrators will be notified that membership renewal is due around a month before the current membership lapses. The renewal order can be found in “My Organisation” and then “Orders”. The order can be added to basket where it can be checked out via card or an invoice created instead.

I've logged in but it says I don't have a membership when I go into 'My Membership'.

Membership details are only visible to individual members. If you have an individual membership and it is not visible, please email membership@ciof.org.uk.

If you are an employee of an organisational member, your organisational member benefits can be found by clicking on “My membership” and scrolling down the page to “My organisational membership benefits”.

To ensure that you are linked to your organisation, you will need to add your current employment details to “My employment”. Don’t worry if the address differs to where you are based, we use the head office address for our records.

I am the primary contact for my organisation, how do I manage the membership?

If you are the primary contact for an organisational membership, you’ll also have access to the “My Organisation” section, where you can manage your organisation’s membership.

My Organisational Membership is due for renewal, how do I process this?

When your organisational membership is due you’ll be sent a reminder email. You’ll need to log in to your account, go to “My Organisation” and then select “Orders”.

From here you can add the order to your basket where you can then choose to checkout via card or create an invoice.

Can I pay by direct debit?

Of course. In fact, we encourage this payment method as it saves you money if you are an individual member. During the online application, you’ll have the option to select direct debit and securely enter your bank details to set up payment.

You can change the account used for payments at any point during your membership. Alternatively, if your organisation decides to cover the cost, we can cancel the direct debit and issue an invoice for any outstanding balance.

Please note that direct debit is currently only available to individual members

I’ve joined but my membership status still says “pending”.

Your membership will remain “pending” until payment has been confirmed. If you’ve selected monthly payments, the status will change to ‘current’ once the first instalment has been collected. You’ll still have immediate access to your member benefits, regardless of your membership status.

I work for an organisational member. How do I find our login details?

There is no shared set of login details for your organisations membership. You’ll need to register for your own account to access the charity’s member benefits. Once registered, update your employment details in “My Employment” as this is what links you to the organisation’s membership.

If you are a designated primary contact or organisational admin, you will log in through your own account and will have been given permissions by us that will give you access to the “My Organisation” page, allowing you to manage the membership online.

As an individual member, how do I receive copies of Fundraising magazine?

You’ll need to add a correspondence address in your profile. Please also go to ‘My Contact Options’ and select your preferences to provide consent. The Fundraising Magazine option is for paper copies, while Civil Society Online is for digital copies and full access to the Civil Society website. The magazines are delivered around the second week of each month (there is no edition published in January and August).

I am an individual member listed in the consultants directory. How can I update my listing?

This feature on our website is under development. To update your existing listing or to be added to the directory, please send an email including a profile picture, bio and contact details to membership@ciof.org.uk.