Past Event
Community Fundraising Conference 2026
The UK’s only conference designed to upskill, inspire – and destress – community fundraisers.
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Details
The Beating Heart of Charities
Community fundraising isn’t neat. It’s volunteers showing up late. Supporters with brilliant ideas and unrealistic timelines. Events that work until they don’t. Someone asking you to do something on a Sunday. Again.
It’s exhausting. It’s unpredictable. It’s often undervalued.
And it’s absolutely essential.
This conference is for the fundraisers who keep community fundraising alive – the people who say yes when they should say no, who turn small budgets into big impact, and who know that community fundraising is about so much more than the income it generates.
Join us for the UK’s only conference designed specifically to upskill, inspire, and – honestly – destress community fundraisers.
What You’ll Learn
Setting Boundaries Without Guilt
Learn how to prioritise your workload, manage expectations, and protect your time without feeling like you’re letting people down. Practical strategies for saying no whilst maintaining brilliant supporter relationships.
Measuring Impact Beyond Income
Community fundraising delivers value far beyond the pounds raised. Discover how to measure and communicate the full impact – volunteer engagement, brand awareness, pipeline development, and community connection.
Multiplying Your Presence Through Others
You can’t be everywhere. Learn how to empower supporters, volunteers, and community groups to fundraise independently whilst maintaining quality and safeguarding standards.
Navigating Difficult Conversations
From supporters with unrealistic expectations to events that need to end, learn how to have the conversations you’ve been avoiding with confidence and kindness.
Building Sustainable Community Programmes
Strategies for creating community fundraising programmes that don’t rely on you working every weekend or burning out by December.
Who Should Attend
This conference is for:
- Community fundraising managers and officers
- Fundraisers managing volunteers, events, and local supporters
- Anyone who feels stretched thin trying to be all things to all people
- Charity leaders who want to understand community fundraising better
- Fundraisers looking to build or strengthen community programmes
Whether you’re a solo community fundraiser juggling everything or part of a team trying to do more with less, you’ll find practical guidance, validation, and genuine support here.
Why Community Fundraising Matters
Community fundraising is the beating heart of charities. It’s where loyal supporters are nurtured, where brand awareness is built, where future major donors begin their journey, and where genuine connection to your cause happens.
But it’s also the channel most likely to drain you. The boundaries are blurry. The demands are constant. The “quick favours” multiply. And it’s easy to feel like you’re failing because you can’t do everything everyone asks.
This conference addresses that reality head-on. Not with platitudes about self-care, but with practical strategies for doing brilliant community fundraising sustainably.
You’re not meant to be all things to all people at all times. This conference will help you figure out what you should be doing, what you can stop doing, and how to build community programmes that actually last.
What Makes This Conference Different
Honest About the Challenges
We’re not pretending community fundraising is easy or that a new volunteer management spreadsheet will solve everything. This conference acknowledges the real difficulties and provides real solutions.
Practical, Not Theoretical
Every session is led by practitioners who are doing community fundraising right now. They understand the pressure because they’re living it too.
Permission to Say No
One of the most valuable things you’ll take away is permission. Permission to set boundaries. Permission to end events that aren’t working. Permission to prioritise your wellbeing alongside your targets.
Community of Peers
Connect with other community fundraisers who understand exactly what you’re dealing with. Share ideas, vent frustrations, and build relationships with people who get it.
Event Details
Date: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Time: 12:00pm BST
Format: Full-day virtual conference
Access: Live sessions + on-demand replay for 30 days (unlimited for members)
Networking: Virtual networking rooms and live chat throughout
Accessibility: All sessions subtitled
Ticket Price: £75
Members: FREE (included in membership)
Payment Options: Pay by card or invoice for instant access.
You’re Not Alone
Community fundraising can feel isolating. You’re often the only person in your organisation doing it. You’re managing relationships with dozens or hundreds of supporters. You’re expected to deliver income whilst also building brand awareness, volunteer engagement, and community connection.
It’s a lot.
This conference brings together community fundraisers from across the UK who are navigating the same challenges. You’ll learn practical strategies. You’ll hear honest stories. You’ll leave feeling less alone and more equipped to do brilliant community fundraising without sacrificing your wellbeing.
After the Conference
All sessions are recorded and available on-demand for 30 days after the event (unlimited access for members). You’ll also receive:
- Digital delegate bag with resources and templates
- Access to speaker slides and materials
- Networking connections made during the event
- Certificate of attendance
Register Now
Community fundraising is hard work. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Join fundraisers who are learning to set boundaries, measure full impact, multiply their presence, and build sustainable programmes that deliver results without burning out.
£75 per person | FREE for Fundraising Everywhere members
Want to partner with this event? Email nikki@fundraisingeverywhere.com for more information, or email hello@fundraisingeverywhere.com for general questions.
All of our events are hosted on the Fundraising Everywhere virtual events platform and are subtitled. The platform also provides other screen reader-compatible features and slides are provided in advance in our virtual delegate bag. Let us know if we can do anything else to improve your experience.
Sessions
Room 1
Corporate partnerships for community fundraisers (and how to find them)
Speaker: Andy King, Fireside Fundraising
When people think about corporate partnerships, the examples that get talked about are often huge national campaigns or household-name brands giving six-figure sums. But for many fundraisers, especially community fundraisers, that world can feel a long way away… and hard to learn from.
The good news is that community-led corporate partnerships can be just as valuable, and often far more achievable. From local businesses getting behind supporter events, to companies encouraging staff fundraising, donating raffle prizes or sponsoring community activity, there are plenty of ways charities can build meaningful corporate relationships without needing a dedicated partnerships team or a famous brand.
In this session, we’ll explore what community fundraising-style corporate partnerships actually look like in practice, and how to find companies that are the right fit for your needs. You’ll learn how to spot warm opportunities, identify businesses with a genuine connection to your cause, and start conversations that feel natural rather than intimidating.
You’ll leave with practical ideas and approachable techniques you can put into action straight away, whether you’re looking to secure your first corporate supporter or grow an existing network of local business relationships.
Key learnings from this session:
- What community fundraising-style corporate partnerships look like
- How to identify prospects
- How to start conversations with companies
The Power Of Segmentation – What Is It And How Do You Do It?
Speaker: Jag Jandu, Individual Giving Fundraiser
This will be a really practical session where I talk in simple terms about what segmentation is and how to do it. We’ll go through why we like to slice and dice our audiences and how grouping them into subsets helps with increasing loyalty, optimising what is on offer and so much more. We’ll talk about the core variables we might want to consider – demographics, psychographic, behavioural and geographic. We’ll also work through how we might practically use segmentation to drive value and growth through our fundraising.
Key learnings from this session:
- Why targeted messaging drives loyalty
- Using who, what, why, where to identify your audience segments
- Practical steps to help apply segmentation modelling to you campaigns
Community Fundraising Vs Public Fundraising? What’s the difference, but where do they come together?
Speakers: Sam Butler, Saint John of God Foundation, Mehreen Syed, Royal Free Charity and Sarah Goddard (host)
Many teams are realising that silos don’t help our supporters and bringing teams together under “Public Fundraising” But what does that means? How does it help Community Fundraising? Are there any challenges to think about? Our panel will discuss this and more in this session.
Key learnings from this session:
- Things to consider when creating a wider Public Fundraising Team
- How to have teams work together effectively – rather than just being under one team title
- How Public Fundraising increases income
- What to be aware of for Community Fundraising in particular
Going beyond what other charities are doing – looking above the parapet for society trends
Speaker: Jonathan Cook, Insight-ful
Do you always wonder how other organisations come up with new, creative, zeitgeisty fundraising ideas so quickly? Find out how just a little bit of supporter knowledge can help you think up new fundraising ideas in record time.
Key learnings from this session:
- What to learn about your supporters.
- How to react quickly to insights.
- How to take a calculated risk with your fundraising ideas.
The Power Of Your Supporters ‘Human’ Stories – Where To Find Them And How To Use Them
Speaker: Sarah Goddard, Public Fundraising Specialist
Stories are everywhere. As charities we often think about the people and communities we work with. Or ‘case studies’. But a story and a case study are two different things. And we can’t overlook the importance and strength of our supporter’s stories too. Especially for causes where supporters and people we work with may have a large overlap.
In this session, Storytelling expert Sarah Goddard will explain why stories are so important and how they drive action. She will explain the difference in stories and case studies and most importantly – share how community fundraisers are the champions of finding, hearing and sharing your supporters stories…and how that will make a difference in so many ways at your charity.
Key learnings from this session:
- Why stories are important and influence our actions
- The difference between a case study and a story
- Curious questions to ask to be told a story
- How to capture and share your supporters stories
- A nod to ethical storytelling
Volunteering has changed, have you? Recruiting, retaining, and empowering
Speaker: Laura Elson, Laura Elson Consulting Ltd
Volunteering is changing fast, but the ways we attract, recruit and involve volunteers in fundraising often haven’t kept pace. In this practical session, we’ll explore why many traditional fundraising volunteer roles are becoming harder to fill, what today’s volunteers are looking for instead, and what charities can do about it. We’ll cover a wide range of useful tactics and tips that work even without large budgets or complex systems.
Laura Elson is a fundraising volunteer and a Volunteer Involvement and Fundraising Consultant with over 20 years’ experience recruiting and supporting fundraising volunteers across charities of all sizes. Drawing on sector insight, practical examples, and her experience as a volunteer manager, fundraiser and volunteer herself, Laura will share practical ideas to help organisations recruit, retain and empower volunteers more effectively.
Key learnings from this session:
- Understanding volunteering trends, and what they mean for your work
- Where to find the right volunteers, and how to motivate and engage them
- How to create flexible, meaningful volunteer opportunities that attract and retain today’s volunteers
Room 2
From community donor to loyal supporter: how to encourage ongoing support
Speaker: Davina Batley, Champion Fundraising
You’ve got someone came to your event, volunteered, or joined the quiz fundraiser. But how do you turn that spark into a lasting relationship?
We’ll look at ways to grab a donor’s attention to increase retention and what it can take to make a one-time engagement feel like the beginning of something meaningful. We’ll explore how to craft compelling communications and create a donor experience to build lasting relationships.
Whether you’re part of a smaller team or simply looking for ways new to make an impact, you’ll leave with practical, actionable options you can put to work straight away. Because donor loyalty needs to be nurtured.
Session leader, Davinia, is Founder of Champion Fundraising, specialising in helping smaller charities develop sustainable, diversified fundraising. She brings over 25 years of fundraising experience covering a range of causes and income streams.
Key learnings from this session:
- How to make donors feel seen with small but meaningful touchpoints that keep supporters emotionally connected to your cause.
- How to make the most of work already done by you and your colleagues to connect more without starting from scratch.
- How to create a sense of belonging that turns donors into champions, so supporters feel part of something bigger and start bringing others with them.
Your Time Saving Matrix: Supporter Tiers For Managing Stewardship
Speaker: Amber Satterthwaite, Blue Cross
In an increasingly resource stretched fundraising landscape, scalable and impactful stewardship has never been more critical. This session will explore how to design and implement a tiered DIY stewardship matrix that empowers supporters, strengthens relationships, and maximises lifetime value – without overextending your team. Attendees will learn how to build practical, repeatable frameworks that balance personalisation with efficiency.
We’ll also look at how to build practical, repeatable frameworks that balance personalisation with efficiency, enabling you to deliver the right experience at the right time. Through real world examples, you’ll leave with actionable ideas and tools you can apply immediately. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing approach, this session will help you create a more strategic, sustainable stewardship model that drives retention, income growth, and deeper supporter engagement.
Key learnings from this session:
- How to design a clear, tiered DIY stewardship matrix tailored to different supporter segments
- Practical approaches to balancing personalisation with scalability in stewardship activity
- How to prioritise limited time and resources to maximise impact and supporter experience
Fundraising Analytics & KPIs: what success looks like beyond the budget
Speaker: Keith Wilson, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance
Find out how Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance has transformed its approach to community engagement by moving away from transactional fundraising and towards building meaningful supporter relationships.
Recognising that merchandise sales and leaflet distribution created little lasting impact, the charity developed interactive engagement tools designed to open doors, spark conversations and create memorable experiences.
This shift has opened doors to new corporate partnerships, increased year-round engagement opportunities, significantly grown the charity’s regular giving programme, and strengthened supporter loyalty.
Key learnings from this session:
Community engagement is not about visibility or one-off transactions, but about helping people connect with the cause, build lasting relationships, and ultimately become lifelong supporters.
How to set boundaries and spend your time where you’ll get the most return
Speaker: Punyapriya Singh, Independent Consultant
In a sector driven by passion and purpose, it’s easy to say yes to everything—and end up stretched thin, reactive, and focused on time consuming activities. This session explores how to take back control of your time by setting clear, confident boundaries and focusing your energy where it truly counts.
Drawing on nearly two decades of fundraising leadership, Punyapriya Singh shares practical strategies to help you prioritise high-impact work, move away from low-value activities, and make more intentional decisions about where you invest your time. You’ll learn how to identify what delivers the greatest return—both for your organisation and your supporters—and how to align your efforts accordingly.
This session will also tackle the mindset behind boundary-setting: why it can feel uncomfortable, how to say no without damaging relationships, and how to shift from being busy to being effective.
Whether you’re leading a team or managing your own workload, you’ll leave with simple, actionable tools to help you protect your time, increase your impact, and work in a way that is more focused, sustainable, and ultimately more rewarding.
Key learnings from this session:
- Focus your time on what delivers the greatest impact
- Set clear, confident boundaries without damaging relationships
- Make better, more intentional prioritisation decisions
How to plan story-driven and inspiring community stewardship journeys
Speaker: Hannah Awesome, National Deaf Children’s Society
In this session, we will explore how to design meaningful, story-driven stewardship journeys that place supporters at the heart of fundraising. At the core is a simple principle: when we truly understand supporters’ stories and motivations, we can build authentic relationships that inspire long-term engagement, loyalty, and advocacy.
We will look at practical ways to identify and use storytelling within community fundraising, and how to create touchpoints that make supporters feel genuinely heard, valued, and connected to your cause. From first engagement through to long-term stewardship, we will explore how consistent, thoughtful communication and personalised interactions can transform the supporter experience.
The session will highlight key moments across the supporter journey where charities can deepen relationships—ensuring supporters feel emotionally connected, warmly welcomed into the cause, and motivated to take action. We will also consider how these experiences turn supporters into confident ambassadors, fundraisers, and advocates for your organisation.
Bringing over 25 years of cross-sector experience in fundraising, leadership, and community engagement, this session is grounded in real-world practice and a deep belief that the most powerful fundraising comes from human connection, creativity, and relationships that truly last.
Key learnings from this session:
- How to build stewardship journeys that move supporters from just engaging with you once to long-term loyalty through authentic relationships.
- How to use storytelling at every stage of the supporter journey to deepen emotional connection and strengthen engagement.
- How to design simple, intentional touchpoints that make supporters feel valued, heard, and inspired to become active advocates for your cause.
Speakers
Sarah Goddard
Public Fundraising Specialist
Punyapriya Singh
Mehreen Syed
Head of Public Fundraising
Davinia Batley
Champion Fundraising
Sam Butler
Director of Fundraising Communications and BI
Laura Elson
Director
Keith Wilson
Director of Income and Engagement
Jag Jandu
Individual Giving Fundraiser
Andy King
Director
Hannah Awesome
Head of Community and Events Fundraising
Amber Satterthwaite
Community and events manager
Jonathan Cook
Director
Event Partners
