learning and development

On any given day in the charity sector, fundraisers are doing a lot of emotional and practical heavy lifting.

They are juggling targets, stewarding donors, holding stories of trauma, and trying to raise money in a cost of living crisis. Enthuse’s Donor Pulse Spring 2024 shows that over half of people still feel it is harder to give than it was six months ago, even as inflation eases. At the same time, CAF’s UK Giving 2025 report finds that only around half of UK adults are now donating, down from 58 percent in 2019, which equates to roughly four million fewer donors.

In short, everyone is under pressure. Which is exactly why safe, inclusive workplaces for queer and trans fundraisers cannot be treated as a side project or a “nice to have”. They are central to whether your organisation can attract and keep brilliant people and whether your fundraising actually works.

This blog is based on a session from the Fundraising Culture & Change On Demand Programme, which is a conversation between Cam St Omer-Donaldson (she/her), Head of Membership Engagement, and guests Luca Straker (they/them), CEO of Proud Changemakers, and Arlo Hilton (they/them), a partnerships and inclusion specialist. It digs into what it really looks and feels like to create safe spaces for queer and trans colleagues, and how you can move from policy on paper to culture in practice.

Today’s focus is on queer and trans staff, but many of the ideas here will support everyone on your team.

During our Getting Code Ready webinar, some of you shared thoughtful questions, thank you!

Below you’ll find answers & related links that might help with questions asked in the chat, links to the Fundraising Regulator’s Code of Fundraising Practice, and pointers to supporting guidance also included.

The purpose of the webinar was to share key overall changes, frameworks and top tips on getting code ready, hearing from others on how they are doing this and how they’re staying code ready for the future also. We have provided, similar to the webinar, sign posts to the Fundraising Regulator directly as the regulatory body responsible for the Code of Fundraising Practice.

Hello, reader! And if you joined our ‘Getting Code Ready’ webinar, welcome back!

When I found out nearly 2,000 of you had signed up for the webinar, I’ll be honest, I thought either we all really love compliance or we’re all simply curious (worried?!) about how to get it right.

If you are trying to grow events income this year, the wind is at your back. Running is booming again, ballots are breaking records, and the charity place has never looked more valuable. Here is a practical, keep-it-simple plan shaped by Mark Roby from Run For Charity’s session at the Events Fundraising Conference 2025, plus the latest sector data.

If you are trying to grow events income this year, the wind is at your back. Running is booming again, ballots are breaking records, and the charity place has never looked more valuable. Here is a practical, keep-it-simple plan shaped by Mark Roby from Run For Charity’s session at the Events Fundraising Conference 2025, plus the latest sector data.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that fundraising is all about asking for money.

But a good fundraiser knows that that’s actually only a small part of the job. The real time-consuming stuff, and the really important stuff, is the things that happen before and after the asks. In fact, if you get really good at the “in-between” stuff, you start to see your asks get easier and your results get better.

And yet we neglect these things.

Why?

Exam results do not tell us whether someone is a good teacher. How many paintings they sell does not affirm the value of an artist. Income raised does not prove whether someone is a good fundraiser.

These are indicators, certainly, but as standalone metrics they tell us little about a professional’s competence. Van Gogh, for example, is believed to have sold only one painting in his lifetime. Recognition after death is scant validation for the individual.

How often has a fundraiser left an organisation only for people to realise they were better at their job than they had been given credit for when doing it?

Fundraising is no longer just about asking for donations – it’s about guiding supporters on a journey. In “From Giving to Raising,” Eoghan Beecher outlines how charities can use behaviour data, personalised messaging, and first-party platforms to build deeper relationships, increase retention, and drive lasting impact. Dive into key principles for designing a meaningful donor experience at every step.

94% of website users don’t trust a poorly designed or outdated website, demonstrating the necessity of keeping your charity’s site fresh. But updating your organisation’s website may seem overwhelming, with multiple components to optimise. Where should you begin?

Fortunately, simple content adjustments can improve your website’s performance, enhance user experience, and turn more visitors into donors.

This guide explores simple content updates you can implement into your website refresh strategy.

Fundraising professionals everywhere have felt the immense impact of economic volatility, political uncertainty, and shifts in public perception. At a time when charities need support the most, 87% of donors claim that financial limitations prevent them from providing regular contributions, while 12% cite a lack of trust.

Amid the changes rocking the fundraising world, delivering a consistent, remarkable donor experience is more crucial than ever. Some donors might not be able to contribute monetarily or may just be looking for more meaningful ways to get involved and show their support. This guide will explore creative ways to involve donors in daily charity operations so you can provide enriching experiences and keep supporters around.

Budgeting for legacy income can feel like guesswork – but it doesn’t have to. Learn how strong legacy fundraising training can help you forecast with confidence, improve your tracking, and plan for the short, medium, and long term.

From booking venues to coordinating volunteers, planning community events takes time, energy, and a lot of moving parts. For many charities, it can sometimes feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to make a real difference.

AI-powered event management software is already helping charities save time, reach more supporters, and run smoother events. Whether you’re organising a local fun run, street fair, or neighbourhood clean-up, AI can help take some of the weight off your shoulders.

In this article, we’ll break down what AI really means for event planning, show you where it can offer the most value, and guide you through getting started in a way that feels manageable and mission-focused.

If you’re job-hunting in the charity sector right now, you’re not alone. It’s a busy market, with lots of brilliant roles, but not every recruitment process is as thoughtful, inclusive, or transparent as it should be. Whether you’re new to the sector or a seasoned fundraiser, it’s important to pay attention to how an organisation hires. Because how they treat candidates often says a lot about how they treat staff.

Grant opportunities from government bodies or corporate partners can be a goldmine for growing charities when it comes to securing funding. But managing those grants? That’s where the real work begins.

Between juggling deadlines, ensuring compliance, and coordinating stakeholders, the grant management process can feel overwhelming for even the most seasoned fundraiser.

The good news? Grant management doesn’t have to be a burden. With some intentional strategies, your charity can make the entire process more efficient and successful. Here, we’ll walk through five practical best practices to ease your grant admin load and keep your team on track for funding success.

Ever wish for an act of God to strike you down midday through a f*ck-up? Just me?

Back in the day, I probably wouldn’t have ever prayed for an act of God. But for the past four years or so, I’ve been moonlighting as an amateur stand-up comedian. (Reading between the lines: I’ve spent the last four years bombing spectacularly on stage in front of hundreds of witnesses )

I’ve failed, flopped and floundered, and it often leaves me praying for some sort of act of God to smite me down and save me from embarrassing myself.

But I’ve now learned the hard way: what’s the point of being a huge loser if we can’t laugh and learn about it?