Fundraising


Charities rely on fundraising income to achieve their aims. Many voluntary organisations hold a level of savings in reserve to make sure they can survive and continue to deliver their services if other income dried up, and may also make investments to avoid being totally dependent on fundraising and to spread the financial risk.

Some charities also receive statutory income, and money is also brought in from grants, charitable trusts and companies, but individual givers are by far the most important source of voluntary income for most UK charities.

  • How charities use your money

    Charities primarily spend their income on achieving their objectives (their ‘charitable purpose)...

  • Who regulates fundraising?

    Fundraising is regulated through a number of different organisations...

  • How to make a complaint

    Where you should go to make a complaint about fundraising communications...

  • General vs. specific appeals

    When we make a gift to charity most of us like to know as precisely as possible what the money is going to be used for...

  • Membership and sponsorship schemes

    Many charities offer membership or the chance to 'Adopt' or 'Sponsor'a beneficiary...

  • Fundraising FAQs

    Why can't all the fundraising be done by volunteers? I get too many mailings from charities. What can I do? How much does it cost a charity to raise £1?

  • Fundraising factsheets

    Factsheets on the different ways that charities fundraise...

  • The costs of fundraising

    Fundraising costs money, and while as donors we might want all the money we give to be applied directly to the cause, this is unrealistic...

  • Fundraising case studies

    Examples of good fundraising practice from around the charity sector...