How to get started with public fundraising

In recent years, UK central government funding for charities has decreased by 33% and local authority funding has fallen by 23%.

 

Many charities have turned to trusts and foundations to try and meet their income targets only to find applications closed, giving paused, or a decision to spend down the trust’s funds underway.

 

Is public fundraising an opportunity for charities – historically reliant on statutory income – to raise the funds needed to maintain their services?

 

 

Reasons for optimism around public fundraising

 

Lots of charities are continuing to grow their income year on year. According to the Charity Pulse 2025 report by Enthuse, the sector’s leaders and fundraisers are predicting growth in some areas during 2025.

 

Nearly three out of four (74%) charities say there is greater awareness of their cause compared to 47% in 2024. Embracing short-form video-led platforms to reach new audiences is one of the reasons suggested for this increase.

 

Nearly half of chief executives surveyed expect growth from corporate fundraising in 2025 and 82% of charities are offering participation in some sort of mass participation event to help get younger audiences involved in active fundraising.

 

 

Where to start with public fundraising

 

Individual giving, major donor fundraising, legacy, in memory, events and community – there are so many public fundraising streams. Where should charities new to it get started?

 

CAF suggests taking a step back and asking a few key questions, such as: where are you now and where do you need to get to?

 

Developing a basic fundraising strategy means having clear goals around how much income you need to raise over what time period. Emma-Louise Singh and Emma Low from Nova Fundraising say: “Being intentional is crucial. Break down your fundraising goals into quarterly, monthly, and even daily tasks to keep you on track.”

 

Once your goals are set, think about how to get the whole organisation behind them. Nova Fundraising say: “The foundation of successful public fundraising is creating a genuinely ‘fundraising-friendly’ culture across your entire organisation.”

 

This includes having the full support of your board of trustees. The Chartered Institute of Fundraising has a guide on fundraising essentials, including a section on how to fundraise responsibly – an important checkbox to tick with your board before you ask them to get involved with active fundraising.

 

 

Simple approach to public fundraising

 

There are a lot of talented fundraisers out there with deep knowledge of the specialisms that make up public fundraising, but if you’re just getting started, there’s a simple approach you can follow.

 

 

Raise awareness

 

It’s generally much harder (and more expensive) to get support from people who don’t know your charity.

 

Think about the sorts of people who might support you and where they might be hanging out. For local organisations, this might mean being more visible in the local community.

 

For national organisations this might mean thinking about media-worthy stories or more focus on reaching people through social media. George Knight, Training Consultant at DSC says: “You have 2.5 seconds to get someone’s attention [online]. Fine tune an impactful opening statement that gives people a reason to read the rest of the ask.”

 

If there’s a national or global awareness day for the issue you work on, you could use it to join a broader conversation about the communities you support and be seen by more potential donors or fundraisers.

 

 

Develop the relationship

 

Once a potential donor knows that your charity exists, the next step is deepening their knowledge of your work and making personal connections, so they have a relationship with you as an organisation. Nova Fundraising say: “Remember that fundraising isn’t just about asking; it’s about relationship-building. Think carefully about how you’ll engage supporters between asks so they don’t feel like ATM machines but rather partners in your mission.”

 

As a charity struggling with an income deficit it might feel like there simply isn’t time to spend on relationship building – the need for funds is urgent. One shortcut to developing the relationship with a potential donor is to think peer to peer. Who do you already know and how could they support you or connect you to other potential donors? Louise Morris, major donor specialist and Founder of Summit Fundraising, says: "Getting started in major donor fundraising can feel daunting for lots of charities. On my Major Donor Fundraising from Scratch programme we ensure that charities know where to look for potential major donors – always starting off closest to home rather than on cold approaches to Richard Branson!"

 

Caroline Danks, Trusts and Major Gifts Fundraiser and Founder of Lark Owl, says: “Lean on the interests and passions of trustees, encouraging them to do something which they will enjoy or that’s easy for them (whether that’s seeking funding via their workplace, hosting something small for their friends, or participating in a pre-organised challenge). For example, our founder Jenny Adjene at Gifted Women (UK) ran a pop up shop with a clothing company and raised £10,000!”

 

 

Ask for support

 

Raising awareness and building relationships with donors is vital, but in order to get donations, you will need to ask for them. According to the CIoF, 81% of people give a donation because they were asked, rather than as part of a spontaneous decision.

 

If you’ve done the groundwork for your potential donors and you’re asking for an amount that feels right to them, you should get a yes. But the message about why you need support and how it will help must be clear. Experienced Charity Leader, Lauren Williams says: “Create a clear and simple case for support that resonates with your public, in their language.”

 

She suggests backing up this case for support, which can be as simple as a single sentence, with several stories about how your work has had a positive impact on a person or family’s life.

 

Public fundraising can feel daunting, but having clear goals, simplifying your approach, and starting with people who already know and care about you are good first steps. Beyond that, there are people, organisations and resources within the sector to help you on your fundraising journey – willing you to succeed.