Hello Fundraisers,

Welcome to the August edition of Voluntary Support's Fundraising newsletter!

We've gathered a range of news, resources, training opportunities, and new funding options to help you plan ahead. Take a look below to find out what's included in this month's edition:

Fundraising News:

• New research highlights positive fundraising experiences build donor loyalty
• Planning to run a fundraising appeal?
• Could festivals be part of your fundraising mix?
• Wide range of fundraising courses from Arts Fundraising

Training & Events: 

• Social Media Marketing and Remarketing for Community Building
• Charity Mash-Up 2026
• Get Grants free conference packed with fundraising advice

New Funds: Take a look at a range of new funds for you in our list below.

If you need support with fundraising, please get in touch with Alison at: alison@voluntarysupport.org.uk. 

Kind regards,

Alison Morey

New research highlights positive fundraising experiences build donor loyalty

New research from the Fundraising Regulator highlights that people who have a positive fundraising experience are significantly more likely to support charities again in future.

The research found that the methods of donor support the public feel most comfortable with include:

• donating goods
• sponsoring individuals
• charity bags, and
• charitable lotteries.

Meanwhile, public fundraising on the street, in shops or shopping centres has improved significantly since the last wave of research in 2023, with positive experiences rising sharply. 

One finding that's particularly useful for small charities: nearly half of people said they would be more likely to donate to a charity displaying the Fundraising Regulator badge, and around half said the badge made them view a charity more positively. If you're registered with the Fundraising Regulator, make sure you're using it; and if you're not yet registered, it's worth considering.

The research also highlights a significant age divide: comfort with fundraising, positive experiences and the likelihood of giving again all tend to decline with age.

Planning to run a fundraising appeal?

Whether you have a supporter who wants to do a sponsored challenge or a group carrying out a community collection or an emergency appeal on your charity's behalf, it's worth making your supporters are set up to run an appeal properly. The Fundraising Regulator has published clear, practical guidance for members of the public setting up fundraising appeals, and sharing it with your supporters could save everyone a headache further down the line.

The key points are straightforward:

• be clear about which charity the money is going to and what it will be used;
• use a reputable online fundraising platform rather than a personal bank account;
• plan for contingencies such as leftover funds or an uncompleted challenge; and
• always transfer donations promptly and safely.

The guidance also covers emergency appeals specifically, to avoid well-meaning but poorly-worded appeals which can result in money that can't legally be passed to the intended charity.

For charities, the most practical step you can take is to have a simple briefing ready for anyone fundraising on your behalf. You can find the full guidance on the Fundraising Regulator's website.  

Could festivals be part of your fundraising mix?

Summer time is festival time. A useful article from Charity Digital explores the ways many charities are making the most of festival season. 

Festivals offer charities the chance to raise awareness, reach new supporters, raise funds and involve volunteers in a fun way. The most accessible opportunity for smaller charities is likely to be local festivals. There are plenty of smaller community festivals where a charity stall or presence could help you reach new supporters and raise your profile.

There are other ways charities can benefit from live events. My Cause UK offers charities the opportunity to reach new audiences and receive donations through My Cause UK's volunteers. My Cause UK recruits, trains and supports volunteers to work at events, and then makes a donation to a charity of the volunteer's choice. If you have a pool of volunteers who would enjoy working at a festival, this could be a good way to raise funds.

Some festivals are also set up with fundraising at their core; Carfest, for example, was created specifically to raise funds for children's charities and has raised £23 million since 2012.

Wide range of fundraising courses from Arts Fundraising

Arts Fundraising offer a mix of full-day and short courses on a wide range of topics. Courses are all online, with different courses tailored to differing levels of experience.

Arts Fundraising also offers £10 bursary tickets for people who would struggle with the course fee.

Social Media Marketing and Remarketing for Community Building - 21 September 2026 - Staines Library

This workshop explores how to strategically use social media to attract, engage, and retain audiences through authentic community building. We will look at what is a reasonable expectation from your efforts, what kind of goals to set and how to achieve them. We will also cover the technique of growing an email list from your social media and website, and the fundamentals of remarketing, leveraging repetition and targeted messaging to really engage followers and subscribers  

By the end of the course, you will understand how to integrate social media, email marketing, and remarketing strategies into a cohesive system to nurture relationships and boost their engagement.

Key Topics: 

• Designing social media content that captures your target audience 
• Achieving engagement and building an online community
• Growing and managing an email list effectively
• Creating remarketing campaigns that reinforce brand awareness through repetition
• Nurturing closer connections and longer-term relationships 

Charity Mash-Up 2026

24 September, 9am - 2:30pm, Woking

This year's Charity Mash‑Up by Surrey Community Action takes the theme of No Charity Left Behind, bringing together Surrey’s voluntary sector at a moment when the pressures have never felt sharper. As local government reorganisation and the mergers of CCGs reshape long‑standing partnerships, charities are navigating shrinking funding opportunities, rising operational costs, and surging demand for vital community services. This conference presents a space to connect, collaborate, and strengthen the sector so every organisation—large or small—can continue delivering the support Surrey's communities depend on.

Speakers include Maddy Desforges OBE from NAVCA, Kat Wayne from The National Lottery Community Fund and charity consultant Vic Hancock-Fell.

Early bird tickets are £25, available until Friday 31 July (or until sold out). Standard price after that: £30

Get Grants free conference packed with fundraising advice

Funding information resource Get Grants is running its free virtual conference in October for the third year running.

This year’s event, which runs on 6 and 7 October, features expert fundraising advice, peer support, tips and Q&A sessions.

You can also download and watch last year's sessions for free. Sessions include in conversations with funders Henry Smith Foundation and Hilden Charitable Trust, and sessions such as practical storytelling and stewarding human connection.

Lloyds Bank Foundation: new grants for homelessness prevention

Lloyds Bank Foundation has opened its Going Place to Live: New Beginnings Fund to support local organisations delivering homelessness prevention services.

The fund aims to help people at key transition points when they are at increased risk of losing stable accommodation, with the intention of preventing homelessness before a crisis occurs and reducing reliance on emergency intervention. It is part of the Foundation's wider Going Place to Live strategy, which is expected to introduce further grant rounds over its lifetime.

A total of £8 million is available, with the Foundation expecting to make between 40 and 50 awards across England and Wales. Two grant sizes are offered over four years, paid in annual instalments. Organisations with annual income under £100,000 can apply for £100,000 in total, paid as £25,000 per year. Groups with annual income between £100,000 and £2 million can apply for £200,000 in total, paid as £50,000 per year.

 Eligible applicants must have annual income between £25,000 and £2 million, at least one year of frontline delivery and current work supporting people leaving prison, young adults leaving the care system, survivors of domestic abuse leaving abusive relationships or people leaving the asylum system after securing the right to remain in the UK. The Foundation will also consider applicants working with related beneficiary groups.

Support can be used for unrestricted, holistic and person-centred services, including help with housing, welfare, immigration, health and other practical needs.

Deadline for applications is 9 September.

Henry Smith Foundation’s New 'Career Ready Fund'

The Henry Smith Foundation is offering up to eight grants of £200,000 (£50,000 per year) over a four year period for charitable organisations working with young people with learning disabilities. The fund focuses on early, structured support that helps young people build real‑world experience and move towards paid employment.

Organisations need to:

• embed trained job coaches in school settings so young people receive consistent, person-centred employment support.
• provide early, structured vocational profiling and careers preparation, helping young people identify strengths, interests and aspirations.
• create meaningful, well-matched work experiences that give young people exposure to workplaces, rather than generic or tokenistic placements.
• strengthen partnerships between schools, support networks, employers and specialist providers, ensuring support for young people through a joined-up ecosystem.
• build clear pathways into supported internships, employment and paid work.

The first step in the application process is to take the online eligibility checker to determine whether the organisation is eligible to apply. This is currently available.

Deadline for expressions of interest is 2 September.

Surrey Community Foundation - expressions of interest opened 2 July

A reminder that the next round for Expressions of Interest to the Community Foundation for Surrey closes on 1 September.

There are three types of grant available:

• Main Grants: for projects which particularly support communities in Surrey facing disadvantage. Average grant size is between £6k and £7k.
• Strategic Transformation Fund: This funding for projects up to £15k is to help improve financial sustainability by capacity building e.g. improving impact measurement, investing in leadership development or support, improving financial management by investing in new systems or improving capacity with new systems and processes.
• Creative Wellbeing Programme: supporting small and medium-sized charities across Surrey using music, arts, and culture to improve health and wellbeing in people of all ages. Grants up to £5k available.

Trees Outside Woodland Fund

The Tree Council, in partnership with Defra, is offering grants of between £10,000 and £40,000 to registered charities with an annual turnover of £100,000 or more, to establish trees and enhance green spaces across England.

Eligible projects include hedgerows, orchards, agroforestry, Miyawaki plantings and urban street trees. Projects must demonstrate clear community benefit, biodiversity improvements, good value for money and thoughtful tree selection, and must be delivered by 5 March 2027.

Funding can cover the cost of trees, establishment aids such as stakes and mulch, planting equipment and external contractor costs (up to 20% of total project costs).

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with a deadline of October 2026 or until all funding is allocated so apply early.

GSK IMPACT Awards and GSK Community Health programme

Applications are now open for the 2027 GSK IMPACT Awards and GSK Community Health Programme, funded by GSK and managed in partnership with The Kings Fund. 

• GSK IMPACT Awards: For charities with income between £150,000 and £3 million: the GSK IMPACT Awards provide funding, training and development for charities doing excellent work to improve people’s health and wellbeing. Up to 15 awards will be made, ranging from £5,000 to £50,000. In addition, the training and development is valued at a further £13,500. Organisations will have a film made and be given a set of promotional materials. They will also receive help with press and publicity and pro bono offers from GSK. Deadline for stage one applications is 17:00 on Wednesday 19 August 2026.
• GSK Community Health programme - Supporting small charities tackling health inequalities: For charities with income between £20,000 and £150,000: running alongside the GSK IMPACT Awards, the programme supports small charities tackling health inequalities in their communities. Up to 10 charities will receive up to £10,000 plus access to training and development valued at £5,000. Deadline for applications is 17:00 on Monday 10 August 2026.

NFU Mutual Charitable Trust

NFU Mutual Charitable Trust is offering grants for organisations working in agriculture, rural development, and insurance across the UK to deliver projects and activities across one or more of the Trust's main objectives:

• To advance the education of the public using research and the dissemination of information concerning agriculture.
• To advance the education of young people within rural areas.
• To relieve poverty within rural areas.
• To promote the benefit and social welfare of inhabitants of rural communities by associating with the inhabitants and local authorities, voluntary and other organisations, to advance education and leisure.
• To promote research into agricultural-associated activities.
• To advance the education of the public using research and the dissemination of information concerning insurance.

Most grants fall within the range of £1,000 to £75,000. Trustees met twice a year to consider applications, typically in June and December. Deadline is 9 October. 

Thomas Wall Trust

Grants of up to £5,000 are available for specific projects that improve communication skills for disadvantaged adults and supports NEET people into employment.

The Thomas Wall Trust views communication skills as critical capabilities for people who want to improve their employment prospects, self-confidence, resilience, and life chances. Beneficiaries must gain at least one officially recognised and regulated, accredited vocational qualification during or within two months of project completion.

Proposals are welcome which target people experiencing multiple deprivation or other groups demonstrably facing major hurdles to employment, especially women, people with physical, mental, or learning disabilities, and refugees. Priority will be given to match- funded projects and self-sustainable projects, with a view to becoming less reliant on grants in the future.

There is a two-stage application process with the deadline for first stage application being 11 September for consideration at the November meeting.

Access Foundation

The Access Foundation is offering restricted awards to charities addressing digital exclusion. The grant aims to mitigate the digital divide by making computing facilities, support and learning available to disadvantaged and vulnerable people.

Awards range from £20,000 to £50,000 for projects lasting up to one year. In exceptional cases, the Foundation may consider supporting a longer running multi-year project.

There are no application deadlines. The Foundation aims to notify applicants of a decision within 16 weeks of receiving an application.

Hinrichsen Foundation

Grants of between £500 and £3,000 are available to deliver music projects that focus on the performance, commissioning, or recording of contemporary music.

The Hinrichsen Foundation will support projects and activities that:

• Align with The Hinrichsen Foundation's values and objectives for contemporary and experimental music.
• Express a clear programme of activity and project timeline, parameters, and outputs
• Deliver high-quality projects for diverse audiences, prioritising the cultivation of less familiar and experimental music appreciation.
• Embrace artistic risks and diversity.
• Encourage thoughtful collaboration among composers, musicians, and project leads.
• Ensure fair payment for composers and musicians, particularly in larger organisations.
• Demonstrate the financial need and feasibility of the proposed project.

Applications that take artistic risks, promote diversity, consider sustainability, or are artist-led are encouraged. Deadline for applications is 1 September.

Youth Endowment Fund VAWG Prevention Grants

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) has launched a new funding round under Objective 2 of its Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Prevention Programme, focusing on early responses to inappropriate and problematic attitudes and behaviours around gender norms and relationships.

Objective 2 is focused on secondary prevention, offering early, targeted support for children and young people who are beginning to show emerging concerns, before behaviours escalate to the point where statutory services such as children's social care, policing or youth justice are required.

Projects must support children and young people aged 10 to 18, or up to 19 in SEND settings, and be delivered primarily through schools, colleges or other educational settings. Some activity can take place in community or partner venues where there is a strong link to a school or college.

Support can cover staff and non-staff delivery costs directly related to delivery and participation in the evaluation, including training, materials, travel, venues, supervision, translation and reasonable overheads. Interventions should run over multiple sessions and be developed enough for a feasibility study or pilot evaluation, with an emerging Theory of Change. Applicants must be willing to engage with an independent evaluator, and partnerships are welcome.

The deadline for applications is 2 September.