Inspiration
Practical guides on raising more, from the team behind DONATE™.
Add the DONATE portal to your phone
Add the DONATE portal to your phone in a few taps, on iPhone or Android, and be notified in real time.
Best Fundraising Platforms for UK Charities in 2026: An Honest Guide
A genuinely balanced guide to the best fundraising platforms for UK charities in 2026 — JustGiving, Enthuse, GoFundMe, Zeffy, DONATE and more, matched to different needs.
Fundraising Platform Fees Explained: What UK Charities Really Pay
Every fee a UK fundraising platform can charge — transaction, Gift Aid, subscription, payout and donor tips — explained plainly, with a worked example and a comparison calculator.
Gift Aid on Raffle Tickets and Charity Auctions: The Rules
Can you claim Gift Aid on raffle tickets? No — and auctions are only partly eligible. The HMRC rules for raffles, auctions, event tickets and donations, explained plainly.
Online Raffle Rules UK: Are Online Raffles Legal for Charities?
Are online raffles legal in the UK? Yes — if run under the right licence. The Gambling Act rules for charity raffles, small society lotteries and online ticket sales, explained plainly.
School & PTA Raffle Guide: Licences, Rules and Raising More
Everything a school or PTA needs to run a raffle — when you need a lottery licence, online and text raffle rules, prize ideas, and how one PTA made £870 profit.
Small Society Lottery Registration: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to register a small society lottery with your local authority — who qualifies, the £40 fee, the £20,000 and £250,000 limits, ticket rules and the post-draw return.
Summer Fundraising Ideas: Capture Tourist Donations
Four practical strategies for charities and visitor attractions to engage summer tourists as donors using digital giving tools.
How to Run a Text Giving Campaign: 5 Steps for UK Charities
A five-step practical guide for charities on planning, launching and promoting an effective text giving campaign.
PTA Fundraising Ideas for Spring and Easter
Five digital fundraising ideas for parent-teacher associations to run engaging spring and Easter campaigns.
12 Giving Days of Christmas
Twelve case studies of charitable organisations demonstrating successful digital fundraising through the DONATE platform during the Christmas season.
How to Incorporate Contactless Giving into Your Venue
Five practical tips for visitor attractions and charitable venues to introduce contactless giving systems that maximise donations from visitors.
Fundraising During a Recession: A Guide for UK Charities
Practical guidance for charities on maintaining and growing fundraising income during difficult economic times.
How to Plan a Charity Auction
A guide to planning and running successful online charity auctions, with a case study from the Friends of Shuttleworth.
Text Raffle Changes
An update on changes to the DONATE platform's text raffle setup process, covering new mandatory lottery licence requirements and automated keyword allocation.
Digital Gift Aid: A Guide for UK Charities
How Gift Aid works within the DONATE platform, helping charities claim an additional 25% on eligible donations.
Virtual Giving Programme
A guide to converting one-off virtual event donations into long-term regular monthly giving programmes using digital tools.
Spotlight Spring: How Small Charities Are Creating a Huge Impact
A spring 2021 review of fundraising campaigns by smaller DONATE charity partners, featuring animal conservation, essential services, and personal fundraising initiatives.
Hybrid Fundraising: A Guide for UK Charities
How charities can evolve their digital fundraising strategies into hybrid in-person and online events as the world reopens.
Winter Spotlight: Christmas Special – How Small Charities Are Creating a Huge Impact
A Christmas edition showcasing festive fundraising activity by smaller charity partners using DONATE™, from school raffles to Christmas dinners for dogs.
Autumn Spotlight: Virtual Conferences, Musical Marathons and Religious Giving
An autumn 2020 showcase of three diverse organisations using DONATE™ - a community food share, a virtual trade conference, and a church receiving text donations during Sunday services.
Summer Spotlight: Virtual Music Festivals, Borderlands Treasure and a Local School
A summer 2020 edition featuring three fundraising stories - a virtual music festival, a national borderlands nature conservation campaign, and a local school making PPE for healthcare workers.
Spring Spotlight: Food Banks, Dog Rescue and The Big Night In
A spring 2020 edition featuring a dog rescue charity campaign, a foodbank that raised £9,000, and a local football club that used social media to its full potential.
#GivingTuesday: Why Digital Fundraising Matters
Key statistics and insights from a National Funding Scheme and Giving Tuesday webinar on why charities must prioritise digital fundraising channels as cash usage continues to decline.
Kids for Quids: Proving the Power of Text Donations
How the National Funding Scheme partnered with The Sun on Sunday for a Christmas text giving campaign that raised funds for children hospitalised over the holiday season.
Contactless Comes of Age: Vauxhall City Farm
How Vauxhall City Farm trialled contactless giving at the Lambeth Country Fair and raised £400 via tap+DONATE™ - from visitors who had no cash.
Emergency Fundraising: How Charities Can Maximise Donations
Why speed is everything in emergency fundraising appeals, and how text giving enables charities to capitalise on heightened public generosity during a crisis.
Research Shows DONATE™ Is 5× More Effective Than Cash Giving
A Shakespeare Schools Foundation comedy event demonstrates how contactless giving through DONATE™ generated five times more income than traditional cash collection from the same audience.
Contactless vs Web vs Text Giving: Which Is Best for Your Charity?
A guide to understanding when to use contactless, web, or text giving - and how to choose the right digital fundraising channel for your situation.
How Barclaycard Helped the National Funding Scheme Adapt to Modern Consumer Payment Habits
A case study exploring how the National Funding Scheme partnered with Barclaycard to develop contactless giving technology that enables charities to capture donations from cashless supporters.