Charity fundraising tips & guides
Practical guides for UK charities, schools and community groups. Whether you're planning a raffle, running a charity auction, launching a text giving campaign or introducing contactless giving at your venue — start here.
18 July 2026
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.
Read more →18 July 2026
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.
Read more →18 July 2026
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.
Read more →18 July 2026
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.
Read more →18 July 2026
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.
Read more →18 July 2026
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.
Read more →1 June 2023
Summer Fundraising Ideas: Capture Tourist Donations
Four practical strategies for charities and visitor attractions to engage summer tourists as donors using digital giving tools.
Read more →1 April 2023
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.
Read more →15 February 2023
PTA Fundraising Ideas for Spring and Easter
Five digital fundraising ideas for parent-teacher associations to run engaging spring and Easter campaigns.
Read more →1 December 2022
12 Giving Days of Christmas
Twelve case studies of charitable organisations demonstrating successful digital fundraising through the DONATE platform during the Christmas season.
Read more →1 October 2022
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.
Read more →15 September 2022
Fundraising During a Recession: A Guide for UK Charities
Practical guidance for charities on maintaining and growing fundraising income during difficult economic times.
Read more →15 July 2022
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.
Read more →1 March 2022
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.
Read more →7 October 2021
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.
Read more →1 June 2021
Virtual Giving Programme
A guide to converting one-off virtual event donations into long-term regular monthly giving programmes using digital tools.
Read more →15 April 2021
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.
Read more →10 January 2021
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.
Read more →1 December 2020
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.
Read more →1 September 2020
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.
Read more →1 August 2020
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.
Read more →1 April 2020
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.
Read more →3 December 2019
#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.
Read more →1 November 2019
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.
Read more →1 August 2019
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.
Read more →1 June 2019
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.
Read more →1 July 2018
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.
Read more →1 June 2018
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.
Read more →1 March 2018
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.
Read more →