Features – EFA | European Fundraising Association

France: 125 years of freedom of association — & a shrinking civic space

Melanie May — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:40:23 +0000

As France’s Law of Associations 1901 (loi de 1901) turns 125, the country’s civic space is increasingly under attack. Laurence Lepetit, EFA vice president and chief executive at France générosités, shares how associations and foundations are fighting back, including through a new high-profile campaign to mobilise the public and highlight the importance of the sector.

The loi de 1901 turns 125 this year. When it was passed, it did something simple and radical: it gave citizens the right to organise collectively without asking the state for permission. That founding principle has held. Today, France counts around 1.5 million active associations and over 6,000 foundations and endowment funds working across every field of the public interest — healthcare, education, environmental protection, social inclusion, human rights. France accounts for nearly two in five of all associations in the European Union, an associative density 2.5 times higher than the EU average, with nearly 1.8 million employees and 13 million volunteers.

Yet in December 2025, the CIVICUS Monitor downgraded France from “Narrowed” to “Obstructed” — placing it alongside Germany and Italy, and more than 50 other countries, in the third tier of civic space. For a self-declared mature democracy, this is a signal that cannot be ignored. Since the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024, those of us working in and alongside civil society have felt an unmistakable acceleration: restrictions coming faster, the political climate hardening, and with a presidential election on the horizon, a shared unease about what comes next.

The funding squeeze: public and private under pressure

The most immediate pressure is financial. Several regions have engaged in systematic defunding of the associative sector. In Pays de la Loire and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, associations working in culture, social justice, feminism and environmental protection have seen their subsidies drastically reduced — sometimes with openly hostile rhetoric from elected officials. Across France, nearly 50% of regional and local authorities cut their budgets for civil society between 2024 and 2025.

The threat reached the national level too. In July 2025, a joint report by two public inspectorates proposed a sweeping reform of the tax incentives underpinning private giving. If adopted, the proposals would have reduced donations by an estimated €1.1 to €1.5 billion annually. The sector pushed back hard. The Prime Minister’s office eventually confirmed that no such measures would feature in the 2026 Finance Law. But the episode left its mark — not just as a threat averted, but as a sign that fiscal stability for civil society can no longer be taken for granted.

Legislation as a tool of control

The regulatory environment tells a similar story. The 2021 “Séparatisme law” introduced expanded powers to dissolve associations by administrative decision, creating for the first time the possibility for the state to withdraw tax-deductibility from donor-supported organisations without a court ruling. The sector opposed it formally and publicly. It passed anyway. Since then, year after year — in the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Finance Bills — amendments have targeted organisations working on environmental protection, animal welfare and migration rights, proposing to automatically suspend their tax-deductibility. In April 2026, a new Interior Ministry bill went further still, extending dissolution powers to situations where there is no direct evidence of incitement to violence.

A Senate inquiry commission launched in February 2026 added another layer of pressure. Nominally focused on the financing of public policies by private foundations, its framing conflated legitimate philanthropy with political influence — casting a shadow over the sector well beyond its stated target. France générosités appeared before the commission to defend the sector’s track record. EFA, PHILEA and ERNOP were invited to contribute a European comparative perspective on philanthropic transparency standards — a reminder that these debates extend well beyond France’s borders.

Stigmatisation and the erosion of trust

What is harder to legislate against — but no less damaging — is the language being used about civil society. Environmental organisations have been publicly called “eco-terrorists” by government figures. Associations supporting migrants have been cast as facilitators of illegal activity. In June 2025, the Planning Familial (one of France’s oldest and most respected health organisations) saw its public funding threatened, triggering a collective response in Le Monde from dozens of organisations. The Observatoire des Libertés Associatives has been documenting this pattern for years: not isolated incidents, but a sustained effort to discredit organisations that challenge the political mainstream.

For fundraisers, the consequences are practical. Donor confidence does not survive indefinitely in a climate of deliberate stigmatisation. However, in 2025, individual donations grew by 3.6%, the strongest increase since 2021. A small signal, but an encouraging one in those difficult times.

Fighting back: collective pride as strategy

In the face of dismissive rhetoric, the sector has chosen to respond with a joyful and unifying campaign that expresses our pride in a country where the voluntary sector is thriving. Associations and foundations have joined forces around a simple message: civil society is not a problem to be managed. It is democracy in action.

This convergence has produced a unified public campaign. La France qui (se) bat — “France that fights (for itself)” — launched on 4 June 2026 to mark the 125th anniversary of the loi de 1901. Our aim: to mobilise the French public, demonstrate their commitment to the voluntary sector, and remind our elected representatives and presidential candidates of the importance of protecting this sector for a vibrant democracy.

Laurence Lepetit, chief executive, France générosités

Reimagining learning & leadership in fundraising: Key insights from the EFA Learning Symposium

Melanie May — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:35:40 +0000

Professional education for fundraisers is no longer optional but a strategic necessity. This was one of the clearest messages to emerge from the EFA Learning Symposium 2026. And as such, discussions concluded, the future of fundraising leadership begins with a commitment to making learning more accessible, equitable, and relevant.

This theme was particularly evident in the discussions that took place during the afternoon’s parallel workshops, and in the Symposium’s closing session, where the conversation continued with a presentation of findings from each workshop and questions from the audience.

The workshops were:

Challenges And Potentials Of Education In Fundraising — moderated by Nele Theuer from BIBB, and discussing questions including how educational requirements will change in the future and which developments are needed to meet them; how to ensure that the educational needs of aspiring fundraisers from different backgrounds and with varying priorities are adequately addressed; and how structural characteristics of the German fundraising landscape helps or hinders these developments.

Should I Forget What I Know? Rethinking How Fundraisers Learn — moderated by Heike Kraack-Tichy from the German fundraising association DRFV, which explored the evolving demands on fundraisers and the skills, mindsets, and formats needed to stay effective in a rapidly changing world. The session challenged traditional approaches to professional development, asking what still works and what doesn’t, and how learning in fundraising can become more connected, practical, and bold.

Fun(d)raising 2050: Let’s Rock! Imagining the Future of the Profession: What Will Fundraising Look Like in 2050? — moderated by Pia Tornikoski from VaLa, the Finnish fundraising association. This workshop invited attendees to help shape the agenda and explore the future of fundraising. They discussed emerging trends, potential disruptions and key challenges, both within and beyond the nonprofit sector, reflecting also on long-term developments and who will lead the next generation of fundraisers.

Rounding up their conclusions, the final discussion of the day focused on the evolution of professional development in fundraising, examining the structural barriers to education, the transformative impact of AI, and the shifting organisational cultures required for the next generation of leadership.

Participants agreed that continuous learning should be viewed as a strategic investment that strengthens both individuals and organisations, rather than as an optional add-on. However, it was evident that for many fundraisers, accessing education and training remains difficult, with heavy workloads, limited budgets, and lack of long-term planning often prevent organisations from investing in professional development.

It was also clear that there has been a shift in how people learn, with traditional, authority-led training models increasingly giving way to peer-to-peer learning approaches that encourage collaboration, knowledge sharing, and practical experience. This change, participants noted, also reflects broader workforce trends, particularly among younger generations who value interactive and community-based learning environments.

Artificial intelligence, it was noted, can provide valuable support by providing real-time guidance and coaching, as well as automating routine tasks and supporting more sophisticated donor engagement strategies. At the same time however, there was strong agreement that technology will complement — not replace — human skills and qualities.

The discussion also extended beyond individual learning to organisational transformation, exploring more collaborative models of leadership, and ecosystem-based structures where fundraising is a shared responsibility across the organisation. Innovative practices such as dedicated “Innovation Labs” were highlighted as ways to encourage experimentation, reflection, and learning from failure.

Looking ahead, attendees imagined future fundraising roles such as Chief Empathy Officer, Chief Visionary Officer, and Giving Architect — positions blending technological capability with human-centred leadership. These future-focused roles reinforce the idea that the most valuable skills will be those that combine strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and the effective use of technology.

Ultimately, the symposium concluded, the future of fundraising leadership depends on creating learning cultures that are accessible, relevant, and continuous. Organisations that invest in professional development, embrace innovation, and foster collaboration will be best positioned to thrive in an increasingly complex environment.

Key learnings

Professional development is a strategic necessity, not an optional activity.
Workload, funding constraints, and limited planning cultures remain major barriers to learning.
Peer-to-peer and collaborative learning models are becoming more effective than traditional top-down approaches.
AI will increasingly support fundraisers through automation, coaching, and data-driven insights. Human skills, however, remain irreplaceable.
Innovation requires dedicated space and time, such as ‘Innovation Labs’ and structured reflection on failures.
Organisations should foster a “fail-forward” culture that encourages experimentation and learning.
Knowledge sharing and internal shadowing help spread learning across entire teams.
Future fundraising professionals will need both technical and human skills, combining AI literacy with resilience and emotional intelligence.
A common framework for fundraising competencies would help organisations assess, develop, and invest in talent more effectively.

Photo credit: DFRV/Karolina Granja

The EFA Learning Symposium 2026 took place in Berlin on 31 May-1 June. A big thank you to Deutscher Fundraising Verband (DFRV) and their events agency Kaiserwetter for hosting us.

From talent to competence: Building stronger fundraising teams through competency-based development

Melanie May — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:30:21 +0000

Fundraisers are critical to nonprofit success, but without clearly defined competencies teams rarely reach their full potential. At the EFA Learning Symposium 2026, Giedrė Šopaitė from the Baltic Fundraising Hub presented a structured, competency-based approach to assessing and developing fundraising capacity, drawing on Lithuania’s national programme — sharing her insights here for Fundraising Europe.

Why fundraising needs a competency mindset

There is a persistent myth about what makes a good fundraiser. Many people believe successful fundraisers are simply empathetic, compassionate and good with people. It helps if they are outgoing, persuasive and passionate about their cause. Some even believe fundraising success depends on a natural gift that cannot really be taught.

Of course, these personal qualities matter. Empathy helps build relationships. Confidence helps start conversations. Passion helps inspire others. But on their own, they do not make someone a competent fundraiser.

Fundraising requires knowledge, skills and behaviours that can be learned and developed: understanding donor motivation, creating fundraising strategies, analysing data, managing partnerships, stewarding donors and much more. The moment we stop treating fundraising as a talent and start treating it as a set of professional competencies, we move from intuition to intentional development.

As fundraising continues to mature across Europe, I believe this distinction becomes increasingly important. Fundraising is increasingly recognised as a profession, yet professions are not built around personality traits. They are built around competencies. If fundraising is to continue evolving, we need a common language to describe what fundraisers should know and what they should be able to do.

Photo credit: DFRV/Karolina Granja

Measuring what matters: Lessons from Lithuania

This challenge became particularly visible to me in 2020, when I was developing Lithuania’s first national fundraising competency development programme, Fundraising@LT PRO. At the time, we brought together 30 fundraisers from different nonprofit organisations. They represented different causes, different levels of experience and different fundraising responsibilities. Some focused on grants, others on individual giving, corporate partnerships or communications.

One question quickly emerged: how could we design a meaningful learning programme without understanding participants’ existing competencies?

Too often, training programmes are built around assumptions. We assume we know where the gaps are. We assume what participants need to learn. We assume which skills require strengthening. But assumptions are a risky foundation for capacity building.

Inspired by Peter Drucker, the renowned management consultant often referred to as the father of modern management, and his famous observation that “you can’t manage what you can’t measure”, we decided to begin by assessing competencies. We developed a fundraising competency assessment test designed to evaluate knowledge and skills across several key fundraising domains. The objective was not to label people or rank them against each other. Instead, we wanted to understand existing strengths, identify gaps and build a programme based on evidence rather than intuition.

The results were illuminating. Most participants assessed themselves at Junior Fundraiser level, while only a small number reached Senior Fundraiser or Expert level. Some competencies proved stronger than expected, particularly understanding of fundraising ethics and the broader fundraising environment. Other areas revealed substantial gaps, especially individual fundraising, donor relationship management and fundraising strategy.

Most importantly, the assessment allowed us to replace assumptions with evidence. Rather than designing a programme around what we thought participants needed, we could focus on the competencies that genuinely required development.

Together with our international partners, we created a learning programme specifically targeted at those areas. Fifteen months later, participants completed the same assessment again.

The results were encouraging. Overall fundraising competencies improved by 22%. The strongest growth occurred in areas that received the greatest attention during the programme, including donor stewardship, fundraising strategy and community fundraising. Perhaps even more significantly, most participants progressed from Junior Fundraiser to Senior Fundraiser level, while the number of Expert-level fundraisers tripled.

Click images to enlarge

For me, the most important lesson was not the percentage increase itself. It was the confirmation that when competencies are clearly defined, assessed and intentionally developed, professional growth becomes visible and measurable. And once development becomes measurable, it can be managed strategically.

Beyond training: Building stronger fundraising teams

At the same time, the project revealed an important limitation. The competency assessment helped us understand where people were. It did not fully answer the question of where they should be.

We could identify competency gaps, but we lacked a framework that clearly described what fundraising excellence looked like at different stages of professional development. We needed something that could help organisations not only assess competencies, but also define expectations and create a roadmap for growth.

This led me to the concept of the Fundraising Competency Matrix*.

A competency matrix is a practical framework that defines the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for effective performance in a particular role or profession. It helps organisations understand what competencies people need, what level they currently demonstrate and what they need to develop in order to progress further.

Click images to enlarge

The value of such a framework goes far beyond training. It helps identify competency gaps and learning needs, supports workforce planning and talent management, improves recruitment processes and creates clearer career pathways. Most importantly, it turns competency development from guesswork into a structured management process.

One of the biggest shifts in thinking comes when organisations stop viewing every competency gap as a training problem. Training is important, but it is only one of many development tools. Competencies can also be strengthened through mentoring, coaching, peer learning, stretch assignments, job shadowing and practical experience.

When we focus only on training, we tend to ask: “What course should we send this person to?” When we focus on competencies, we start asking a much more useful question: “What experience, support or learning opportunity would help this person develop?”

The competency matrix helps organisations make these decisions intentionally rather than reactively.

It also encourages us to think beyond individual development and look at fundraising teams as a whole. Not every fundraiser needs every competency. A corporate fundraiser requires different expertise than a digital fundraising specialist. A fundraising manager needs different capabilities than someone at the start of their career. The goal is not for everyone to be equally good at everything. The goal is to ensure that all critical competencies are covered somewhere within the team.

This creates a different conversation inside organisations. Instead of asking, “Why are we not reaching our fundraising targets?”, leaders can ask, “Do we have the competencies required to achieve them?” In many cases, that question leads to far more useful insights.

For too long, fundraising capacity building has been driven by intuition, assumptions and individual experience. As our profession continues to evolve, competencies need to become the foundation of how we recruit, develop and manage fundraising talent. Strong fundraising teams are not built by chance. They are built through intentional investment in competencies.

Fundraising is not a talent. It is a profession. And professions become stronger when competencies are visible, measurable and continuously developed.

*The Fundraising Competency Matrix is available here and can be downloaded and adapted for use.

About Giedrė Šopaitė

Giedrė Šopaitė is a strategic philanthropy consultant, speaker and trainer with over 20 years of experience in the Lithuanian NGO sector. She is the founder and CEO of Baltic Fundraising Hub, supporting nonprofits in fundraising strategy and competency development, and advising companies on strategic philanthropy. Giedrė created Fundraising@LT PRO, Lithuania’s first fundraising competency development programme, and serves as an EFA board member. Her work focuses on strengthening fundraising professionalism, leadership and ethical, impact-driven philanthropy.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/giedresopaite/

Developing strong fundraising teams & leaders — lessons for success

Melanie May — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:20:05 +0000

At the EFA Learning Symposium in Berlin, one of the most thought-provoking discussions focused on people, leadership and the future of fundraising as a profession.

Moderated by Pia Tornikoski, the Symposium panel brought together Zoe Oldham of Upsall International and Jeanette Eesmann-Foster of Mindwize to discuss what organisations should look for when recruiting fundraisers and the competencies fundraising leaders will need in the years ahead. On competencies, the panel highlighted strategic thinking, leadership and people management, data and AI literacy and stakeholder engagement, among others.

Recruiting insights

According to Zoe Oldham, organisations frequently search for a “unicorn” candidate: someone who can bring networks, raise substantial income immediately, manage teams, think strategically and fit perfectly into organisational culture. Such expectations often reveal deeper organisational challenges.

Jeanette Eesmann-Foster highlighted the importance of sustainable income and long-term investment. She argued that organisations often seek short-term fundraising gains when they should be investing in systems, data and donor relationships that create sustainable growth.

The panel repeatedly returned to the importance of realism. Successful recruitment begins with realistic expectations, alignment between leadership and fundraising teams, and a shared understanding of what fundraising can achieve over time.

One of the strongest themes was the growing professionalisation of fundraising. Across Europe, fundraising is increasingly recognised as a discipline requiring formal competencies, continuous learning and professional standards. Several participants noted that certified fundraising qualifications are appearing more frequently in recruitment processes. Certification and professional education are increasingly valued across Europe.
The conversation also highlighted resilience. Fundraising leaders increasingly operate in high-pressure environments characterised by ambitious targets, economic uncertainty and changing donor expectations. The panel suggested that resilience, peer learning, mentoring and wellbeing support should become recognised elements of fundraising leadership development.

Fundraiser retention is becoming as important as donor retention

The panel concluded that fundraising success depends less on individual heroes and more on organisational readiness, leadership and long-term investment. Organisations must be fundraising-ready before hiring fundraisers.

Perhaps the most important conclusion was that fundraising success cannot be separated from leadership. Organisations that invest in people, learning, culture and long-term thinking are better positioned to recruit, retain and support successful fundraisers. Both speakers highlighted that fundraising is under increasing pressure and burnout is becoming a significant issue.

Another recurring theme was retention. Just as organisations focus on donor retention, they must also think about fundraiser retention. Frequent staff turnover undermines institutional knowledge, disrupts donor relationships and weakens long-term fundraising performance.

As the Symposium demonstrated, the future of fundraising is not only about raising more money. It is about building organisations where fundraisers can thrive, adapt and contribute over the long term. Leadership quality and organisational culture strongly influence fundraising success.

Robert Buchhaus: Why face-to-face fundraising is the future of trust

Melanie May — Wed, 13 May 2026 10:53:19 +0000

As digital spaces become increasingly saturated, the value of face-to-face fundraising is set to rise, driven by the authenticity that comes with real human interaction and the long-term support F2F conversations bring charities as a result. However, argues Robert Buchhaus, sustaining this impact in a rapidly changing world will depend on continued investment in the people behind it — ensuring fundraisers are supported, skilled, and equipped to keep building meaningful connections.

In the mid-1990s, when face-to-face (F2F) street fundraising first erupted in Austria and began its rapid trek across borders, I found myself in a peculiar role: the evangelist for a “crazy” idea. I remember standing at international conferences, explaining our methodology, only to be met with shaking heads.

“What? You stop strangers on the street, chat for a few minutes, and they just hand over their bank details to let you collect money again and again?” they would ask. “You crazy Austrians — it will never work in my country.” Even those who saw its early success were sceptical of its longevity. Three decades later, however, F2F has proven them all wrong, becoming the bedrock of global donor acquisition.

The engine of modern acquisition

Today, we aren’t fighting for the survival of F2F; we are fighting to meet the overwhelming demand for it. In many markets, F2F is the primary tool capable of delivering the high volumes of regular donors that organizations need to survive. While traditional channels face diminishing returns and digital acquisition struggles to scale, F2F continues to deliver the human connection that translates into long-term commitment.

The current challenge isn’t a lack of interest from charities; it’s a capacity crisis. Agencies and in-house programs are struggling to find enough high-quality staff to fulfil this demand. But this success is not self-sustaining — it requires a deliberate focus on the people behind the clipboards.

The antidote to “AI overflow”

Looking ahead, I am more confident in F2F today than I was years ago. We are entering an era where AI-generated content, visual fakes, and automated spam will overflow our digital lives. This “content pollution” will inevitably lead to widespread frustration and a profound crisis of trust.

In a world where you can’t be sure if the voice on the phone or the face in a video is real, the value of physical, human interaction sky-rockets. We might use AI behind the scenes to optimize campaigns, but it will never replace the fundraiser on the street or at the door. People will be relieved to have a real human interaction.

Protecting the ecosystem

However, this future isn’t just going to “happen.” To keep F2F successful, we must move beyond viewing it as a mere “technique” and see it as a human ecosystem that requires constant reinvestment. Historically, agencies and dedicated in-house programs have been the “nurseries” of our industry — investing heavily in training and building the next generation of talent. If we stop investing in the “soil” and move toward purely transactional models, the harvest will eventually fail.

Caring for the frontline

Maintaining quality starts with the well-being of our fundraisers. Our teams are on an “exhausted mission” — standing in the rain, facing rejection, and carrying the emotional weight of the world’s challenges. If we want them to inspire others, we must first inspire and support them through mentorship and stable structures.

This is where the strength of our global F2F community comes in. We are a unique breed — one that shares, cares, and learns across borders. By fostering this culture, we ensure our frontline heroes have the resilience to keep building those vital bridges. F2F hasn’t just survived the digital revolution — it is the tool that will thrive because of it.

Experience the spirit of collaboration

And it is exactly this spirit of collaboration and shared learning that continues to drive our sector forward. The 3^rd International F2F Fundraising Congress will take place on 15–17 March 2027, bringing together practitioners, innovators, and decision-makers from across the globe to exchange insights, challenge assumptions, and shape the future of face-to-face fundraising together. Find out more and register here.

About Robert Buchhaus

After completing his studies, Robert Buchhaus, who holds a doctorate in law, decided to pursue a career in fundraising to promote positive change in the world. Over the course of his diverse, decades-long career, he has personally asked over 50,000 people to provide regular support to a wide variety of organizations, worked as an internationally active fundraising consultant for various international NPOs, and established fundraising agencies (Global Fundraising Group) with partners in numerous countries; serves as managing director of agencies in Austria and Germany, and is a recognized speaker at international fundraising conferences as one of the leading specialists in face-to-face fundraising.

In 2014, he was the first in the German-speaking world to introduce tablet fundraising into face-to-face fundraising. He serves on the board of the Austrian Fundraising Association.

Greenpeace image: © Mitja Kobal, Greenpeace

Special Focus: Progressing a career in fundraising

Melanie May — Wed, 13 May 2026 10:35:52 +0000

Ahead of EFA’s 2026 Learning Symposium on 31 May – 1 June, we ask three fundraisers to share how they started in fundraising, the opportunities and training they’ve taken — and the difference that training has made. They also provide their top tips for progressing a career in fundraising.

In a changing and increasingly complex environment for nonprofits, fundraising is central to organizational success and sustainability. As a result, demand for high-quality professional development is growing rapidly, as fundraisers seek clear and credible pathways to build their skills, strengthen their leadership capabilities, and gain recognised qualifications that reflect the realities of modern fundraising practice.

Supporting the development of the fundraising profession is a core priority for EFA. Through its Certification programme, EFA facilitates training and formal qualifications that help fundraisers grow and excel. Earlier this year, EFA launched its revised Advanced Competence Framework. This provides a robust foundation for training providers to design courses that meet the evolving needs of fundraisers operating in a leadership or management capacity or looking to progress into such roles. Later this month, the EFA Learning Symposium (31 May – 1 June in Berlin) will bring together educators, experts, and senior fundraisers to explore what kind of education produces better fundraisers, stronger organizations, and more sustainable income.

Ahead of this, we spoke to three fundraisers about their own career journeys — how they started in fundraising, the training and opportunities they pursued, and the impact professional development has had on their work. They also share their advice for others looking to grow and succeed in fundraising.

Charley Burke, innovation and development manager, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, UK

How did you start in fundraising?
Like many professional fundraisers, I found my way into the sector through a growing awareness of the impact I wanted to have in my career. I have always been motivated by working on things that truly matter, and fundraising provides a meaningful way to contribute to positive change.

I started out in the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity marketing department where I developed a huge appreciation for the cause. My career in fundraising began through a six-month secondment managing community fundraising in Worcestershire. What began as a short-term opportunity evolved into a five-year journey.

Unlike many in the sector, I have remained with the same organization throughout my fundraising career. I now have the privilege of leading innovative income generation projects, driving forward new ideas to support and sustain our mission.

What key experiences or opportunities have helped you progress to where you are today?
A combination of practical experience, professional development, and sector engagement has been instrumental in my progression.

My background in marketing has been invaluable, equipping me with the skills to communicate compelling stories and build strong cases for support. Fundraising draws on a wide range of transferable skills, and this foundation has enabled me to engage supporters effectively and authentically. Networking and peer learning opportunities have broadened my understanding of the wider sector while allowing me to remain connected to an organization I am deeply passionate about.

Completing the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s Fundraising Diploma strengthened my theoretical knowledge and deepened my understanding of the diverse skill set required to deliver excellent supporter stewardship. Importantly, my organization actively champions innovation. During my time in community fundraising, I was given the autonomy to test new ideas, learn from failure, and respond to supporter needs in an agile way. This experience has been invaluable in shaping my approach, encouraging creativity, resilience, and a supporter-focused mindset.

How has professional training in particular helped you?
Fundraising is sometimes perceived as the more accessible or “lighter” side of charity work; however, while it is dynamic and rewarding, it is underpinned by critical knowledge and professional standards.

Professional training and credentials have been essential in ensuring that my work is delivered with transparency and accountability. Gaining formal qualifications has not only deepened my understanding of best practice, but strengthened my confidence in delivering strategic and impactful fundraising initiatives.

What are your top tips for progressing a career in fundraising?

Stay open to unexpected opportunities A career in fundraising doesn’t always follow a straight path. Being open to secondments, side projects, or internal moves can lead to long-term growth. What starts as a short-term role can evolve into something much bigger if you’re willing to step in, learn quickly, and make an impact.
Build on transferable skills and purpose Fundraising thrives on skills from other disciplines, in my case marketing, communications, relationship-building. Use what you already know to tell compelling stories and connect with supporters. At the same time, stay grounded in the cause; a clear sense of purpose will shape how authentically and effectively you engage others.
Invest in learning, networks, and experimentation Progress comes from a mix of hands-on experience, professional training, and learning from others. Seek out development opportunities, connect with peers, and don’t be afraid to test new ideas. Innovation often comes from trying, failing, and adapting. Build resilience and keep your focus on what supporters need.

Sanna Nupponen, fundraising coordinator, Tukilinja, Finland

How did you start in fundraising?

I have worked at Tukilinja for nearly 17 years. For more than 10 of those I have been at the very heart of our organization’s purpose: processing grant applications from low-income people with disabilities and people living with long-term functional impairments. My background is in social services, so moving into fundraising from my earlier social work role at Tukilinja felt like a natural step, and I had already seen first-hand the impact that the funds raised through our fundraising efforts can make.

My current role is coordinator of fundraising and grant operations. On the grants side, I am responsible for collaborative grants that we award together with partner organizations. On the fundraising side, I work on developing our fundraising and the communications that support it as a whole. This includes both creating new fundraising approaches and strengthening existing ones. Previously, our fundraising was based solely on income from Tukilinja magazine, which was sold through telephone fundraising. My role is therefore very varied, and what matters greatly to me is that I remain closely connected to our grant work — the core of our mission, and the reason why we raise funds in the first place.

What key experiences or opportunities have helped you progress to where you are today?

I completed a specialist vocational qualification in fundraising, which gave me the opportunity to explore the field in depth and from many different angles. Most importantly, however, I have found networking with experienced professionals in the sector incredibly valuable. I have also benefitted greatly from taking an active part in the training sessions and events organised by Vastuullinen Lahjoittaminen (VaLa ry), the Finnish fundraising association.

How has professional training in particular helped you?

Professional training gave me a broad overall understanding of what fundraising is and what it can be. It also helped me build strong professional networks, both with fellow students and with trainers, and those connections have provided an excellent foundation for ongoing professional networking and development.

What are your top tips for progressing a career in fundraising?

Network My single most important piece of advice would be to build connections with other fundraising professionals. I would very warmly encourage people to take part, whenever possible, in events where they can meet others working in the field. In Finland, these include, for example, VaLa’s webinars and live events.
Keep a close eye on the wider fundraising field, including organizations that might at first seem like “competitors”. For instance, if you work in the social and health sector, it is still very worthwhile looking at how environmental organizations approach fundraising and learning from their ideas and practices.

Ingvild Vaale Arnesen, marketing manager, Sabima, Norway

How did you start in fundraising?
My journey began with the Norwegian Cancer Society, driven by a deep personal commitment that came from my own experience of losing my mother to pancreatic cancer. As a result, I felt a profound need to contribute to cancer research and treatment. That emotional connection drew me into fundraising — it was a cause I couldn’t ignore.

My path was also shaped by a Master’s degree in business and administration, chosen for its flexibility and broad opportunities. I was always drawn to nonprofit organizations but after the Norwegian Cancer Society I first worked with Oslo’s largest film festivals, where sponsorship and partnership elements introduced me to fundraising in a different context. Now, as marketing manager at Sabima, a Norwegian NGO working to protect the environment, I have returned to charitable fundraising.

What key experiences or opportunities have helped you progress to where you are today?

My progress has been shaped by a combination of education, diverse experiences, and the courage to align my work with my passions. My business degree provided a strong foundation, while my decision to study fundraising through a programme with Fundraising Norway and Plymouth University added credibility and structure to my skills.

Networking has also played a role. and professional training has offered valuable frameworks, insights and validation, but what has mattered most is the wish to pursue work that resonates with my values. I believe passion and authenticity are equally vital and powerful driving forces. I am also a self-taught photographer. This has also been a guiding passion for many years, reminding me what is really important and a great tool for understanding myself, my surroundings and what I care deeply about.

In my work, I bring not only a strategic and operational understanding of marketing but a strong visual sensibility, shaped by my background in photography. I believe deeply in the power of visual storytelling to connect with people, and my work is driven by a commitment to fostering both personal and collective growth. For me, it’s about more than just communication — it’s about using my insights into human nature and my creative skills to inspire connection and development, whether in my work, myself or in those I work with.

How has professional training in particular helped you?
Professional training, like the fundraising programme I took with Plymouth University and Fundraising Norway, gave me a structured framework and credibility. It validated my skills and deepened my understanding of the field. That said, my career as a photographer taught me that formal training isn’t everything — passion and authenticity are just as powerful. Training provided the tools, and my diverse experiences and personal drive shaped how I use them.

What are your top tips for progressing a career in fundraising?

Find where you want to make a difference. Fundraising is about purpose, so identify the causes or organizations that truly resonate with you.
Educate yourself. If you feel you need more knowledge or skills, seek out training or program to build knowledge, credibility and confidence.
Bring your unique experiences with you. Fundraising is different from working with commercial brands, even if brand-building is still important. Your diverse background can be an asset, so don’t underestimate what you already know.
My best advice? Be patient and don’t give up on your dreams and passion. Every experience matters, and sometimes it takes time to reach your goal. Stay committed to finding the places where you can truly contribute and make a difference.

Slovakia’s “Russian Law” episode: How a government tested the limits of civic space

Melanie May — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:45:43 +0000

When the fourth government of Robert Fico returned to power in late 2023, civil society in Slovakia quickly became a central political target. The confrontation that followed was structured and escalating – moving from rhetoric to legislation, and from legislation to administrative pressure when the courts intervened. Eduard Marček, EFA executive director and head of the Slovak Fundraising Centre, reports on the situation.

From its first days in office, the fourth government of Robert Fico framed a segment of Slovak NGOs – particularly those watchdogs active in anti-corruption, rule-of-law advocacy, and public policy – as politically biased and foreign-influenced. Organizations such as Transparency International Slovakia, Stop the Corruption Foundation and Via Iuris were repeatedly portrayed as actors operating “like political parties” but without public accountability. This narrative laid the groundwork for regulatory action.

The “Russian Law”

In 2024 and 2025, the coalition advanced an amendment to the NGO law with no expert discussion that soon became known domestically as the “Russian Law.” The original proposal required organizations receiving foreign funding of more than €5,000 to label themselves as “organizations with foreign support,” disclose donors publicly, and comply with expanded reporting obligations. Early drafts also considered classifying NGOs (and only NGOs, not businesses or other actors) as lobbyists. The parallels with Russian and Georgian legislation were widely noted, and international criticism swiftly followed. Under mounting pressure – including concerns raised at EU level – the government softened the terminology at the last minute, removing the explicit “foreign agent” label. Yet the core obligations remained, and Parliament passed the law in April 2025.

Civil society fights back

The proposal and ultimate adoption of the law triggered an immediate backlash. Civil society organizations coordinated across platforms, organized public protests, issued joint statements, and mobilized legal expertise to challenge the legislation. The response was unusually cohesive: NGOs formed broad coalitions, engaged European partners, and framed the issue as a constitutional matter rather than a sectoral dispute. Within days of adoption, opposition parties and the Public Defender of Rights filed a motion to the Constitutional Court of the Slovak Republic requesting constitutional review.

The most controversial element was the mandatory donor disclosure – with NGOs receiving significant contributions required to publish the names of donors above a €5,000 threshold. Critics argued that this endangered privacy, exposed donors to harassment, and created a chilling effect on philanthropy. Additional reporting and registry requirements also increased compliance burdens, particularly for mid-sized and smaller organizations.

Even before the Constitutional Court ruled, the political campaign translated into practice. Government-initiated financial audits targeted selected NGOs, presented publicly as evidence of systemic misuse of public funds. Yet the official audit findings revealed irregularities amounting to roughly 0.5% of the total controlled sum – hardly indicative of widespread abuse. Despite this, the narrative of suspected misconduct persisted. Within the sector, these waves of inspections and public statements were widely described as harassing and bullying – designed less to correct financial mismanagement than to intimidate and discredit non-governmental organizations.

Circumventing the Court ruling

In December 2025, the Constitutional Court struck down the law as unconstitutional, holding that mandatory donor disclosure violated privacy and fundamental rights protected under the Slovak Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. The ruling rejected the framework in its entirety, and the law formally lost effect on 4 February 2026.

The government, however, did not abandon its approach. On 18 February 2026, it adopted a new resolution – this time not a law, but an executive directive – ordering intensified oversight of NGOs across multiple state authorities. District offices, tax authorities, labour inspectors, ministries, the Public Procurement Office, and the Data Protection Authority were instructed to expand controls over NGOs’ financial management, use of public funds, labour law compliance, and GDPR adherence. Annual reports from these inspections are to be consolidated and presented to the Cabinet each October.

Rather than labelling organizations as foreign agents, the state is mobilizing existing regulatory instruments to subject NGOs to heightened scrutiny. The formal justification remains transparency and proper use of public funds.

Further undermining of the sector

Other tactics are also being used to undermine the sector, including a deliberate strategy of defunding critical areas of civil society – designed specifically to limit and weaken nature protection, human rights protection, culture, and development aid. Analysis by the Platform for Democracy with the Open Society Foundation shows that funding losses in these areas reached €16m in 2024 and 2025. These were caused by a range of state interventions from administratively excluding NGOs from eligibility for the Green Education Fund (a loss of €823,000), to blocking approximately €5m from the European LIFE program by refusing mandatory co-financing, and negative intervention in the expert committees of 513 projects by the new Arts Support Fund Council (losing €3.5m).

For many in the sector, the cumulative effect of these measures constitutes a sustained campaign of pressure – intended not only to regulate but to intimidate.

Diversifying to build resilience

At the same time, the pressure has generated an unintended consequence: rising resilience within the sector. Many organizations have accelerated diversification of revenue streams, strengthening individual fundraising to reduce dependency on state resources. Crowdfunding campaigns, small-donor programs, and community-based giving have expanded. The process is exhausting, but also empowering.

For fundraisers and philanthropy leaders across Europe, Slovakia illustrates how restrictions on civic space can unfold incrementally – through rhetoric that reframes NGOs as political adversaries, through legal experiments that probe constitutional limits, and through administrative escalation when courts intervene. The Slovak case shows how civic space can be pressured inside the European Union without formally dismantling democratic institutions, testing not only constitutional safeguards but also the resilience of activists and organizations, donor trust and independent fundraising ecosystems.

Eduard Marček

Oxfam Germany: Beyond petitions – solving the engagement issue with a children’s book

Melanie May — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:34:46 +0000

Reaching new people, particularly with political campaigning, is a common challenge for NGOs, including Oxfam Germany. Valerie Senden, its director of public fundraising and marketing, explains how offering a children’s book enabled Oxfam Germany to engage a new audience with social injustice, generating leads and gaining regular givers.

Many NGOs will be familiar with this issue: communication largely takes place within the same bubble. It poses a constant challenge, especially in political campaigning. So how can we reach new people with our messages? And then, how can we win them over as long-term allies?

For Oxfam, as a political NGO in particular, how to reach new people is a question that arises repeatedly and with great urgency. Social inequality is one of our core issues, and once a year, we publish our Inequality Report at the World Economic Forum in Davos, which generates a lot of media attention. However, the central product of the report is a 60-page study – not exactly a crowd-pleaser that is likely to go viral on social media.

The task

So the questions we ask ourselves every year are:

How can we communicate our complex political work?
How can we be low-threshold and target-group-oriented?
How can we generate leads with the help of this product?

We know that we need to reduce the complexity and encourage engagement but that we also need to remain credible. So how do we reach those who find reading a study too time-consuming, and communicate our content clearly and simply?

As a politically active organization, we must not fall into the trap of populism, and as a donation-based organization, credibility is central to our supporters.

So what can we offer beyond the news headline? And how can we encourage people to engage with us on our various channels?

Our answer to this question is usually: we start a petition. But apart from the fact that petitions are time-consuming, the problem remains that we usually address the same audience. And in this case, we only had six weeks to launch the campaign in time for the World Economic Forum.

The path to the product

From the outset, 2024’s campaign was planned as a cross-team project. It could only work if we brought together expertise from our advocacy, campaigning, and communication teams. So first, we set up a strict schedule with clear responsibilities and sign-off loops. This was clearly going to be a sprint.

In search of something new, we placed particular emphasis on attracting new target groups. With the help of user-centred design thinking approaches, we wanted to break away from Oxfam’s academic communication style and be as accessible as possible without coming across as patronizing. We asked ourselves: Which target group do we want to reach? And above all: What are their needs and interests? And how can we create added value for them?

The idea: a children’s book!

Why? Because parents and guardians are perfect match. They’re interested (including politically) in the future of our society and planet, and willing to get involved – but they have little time.

As parents and guardians, they’re also always on the lookout for interesting, high-quality entertainment for children that they can use to spend time together.

This offered an opening for us to simplify these complex issues with a child-friendly presentation. We came up with a little rabbit that encounters various situations symbolizing social injustices and presents solutions for a fairer world.

In book form, titled “Sometimes the world’s not fair”, it presented an opportunity for parents and children to learn together and discuss social injustice.

The campaign set-up

Our goal was to collect email leads (with double opt-in) and phone numbers (through required fields) with the e-book as an incentive. First however, we launched the campaign with a limited print edition at the World Economic Forum in Davos. After this sold out, the campaign continued as an e-book only.

We used advertising to reach people – mainly via paid campaigns on Facebook and Instagram – as well as target group-specific distribution to parents, educators, and design-savvy audiences.

Initial success

The first step of lead generation was extremely successful. The initial print run of 4,000 copies sold out within three days, generating 4,000 leads at a very low cost. Even when considering the total costs (including agency, print, and logistics), the results were significantly better than other lead campaigns.

Oxfam also reached a completely new and significantly younger target group, and achieved a very strong response from both new leads and existing supporters. In addition, we received numerous enquiries from daycare centres, schools, and parents interested in more copies for classrooms and libraries.

Conversion emailing to our newsletter subscribers was also very successful with a high conversion rate to regular givers.

Learning from mistakes

While the quality of email contacts was good, reaching people by phone was less successful. The new contacts were difficult to reach and had little time, leading us to conclude that this channel was not suitable for the target group.

Trying new things

So what next? Our children’s book had clearly struck a chord with a target group that we had previously found difficult to reach. However, in order to turn this into lasting success for us and gain new supporters in the long term, we had to make some adjustments.

Since the children’s book was obviously a very strong incentive, we converted the campaign into a direct acquisition campaign for regular givers. This was implemented with a landing page and an accompanying Meta campaign, and quickly showed an attractive CPO and a constant source of new regular donors. To keep interest high we developed a range of new paid social assets with different approaches, such as user-generated content (UGC).

We also tested the children’s book as an incentive in various other campaigns, as it can be easily combined with different topics, such as cuts in international aid programs. We sent out various conversion emailings to existing supporters, where we were able to achieve an extremely high conversion rate.

Finally, we were able to get a well-known German actress to record the text as an audiobook for us, which we used as part of our Christmas campaign.

In 2025, the campaign won first prize from the German Fundraising Association, and the book has now been adapted internationally by other Oxfam affiliates and published in countries including Turkey, Australia, and the Netherlands.

Lessons learned

Be bold – trying new things can take a leap of faith but it pays off
Get your basics right – set out a strict schedule and clear responsibilities
Take your target group seriously – respond to what you know about them and what their actions tell you
Don’t be discouraged – every mistake is a lesson you can learn from
The devil’s in the details – it’s the many elements in a campaign that, together, make the difference

Valerie Senden

About Valerie Senden

Valerie Senden studied philosophy, German language and literature, and English language and literature in Berlin, Potsdam, and Turin, Italy. She has been working for Oxfam Germany in the field of digital communication and marketing since 2019, becoming head of digital communication in 2022 and currently serving as director of public fundraising and marketing (interim).

Josh Leigh: Banned and blocked? How charities can win in the new digital landscape

Melanie May — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:45:44 +0000

Meta sent shockwaves around the nonprofit sector last year when it announced its ban on social issue ads, and Google has also introduced restrictions. However, despite the changes, digital still presents major opportunities for fundraising. Josh Leigh, co-founder of digital fundraising agency Hynt, explains how to evolve your strategy to win new supporters and keep raising money.

The digital landscape for charities has shifted from a static, ad hoc reflection of their offline marketing (Facebook ads based on your direct mail pack, anyone?), to a complicated, highly regulated environment defined by privacy walls and platform restrictions that leave us wondering where to go next.

Between 2020 and 2025, Meta and Google introduced sweeping changes that have torn up our traditional fundraising playbooks. Yet despite these hurdles, digital fundraising continues to be a huge opportunity for charities to win new supporters and raise more money, as long as we’re willing to evolve our strategies.

The new reality: platform restrictions on ‘social issues’

For years, charities advertising on digital channels relied on granular audience targeting to find new supporters. But despite the huge alarm bells around political ad bans in October 2025, Meta actually began removing thousands of audience targeting options related to health, religion, sexuality and more as far back as 2020.

This was followed by Apple’s 2021 iOS 14 update, which effectively blinded advertisers from using behaviour by allowing consumers to ‘Ask App Not To Track’.

From 2025, the restrictions have deepened significantly. Meta introduced further data-sharing limitations on any advertiser promoting “Medical Conditions” and “Religious Beliefs”, among many other areas that charities work hard to support.

Then, in October 2025, a major regulatory change led Meta and Google to ban and block what they define as ‘social issues’ advertising across the EU. This has left charities scrambling to find new ways to communicate about their life-changing work online and, crucially, to continue to find supporters in this new digital landscape.

The 2-step solution: mastering the middle of the funnel

All of these changes have meant that charity comms and advertising are getting less and less effective at the top of the funnel (awareness) and the bottom (direct conversion). The top of the funnel often suffers from high competition and a broad reach that doesn’t convert, while the bottom of the funnel is plagued by the rising cost per acquisition (CPA) caused by Meta’s never-ending changes. Charities must now master the “middle”.

In the middle, our goal is to grow our first-party data. By building a list of active, engaged supporter email addresses, which the organisation owns, charities can bring their supporters’ experience back under their control. You control the message. You own the relationship.

We call it the Mobilisation Model:

Attract supporters in the middle of the funnel, using lead generation campaigns to reach and engage supporters at scale.
Drive action by making it easy to give and give again, while sharing their voice and being an active member of your community.
Grow your impact by maintaining contact: send more emails, more often, to drive long-term financial support.

By focusing on list growth, charities can acquire just as many donors, at competitive CPAs, but with the added benefit of thousands of contacts on their charity’s file who have raised their hand and said they’re ready to help create change.

Optimising your storytelling for digital

In the new digital landscape, the quality of your storytelling and your content becomes the primary driver of your success. When it comes to telling stories, many charities focus heavily on the “What”: the specific work they do. To cut through in digital, charities must optimise their storytelling to focus on the “Why”: the fundamental reason your organisation exists. This part of your story is often forgotten.

Authenticity is another big part of this storytelling shift. High-production, polished ads are often outperformed by authentic stories and raw images. Content needs to feel truly ‘social’, or audiences will ignore it.

Just like any other fundraising, tangibility plays a crucial role in conversion. The best performing campaigns will connect the dots between the urgent need, the impactful solution, and the simple, clear action that the supporter can take.

Innovation with more meaningful engagement: leads

To grow your file of first-party data, leading charities are moving beyond the “Donate” button and towards meaningful, engaging lead magnets that connect your audience to the causes they care about.

It can be as simple as a hand-raiser: a values-led proposition that invites potential supporters to join your mission and make a change.
Digital guides can help educate, inform or empower your supporter to bring your work to life in their day-to-day, like safe protest guides, sustainable living guides and more.
Quizzes and games challenge your supporters to become closer to the reality of the work your organisation does on the front line.
Charities are increasingly looking to spark conversations with their supporters through WhatsApp and chatbots, creating immersive, fictionalised experiences that bring their work to life.

So, what does ‘good’ look like?

By shifting to the Mobilisation Model, charities can move away from the volatility of acquiring ‘cold’ donors in a digital landscape that is constantly changing, and towards a more predictable part of the funnel.

Typical lead generation might see an average cost per lead (CPL) of £1-£4. Combine this with automated email journeys, and these leads can convert to donors at a rate of 0.5-1.25%, bringing in cash donors while filling the funnel with qualified leads.

While the initial media spend might result in a return on ad spend (ROAS) of roughly 0.30-0.50, the long-term value is found in digital donor retention. By sending more emails, more often, charities can maximise the lifetime value of these digital donors, and prospect the file of new supporters to give them more and more ways to be an active part of your mission.

So while Meta and Google continue to ban and block charities from the traditional digital pathways to finding new donors, they have not closed the door on digital fundraising just yet. Success in 2026 and beyond requires charities to stop renting their audiences from big tech, and to start owning their relationships through first-party data and meaningful, active engagement.

Josh Leigh

About Josh Leigh

With more than 15 years of experience in digital and offline fundraising, campaigning and activism, Josh Leigh has helped NGOs raise millions in financial support and connect countless people with the causes they care about. Josh co-founded Hynt, a digital fundraising agency that empowers charities and purpose-led brands across Europe. Hynt offers a unique blend of expert training and campaign support, equipping clients with the knowledge and tools to navigate the digital landscape and achieve their fundraising goals.

Main feature image by Mariia Shalabaieva on Unsplash

UK civil society in 2026 – resilient, resourceful, but under strain

Melanie May — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:40:21 +0000

In 2026, UK civil society remains resilient and trusted, but it is operating under mounting financial strain, heavier compliance demands and rising needs at home and abroad. The sector’s future will depend not on its capacity to endure, but on whether policymakers, funders and corporate partners commit to long-term, sustainable support rather than short-term fixes, warns Ceri Edwards, executive director of engagement at the UK’s Chartered Institute of Fundraising and EFA president.

The real test for the coming years will be whether policymakers, funders, corporates and philanthropists move beyond short-term fixes and commit to long-term partnerships that match the scale of the challenges ahead.

In 2026, UK civil society is neither collapsing nor comfortable. It is resilient, adaptive and still deeply committed to the communities it serves – but it is also operating under sustained pressure that is reshaping what it can do, how it works, and who it can reach.

Recent analysis, including the February 2026 report from Bond on UK civic space, paints a picture of a sector navigating tightening funding, increased scrutiny and growing demand. The question is not whether civil society still exists in strength – it does – but whether the conditions around it are becoming more fragile.

A sector tested by funding shocks

The aftershocks of the USAID cuts continue to ripple through the system. The initial shock was immediate: organisations heavily reliant on US development funding were forced to close offices, reduce programmes, and scale back their geographic footprint. Those with diversified income streams – a mix of grants, individual giving, and corporate partnerships – fared better. Smaller, grassroots organisations felt the brunt.

But the bigger story in 2026 is the domino effect.

Reduced US funding influenced UK government international development spending priorities, while UN agencies – many of which relied on US contributions – tightened their own allocations. Funding agreements now often come with more stringent reporting requirements and compliance demands, increasing administrative burdens at precisely the moment organisations are trying to stretch limited resources further.

Civil society is surviving – but it is spending more time proving impact than delivering it.

Domestic pressures mirror global ones

While international NGOs recalibrate, UK-based charities are facing parallel strains at home. The cost-of-living crisis may no longer dominate headlines in the same way, but its effects persist. Demand for food banks, mental health services, housing advice, and refugee support remains high. Climate-related emergencies and geopolitical instability continue to drive humanitarian need abroad.

Yet public giving has not risen in line with need.

This mismatch – rising demand and constrained income – is the defining tension of 2026. Civil society is increasingly asked to plug systemic gaps while operating without long-term financial certainty.

Adaptation: Philanthropy, corporates and new models

One of the most striking shifts is strategic rather than reactive. Organisations are not simply trying to “replace” lost government funding. They are rethinking how they generate income.

There is greater focus on:

Deepening relationships with philanthropists aligned with mission and values
Building meaningful corporate partnerships with socially conscious businesses
Exploring blended finance and public-private partnership models
Using existing infrastructure to develop earned-income services

However, these approaches require investment. Developing a corporate partnership or launching a social enterprise arm demands upfront capacity – specialist staff, due diligence, legal support. Larger institutions can often absorb this transition; smaller charities struggle.

Blended finance and alternative models are promising but remain unevenly accessible. Without careful policy support, there is a risk that innovation benefits the already well-resourced, widening inequalities within the sector itself.

The civic space question

Beyond funding, there is a broader issue: civic space.

Bond’s 2025–26 analysis highlights concern about the regulatory and political environment in which civil society operates. Increased compliance requirements heightened political polarisation, and public discourse that sometimes questions the legitimacy of advocacy work all contribute to a more complex landscape in which we operate.

This does not amount to a closed civic space – the UK remains a functioning democracy with a vibrant voluntary sector – but it does signal a subtle shift. Scrutiny has increased. The margin for error has narrowed. The tone of debate has hardened.

In this environment, charities are balancing service delivery with advocacy, mindful of reputation, funding relationships, and public trust.

A sector still anchored in trust

Despite these pressures, civil society retains one of its most valuable assets: public trust at a community level.

Local organisations remain embedded in the communities they serve. National charities continue to mobilise volunteers at scale. When crises hit, civil society is still among the first to respond. And this is what makes the long-term funding question so urgent.

The long view: Demand is not going down

If 2026 has made anything clear, it is that demand for civil society services will continue to rise. Climate change, conflict and migration and inequality are not short-term trends. The funding model, however, remains short-term and reactive.

The central challenge now is not simply replacing lost income. It is building sustainable, multi-year funding structures that allow organisations to plan, invest in staff, innovate responsibly, and maintain standards without being consumed by compliance.

Civil society in the UK is holding up – but it is doing so through ingenuity and sheer effort rather than structural stability.

The narrative of resilience can be comforting. It suggests adaptability, strength, perseverance.

But resilience should not be confused with sustainability.

In 2026, UK civil society is still standing, still delivering, still advocating. Yet it is navigating an increasingly complex funding ecosystem, heavier reporting demands, and rising need – all at once.

Civil society is holding up. The question is whether the system around it will hold up too.

Ceri Edwards

Main picture by Getty Images for Unsplash+