How to Raise Money for Charity in the UK: 9 Proven Methods (2026)

There are hundreds of different ways to raise money for charity. From bake sales to legacy giving, charities can pick and choose several approaches to generate income and make more impact than ever before.

If you are a registered charity or Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC), HMRC's Gift Aid scheme lets you reclaim 25p for every £1 a UK taxpayer donates, a free 25% uplift you should capture on every eligible fundraising method below. (HMRC, Gift Aid guidance)

‍

‍

• 1. Peer-to-peer fundraising

• 2. Seasonal giving campaigns

• 3. Membership programmes

• 4. Events

• 5. Raffles and lotteries

• 6. Online shops

• 7. Corporate philanthropy

• 8. Legacy giving

• 9. Grants

‍

‍

In this article:

• 1. Peer-to-peer fundraising

• 2. Seasonal giving campaigns

• 3. Membership programmes

• 4. Events

• 5. Raffles and lotteries

• 6. Online shops

• 7. Corporate philanthropy

• 8. Legacy giving

• 9. Grants

• 6 fundraising tips that actually work in the UK

• 6 common pitfalls to avoid when raising money

• The best platform to raise money for your UK charity

• Raise more money for your charity with Zeffy, 100% free

‍

1. Peer-to-peer fundraising

‍

Like a crowdfunding campaign, P2P fundraising is when individuals raise money on your charity's behalf using a peer-to-peer platform. Fundraisers create a donation page where they ask for contributions from their friends, family, or colleagues in support of your cause.

So instead of the charity raising the money on its own, peer-to-peer fundraisers tap into their own social networks to bring in donations.

UK charities make excellent use of P2P through sponsored events. The TCS London Marathon and the Great Run series are two of the most powerful P2P moments in the UK charity calendar, though note that London Marathon Events places are locked to Enthuse as the official platform until 2034. Outside those flagship events, most fundraisers default to setting up a JustGiving page or a page on your own Zeffy platform. For eligible donations, Gift Aid can be captured on the donation element of a fundraising page (not on the event entry fee itself).

Examples of P2P fundraising campaigns include:

• Birthday fundraisers: Individuals create personalised online pages and encourage their network to contribute to your charity as a meaningful birthday gift.

• Social media challenges: Individuals initiate challenges, document their participation, and nominate others to join, with a call for donations towards your charity.

• Sponsored events: Participants take on a sponsored silence, walk, run, shave, or abseil, the traditional British P2P format. Supporters donate online and Gift Aid declarations are collected automatically.

• Charity 5Ks and fun runs: Participants organise a 5K fundraiser, create an online donation form, and seek contributions from friends and family, combining fitness with a good cause.

The Fundraising Regulator's Code of Fundraising Practice (effective 1 November 2025, Section 9) sets out the standards online platforms and charities must meet when running P2P campaigns.

‍

‍

2. Seasonal giving campaigns

A seasonal giving campaign is a focused effort to encourage supporters to donate or support your cause during a specific time of year. These campaigns are usually tied to particular seasons, events, or moments when people are more inclined to give.

The UK charity calendar has several high-value moments worth planning for:

• Christmas appeals: The final weeks of the year are the most generous period for UK donors. Use a strong story, a clear target, and a Gift Aid prompt to maximise every donation before the year closes.

• The Big Give Christmas Challenge: One of the highest-return campaigns in the UK calendar. Charities that secure a Champion funder can have donations matched during the campaign window, effectively doubling the impact of every gift at no extra cost to donors. (NCVO funding guidance)

• Giving Tuesday: Now a globally recognised moment in early December. Although the UK scale is smaller than the United States, UK charities report strong engagement when campaigns are launched across multiple channels with a clear donation ask and social media activity.

• Macmillan Coffee Morning: The UK's largest fundraising event, raising millions each year for Macmillan Cancer Support. A model of community-based seasonal giving.

• Children in Need and Comic Relief / Red Nose Day: High-profile national moments that raise awareness across demographics and often inspire local fundraising activity.

• Remembrance Sunday: Relevant for veterans' and community charities; the poppy appeal model demonstrates how a symbolic moment can anchor an annual campaign.

• Mission-specific awareness weeks: Plan campaigns around awareness moments relevant to your cause, Dementia Action Week, Mental Health Awareness Week, World Cancer Day, or similar.

‍

‍

3. Membership programmes

A membership programme allows supporters to become part of your charitable organisation and enjoy specific benefits at the same time. People become members by signing up, often paying a regular fee. In return, they receive exclusive updates, perks, and the satisfaction of belonging to something meaningful.

Memberships are a reliable way to build recurring income and deepen donor relationships. The National Trust, RSPB, and RHS are the gold standard for large-scale UK membership charities, but the model works at every size, local sports clubs registered as Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) with HMRC, U3A groups, and friends-of-museum schemes all use it effectively.

Here are some membership types worth considering:

• Professional associations: Members who share a professional interest join to access resources, network with peers, and stay updated on sector developments.

• Supporter clubs: Members join a club within the organisation around a specific interest, such as a wildlife group, reading circle, or youth project.

• Community and sports clubs: Businesses or individuals in a shared community join to benefit from collective activity, shared resources, and access to events.

One important UK note: membership fees that confer meaningful benefits (such as access to a magazine, site entry, or discounts) are not Gift Aid eligible under HMRC rules. However, "friend of" style donations with only token benefits may qualify, subject to HMRC's benefit limits. (HMRC, Gift Aid guidance)

‍

‍

‍

4. Events

Events bring people together to support a cause, raise funds, and build awareness. They range from village hall quiz nights to gala dinners and give your community a tangible way to contribute to something meaningful.

One trend worth planning for: cash is dying at UK community events. Many donors no longer carry cash, so having a tap-to-pay option from a smartphone ensures you don't lose income at fetes, quiz nights, or door collections. Zeffy's Tap to Pay app lets you accept card payments in person at no cost.

‍

‍

• Summer fetes and garden parties: Community staples that combine stalls, games, and raffles with a relaxed giving environment. Easy to run, low cost, and well-loved.

• Gala dinners: An elegant environment for higher-value supporters to contribute while celebrating your charity's impact. Pair with a silent auction for maximum return.

• Quiz nights and comedy nights: Accessible, inexpensive, and highly shareable. Works well for community groups, PTAs, and local charities.

• Golf days and sports tournaments: Participants pay to enter and sponsorship packages give local businesses a visible role. The funds raised support your cause.

• Amateur dramatics and performance events: NODA member societies and church choirs regularly fill seats for fundraising productions.

Displaying your registered charity number and the Fundraising Regulator badge on all event materials builds trust and signals legitimacy to supporters and donors.

‍

‍

5. Raffles and lotteries

Raffles are a popular and effective way to raise funds for a UK charity. Supporters buy tickets for a chance to win prizes donated by local businesses, everyone has fun, and the charity raises money. Before you sell a single ticket, however, you need to understand which rules apply.

Is your raffle a small society lottery?

Under the Gambling Act 2005, most charity raffles where tickets are sold to the public in advance are legally small society lotteries and must be registered with your local licensing authority (your district or borough council) before any tickets are sold. Key rules:

• Registration fee: £40 initial, £20 annual renewal

• Single lottery cap: £20,000 in ticket sales

• Annual aggregate cap: £250,000 across all lotteries by your organisation

• At least 20% of proceeds must go to your charitable cause

• Maximum single prize: £25,000

• Submit a return to the local authority within 3 months of the draw

Incidental non-commercial lotteries (where tickets are sold and the draw takes place entirely at a single event, such as a village fete) do not require registration. This is the simplest format for one-off events.

One important tax note: Gift Aid does not apply to raffle ticket purchases. Because donors receive a chance to win a prize, HMRC treats the ticket as payment for goods or services, not a donation.

Examples of popular raffle formats include:

• 50/50 raffle: Participants buy tickets for a chance to win. At the end of the draw, one ticket is chosen at random and the holder receives half the total pot. This works well at village-hall scale, provided the prize value stays within the £25,000 cap and the single-draw total stays within £20,000.

• Item raffle: Prizes include donated goods, gift baskets, electronics, or experience vouchers. Supporters buy tickets, and winners are selected at random. Gift baskets, hampers, and experience days are popular UK prize formats.

For more detail on running a raffle from start to finish, see our guides on how to sell raffle tickets and how to price raffle tickets.

‍

‍

‍

6. Online shops

Online retail has become a significant part of UK commerce, and charities can benefit from this trend by selling merchandise, products, or services through an online shop to support their mission.

The UK has a strong tradition of charity retail. Oxfam, British Heart Foundation, and Sue Ryder run some of the best-known high-street charity shops in the country. An online shop extends that reach to supporters who cannot visit in person.

Goods worth considering include:

• Branded merchandise: Hats, T-shirts, tote bags, or water bottles featuring your charity's logo.

• Mission-related items: If your charity supports animal welfare, for example, pet-related products resonate naturally with your supporter base.

• Donated or surplus goods: Have gift-in-kind donations too good to waste? List them in your online shop to turn them into income.

A note on VAT and trading: most trading income generated by a charity is potentially subject to corporation tax and VAT. If your shop generates material revenue, check the Charity Tax Group guidance before scaling up. Small charities with modest trading activity are often within safe harbour exemptions, but it is worth confirming.

Also, if you collect supporter data through your shop, you need a lawful basis under UK GDPR to contact them, usually consent or the charity soft opt-in. Get this right before you build a marketing list. (Fundraising Regulator Code of Fundraising Practice, Section 2)

‍

‍

7. Corporate philanthropy

UK businesses give to charities in several ways, and building corporate relationships can significantly increase your organisation's income. The most effective models for UK charities are:

• Payroll Giving: The HMRC-administered scheme where donors make regular contributions directly from their pre-tax salary via their employer's Payroll Giving Agency. A £10 monthly gift costs a basic-rate taxpayer £8 and a higher-rate taxpayer just £6, a genuine tax-efficient giving mechanism that costs the charity nothing to administer once set up. Employers receive a 10% matching supplement from the government on employee gifts during promotional periods. (HMRC Payroll Giving guidance)

• Corporate sponsorships: If you are hosting an event, approach local and national businesses to sponsor it in exchange for naming rights, logo placement, and other event benefits. Businesses often have CSR budgets specifically allocated for this kind of partnership.

• Matched giving days: Many large UK employers, including Barclays, Deloitte, and BT, run employee matched-giving programmes where the company matches donations made by staff to nominated charities. Ask your supporters whether their employer offers a scheme.

• Gifts in kind: Businesses may donate goods, services, or professional expertise (pro bono legal, accountancy, design work) as part of a CSR commitment. These gifts in kind can reduce your operating costs significantly.

For a broader overview of UK corporate giving trends, NCVO publishes annual UK Civil Society Almanac data on income sources for the voluntary sector.

‍

‍

8. Legacy giving

Legacy giving, the UK sector term for what is sometimes called "planned giving", is when supporters make arrangements to leave a gift to your charity in their will. A legacy gift is typically far larger than a donor's regular annual gift, making this one of the most significant long-term income streams a UK charity can cultivate.

Legacies account for billions of pounds in UK charitable income each year. The Chartered Institute of Fundraising coordinates Remember A Charity Week each September, the sector-wide campaign that encourages solicitors, financial advisers, and the public to consider a charitable bequest when writing or updating a will.

Examples of legacy giving formats include:

• Gifts in wills (residuary, pecuniary, or specific): The most common form of UK legacy. A supporter leaves a percentage of their estate (residuary), a fixed sum (pecuniary), or a specific item to your charity. These are exempt from Inheritance Tax, and if a donor leaves 10% or more of their net estate to charity, the IHT rate on the remainder reduces from 40% to 36%. (HMRC IHT and charities guidance, verify on gov.uk before citing the current threshold.)

• Share giving: Supporters transfer qualifying shares or securities to your charity. The donor receives Income Tax relief on the value of the shares donated and is exempt from Capital Gains Tax on any gain, one of the most tax-efficient giving mechanisms available in the UK. The Charity Tax Group provides detailed technical guidance.

• Payroll Giving as ongoing planned income: Supporters who give via Payroll Giving are making a regular, pre-tax commitment over their working life, a form of planned income your charity can forecast reliably.

‍

‍

9. Grants

Grants are funds given to charities by foundations, government bodies, lottery distributors, or other organisations to support specific projects or programmes. Charities apply by submitting a proposal; if approved, they receive the funds to carry out the work.

The UK grant landscape is very different from the US model. Key funders to know include:

• National Lottery Community Fund: The largest UK community grant funder, distributing National Lottery proceeds to thousands of charities and community groups across all four nations. (NCVO funding guidance)

• Arts Council England: Funding for arts, culture, and creative projects in England. Equivalent bodies serve Scotland (Creative Scotland), Wales (Arts Council of Wales), and Northern Ireland (Arts Council of Northern Ireland).

• Local authority grants and UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Many councils award grants to local charities, community groups, and CICs. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund channels government investment through local authorities.

• Trust and foundation grants: UK charitable foundations including Garfield Weston Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and City Bridge Foundation fund a wide range of causes. Competition is significant; strong evidence of impact is essential.

• Google Ad Grants via TechSoup UK: Eligible charities can receive up to £10,000 per month in Google Ads credit as an in-kind grant. Applications go through TechSoup UK's validation process.

• Corporate grants: Businesses award grants to charities whose work aligns with their CSR goals and values. These often come with a relationship-building component, worth pursuing alongside sponsorships.

‍

6 fundraising tips that actually work in the UK

• Use honest storytelling: Share compelling stories that connect supporters to your cause. UK donors respond to authentic, outcome-led narratives, Cancer Research UK's "You donate. We discover." is the benchmark. Emotional connection increases giving, but manipulation erodes trust permanently.

• Use multiple channels of communication: Reach out to potential donors through social media, email, and in-person events. A mix of channels increases reach and allows different audiences to engage in the way that suits them.

• Make your language donor-centric: Frame your messages around the donor's impact, not only the organisation's needs. When supporters see themselves as the agent of change, they are more likely to act and give again.

• Express genuine gratitude: Thank donors through personalised messages, acknowledgement letters, or recognition at events. Gratitude builds the long-term relationship that converts a one-time gift into a regular commitment.

• Make giving easy: Create a donation page designed to convert, ensuring it works well on mobile and is accessible across platforms. Display your registered charity number, the Fundraising Regulator badge, and a clear Gift Aid prompt prominently, these are the trust signals UK donors look for before they give. (Fundraising Regulator)

• Give a clear, honest deadline: Rather than manufactured scarcity, use genuine deadlines that mean something, a Christmas Challenge match-funding window, the tax year-end (5 April) for Gift Aid purposes, or an event date. UK audiences trust transparency and distrust aggressive urgency.

‍

6 common pitfalls to avoid when raising money

• Spending too much on an event: Many charities assume that raising significant funds requires an expensive event. In truth, some of the most effective fundraisers are low cost to run. P2P campaigns, for example, require very little upfront spend and can generate substantial income through supporters' networks.

• Not doing enough research on your audience: Casting a wide net when asking for donations rarely works as well as a targeted approach. Research your prospective donors, what motivates them, what they care about, and what level of giving is realistic for them.

• Using the wrong tools: Raising money for charity requires the right set of tools. Without them, organisations quickly become disorganised and miss out on significant income and supporter connections. Before you start, explore the best peer-to-peer platforms for UK charities. Some platforms, like Zeffy, are 100% free and offer everything from event ticketing to donation forms with no fees.

• Forgetting to show impact: Donors want to know what their money has achieved. Without clear impact reporting, supporters feel uncertain and hesitant to give again. Share detailed updates, beneficiary stories, and outcome data to build confidence and loyalty.

• Ignoring your existing networks: Some organisations overlook the free support they already have and instead spend on paid help. Your volunteers, passionate supporters, and trustees are a valuable resource, involve them actively in your fundraising.

• Not following up: Many charities avoid staying in touch with donors for fear of seeming intrusive. But a well-timed follow-up, an impact update, a thank-you, or a gentle next-campaign prompt, can unlock significant further giving. Plan a schedule of email or SMS communications that are well-spaced and genuinely useful, and make sure you have a lawful basis under UK GDPR before you send them.

‍

The best platform to raise money for your UK charity

Zeffy

Zeffy is the only 100% free fundraising platform for charities. With customisable e-tickets, QR codes for scanning at check-in, flexible payment types, discount codes, and custom donation forms, Zeffy brings everything together in one place. Unlike other platforms that charge subscription fees, processing fees, and platform fees, Zeffy charges charities nothing at all.

Zeffy also includes donor management, so your organisation can centralise all its fundraising activity in one place, for free.

• 100% free fundraising, tickets, and tools (other platforms charge 5% transaction fees on average plus platform fees)

• Gift Aid handling and automatic donor acknowledgements

• Unlimited and free support

• Tap to Pay app for in-person sales at events

• Scannable e-tickets

• All major payment types accepted

• Discount codes

• Custom ticketing forms and custom questions

• Automated reminder emails and follow-ups

Zeffy is the right fit for charities and not-for-profit organisations looking for a completely free way to manage their fundraising. Because Zeffy charges nothing and offers a full suite of tools including donor management and peer-to-peer fundraising, it is built for any organisation wanting to maximise impact, save time, and raise more money.

Pricing and fees: 100% free. No platform fee. No transaction fee.

While every other platform takes a share of your donations, Zeffy delivers 100% to your charity.

Here is how it works: when someone makes a donation on your fundraising form, they have the option (but are never required) to leave a voluntary contribution to Zeffy. Not everyone gives every time, and that is fine. Enough donors leave a contribution to cover Zeffy's overheads and fees.

UK charities lose millions to platform fees and tipping models every year. Zeffy is ending this with zero fees.

‍

How Zeffy compares to other UK fundraising platforms

Rather than choosing a second platform to compare in detail here, since fees change frequently and any figure we publish can quickly become stale, it is worth understanding where the main UK platforms sit:

• JustGiving: The household-name UK donation platform. Brand recognition still helps with cold donors, but the default tip prompt (typically around 17%) is the most widely criticised conversion pattern in UK fundraising. Smaller charities are increasingly moving away from it. See how Zeffy compares to JustGiving for current fee details.

• Enthuse: Branded fundraising with the charity front and centre. If your supporters have TCS London Marathon or Great Run places, Enthuse is effectively mandatory (exclusive contract until 2034). Outside those events, the subscription adds up. See how Zeffy compares to Enthuse.

• Ticket Tailor: The clear UK winner for paid events over £10, with flat per-ticket pricing and a charity discount. No discovery marketplace, so you need to bring your audience. See how Zeffy compares to Ticket Tailor.

• CAF Donate: Trust-first, used by 8,000+ UK charities. Lower fees than commercial platforms, basic reporting. A solid option for embedded donate buttons and Direct Debit.

‍

Raise more money for your charity with Zeffy, 100% free

Whether you are looking to host a peer-to-peer campaign, run a small society lottery, or open an online shop for your charity, Zeffy can help you start fundraising in minutes. The only fee-free fundraising platform for UK charities, Zeffy is designed to help your organisation bring in more donations for less.

Unlike other platforms that charge platform and processing fees, and in some cases add a tip prompt that donors find confusing or off-putting, Zeffy charges nothing. That means your charity can run events, sell tickets, host raffles, start a membership programme, and launch a seasonal campaign, all within Zeffy, without paying a single fee.

‍

‍