Welcome to Zeffy’s blog

A practical guide for UK charities on how to set up and run Facebook fundraisers: the six-step setup process, UK eligibility requirements (CCEW, OSCR, CCNI, HMRC recognition), how Gift Aid works through PayPal Giving Fund UK, payout timelines, the five main challenges and how to handle them, and when to point supporters to a donation page you own instead.

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A practical guide to corporate sponsorship for UK charities and community groups: how to find aligned companies, build a tiered sponsorship package, write a proposal that gets a yes, and keep sponsors renewing year after year. Covers UK tax treatment (HMRC, corporate Gift Aid, VAT), UK corporate giving programmes, and how to build a free sponsorship page on Zeffy.

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Microsoft offers free and heavily discounted software to registered charities in the UK, including Microsoft 365, Azure, Power Platform, and Dynamics 365. This guide explains who qualifies under UK charity law (Charity Commission, OSCR, and CCNI), what each product costs for UK charities, and how to get the most from Microsoft's technology programme alongside a free fundraising platform.

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Most UK charities do not fail because of a bad cause. They fail because they run out of money. This guide explains where charity income actually comes from, how UK tax and regulation apply, and how to build a more resilient revenue mix.

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UK charities do not issue tax receipts the way US organisations do. The mechanism here is Gift Aid: the charity reclaims 25p for every £1 a UK taxpayer donates from HMRC, on the strength of a Gift Aid declaration the donor signs. This guide explains what UK charities actually need to keep on file, what a good donation acknowledgement should contain, and how to handle year-end statements for higher-rate donors. It also covers the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS) for cash and contactless collections, and explains where Gift Aid does not apply (event tickets, raffle entries, auction lots). The free tool below generates a UK-format donation acknowledgement template; Zeffy handles the paperwork automatically, at no cost to your charity.

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A practical 2026 directory of UK corporate giving programmes grouped by type, with eligibility notes and direct application links. Covers Payroll Giving, employee matching gifts, UK community-vote grant schemes, corporate foundations, in-kind tech donations and sponsorships. Includes a UK-specific guide to approaching corporations, what to include in your grant toolkit, and how to make every corporate pound count with no-fee fundraising on Zeffy.

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A fundraising plan is your charity's roadmap for the year ahead. This guide covers 11 steps to build one that works in the UK, from setting Gift Aid uplift targets and choosing compliant campaigns to managing your supporter database and picking the right platform.

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A practical guide for UK charity fundraisers with 25+ ready-to-use scripts and templates across every channel, email, text, social media, in person, phone, and direct post. Covers Gift Aid prep, UK data-protection rules, the psychology of asking, and common mistakes. Every template is built around specificity: one pound amount, one outcome, one link. Includes a Gift Aid checklist, UK-relevant audience targeting, and tools available at no cost on Zeffy.

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Google Ad Grants gives eligible UK registered charities up to around £7,900 a month in free Google search advertising. This guide covers UK-specific eligibility (CCEW, OSCR, CCNI registration), TechSoup UK validation, Gift Aid landing page requirements, and the ongoing rules that keep your account in good standing.

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A charity chief executive is the most senior paid leader in a charitable organisation, accountable to the board of trustees and responsible for operations, fundraising, compliance, and strategy. This guide covers what the role involves, when to hire, the skills that matter, and a ready-to-use UK job description template for 2026.

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Food and drink events are the backbone of community fundraising for UK PTAs, village halls, churches and small charities. This guide covers 23 tried-and-tested food fundraising ideas, with practical guidance on Gift Aid eligibility, small society lottery registration, Temporary Event Notices for alcohol, and food-safety obligations under Natasha's Law.

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A practical directory of 20+ grants for UK charities in 2026, grouped from smallest-and-most-winnable to largest-and-most-competitive. Covers the National Lottery Community Fund, Arts Council England, Google Ad Grants, UK community foundations, major UK trusts, and corporate community funds. Includes sections on how to find grants, how to choose which ones to apply for, and grant application tips that actually work.

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A UK charity treasurer's guide to the best accounting software in 2026. Covers fund accounting, Gift Aid claim submission, Charities SORP compliance, and UK-verified pricing for Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, Liberty Accounts, Zoho Books, and more.

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UK school fundraising groups lose hundreds of pounds every year to hidden platform fees and Gift Aid charges. This guide compares the 8 best fundraising platforms for UK schools, PTAs, and parent groups in 2026, with honest fee comparisons and UK-specific advice on Gift Aid, small-society lottery licences, and GDPR compliance.

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Running a small UK charity means every pound matters. This guide reviews the best donation apps for UK charities in 2026, covering mobile-first platforms with Gift Aid handling, transparent fees, and no tipping traps. Zeffy is the only 100% free option that lets your charity keep every penny raised.

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A practical, small-charity playbook for UK fundraisers in 2026. Covers crafting a compelling donation ask, Gift Aid, UK corporate giving programmes, email and in-person scripts, social media tactics, and how to choose a donation platform that keeps 100% of every pound you raise.

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Choosing the right fundraising platform is one of the most consequential decisions a small UK charity makes. This guide ranks the best options for registered charities by keep-rate on £10,000 raised, Gift Aid handling, and whether a part-time fundraiser can actually run it without a tech team behind them. It also covers the best fundraising sites for individuals separately, because personal crowdfunding is a different product and mixing the two gives bad advice to both audiences.

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Square is a popular card reader and payment platform, but it was built for businesses, not charities. This guide covers Square's UK fees, where it falls short for registered charities (especially around Gift Aid and small society lotteries), and how it compares to purpose-built UK charity fundraising platforms in 2026.

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Managing supporter relationships is one of the biggest operational challenges for small UK charities. This guide compares the best free and low-cost CRM tools built for the UK charity sector in 2026, covering Zeffy, Beacon, Donorfy, HubSpot, Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud, and Membermojo. Learn what to look for in a charity CRM, including native Gift Aid handling, UK GDPR compliance, and transparent pricing.

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A practical guide for UK charities running local events: which affordable, all-in-one platforms let a small charity handle tickets, silent auctions, raffles, and donations without bleeding fees or managing four separate tools? Covers Gift Aid eligibility on event income, small society lottery registration rules, and a true side-by-side cost comparison in pounds.

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Everything a small UK charity needs to run a profitable golf day in 2026: on-course games, small society lottery rules, Gift Aid clarity, sponsorship tiers, a peer-to-peer golf-a-thon format, and a free all-in-one platform so every pound raised goes to your cause.

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Running a charity raffle in the UK is one of the most accessible ways to raise funds, but the legal route is different from most countries. UK charity raffles are lotteries under the Gambling Act 2005, and most require registration with your local licensing authority before a single ticket is sold. This guide covers everything from choosing a raffle format and pricing tickets to registering correctly, selling online, and drawing a fair winner.

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