Top tips for Trust Fundraising in 2026

What could be thinking about to start 2026 in a positive way?

There’s no denying 2025 has been a tough year when it comes to trust fundraising. The pressure to raise funds has been higher, against a back drop of unpredictable funders who are being inundated with applications. AI has also added to the mix, increasing applications for funders and for some fundraisers it has been an effective tool to get more applications out the door. Here are my tips for getting the best start to 2026

• If you plan to do the same as you did in 2025, then there is a strong chance you will deliver the same results. I would strongly urge you to rethink and re-evaluate if you are hoping to have a better year in 2026.

• Listen to your gut. If you know that an application you are sending out could be stronger or the monitoring and evaluation isn’t strong enough for example then trust your gut. If you feel this then for sure the funder will also pick this up. Do not feel rushed to send out a mediocre application. Spend time getting it right. When you send something out you need to feel that it is the best application you can do – it’s a competitive market so a half-hearted effort (no matter what the reason is for this) just won’t stand you out from the crowd.

• Talk to current funders – hopefully, you have friendly funders who are committed to supporting you and if you do, they are a great source of information. Ask them why they support you, is it because you have a good ROI for example – whatever reasons they cite, then use this and amplify it in future applications. Funders aren’t all the same but there is a good chance what is attractive to one funder will be attractive to another.

• External eyes – it’s crucial to get feedback on applications from people external to your organisation. Internal feedback is good too but often colleagues don’t want to give critical feedback and there is the danger of ‘group think’. Ask someone who will be a critical friend, in fact ask several people. It’s very easy to get caught up in the cycle of sending out the same copy and never asking yourself is this hitting the mark, and how could it be better ?

• To join my Think like a Funder course starting on 28th January sign up via www.thinklikeafunder.com – early bird prices active until 19th December