The Guide to Major Trusts 2025-26. DSC (Directory of Social Change)

Three snippets of agency & supplier news – with opportunities for charities

someone reading a newspaper outside a cafe with a slice of cake on a white plate

A programme to help participants improve their digital fundraising, a charitable film production company, and news of success with Google Ad Grants.

a hand typing on a lapboard keyboard. Photo: Pixabay

Monday deadline for applications to digital fundraising programme

Applications for Arts Fundraising & Philanthropy’s new digital fundraising programme, delivered in partnership with Lightful, close on Monday – 31 January.

The BRIDGE programme helps participants better use digital channels to demonstrate their impact, increase fundraising and build an online community. Over six months, from February to July, it will support them to raise funds through digital channels, and create and implement successful fundraising campaigns through support from the Lightful team.

BRIDGE has so far supported over a thousand charities to develop their digital engagement and fundraising skills with past participants having seen results including a 64% increase in fundraising, a 25% increase in digital confidence and a 54% increase in audience engagement.

Advertisement

Great Fundraising Organizations, by Alan Clayton. Buy now.

HelpFilm secures enough funding to provide films for up to 40 more charities

Charitable media production agency HelpFilm has secured funding for the next three years with the support of Citywire, meaning that it will be able to help between thirty and forty charities create a video promoting their cause and raising their profile.

Helpfilm produces video and animation content solely for charities and has been running since 2017. It makes no fee for its role in planning, pre-production, and managing the project from concept to completion. Founded by Alan Walsh, a veteran of 15 years in video production, and now head of Citywire Studios in London, HelpFilm was created to help smaller charities create good content.

Walsh commented:

“For years I’d been helping some of the richest companies in the world look good by making videos, podcasts, and animations. Then I had the idea to use my experience, and network of professionals, to create similar content for charities. Video production and animation can be incredibly expensive and daunting. I wanted to help charities make the kinds of videos that would normally be out of their reach. So HelpFilm was born!”

HelpFilm has produced films for a range of charities including: Solar Aid, Youth Moves, Frame, Streetvet and Adult Cerebral Palsy Hub.

Its most recent projects include working with the Sumatran Orangutan Society, Tender UK, Windle International and Hostage International.


AfghanAid increases its free Google Ad Grants & doubles donations

Afghanaid has doubled its donations after a campaign to raise funds for its Crisis Appeal.

The charity was able to secure a 100% boost in the number of donations after increasing the amount of free Google Ad grants it was entitled to. This money will go towards providing emergency shelter, food, hygiene kits and blankets to those in need of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.

Afghanaid’s software provider, The Access Group, noticed that Afghanaid was using up its daily free advertising budget from Google within hours. The Access Group reached out to Google and secured an increase in budget of four times the amount that Afghanaid was previously allocated from the search engine.

Google Ad Grants provides nonprofit organisations with up to £7,500 of free advertising spend per month to help them increase their exposure by appearing at the top of Google search results. The Access Group uses its AI modelling software to manage the Google Ad Grants system for charities.

Following the increase in advertising spend, Afghanaid saw an increase in visits to its website which in turn led to more donations. The boost in ad space also saw it improve its website conversions by 35%.

Loading

Mastodon