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Benchmarking survey highlights the “resilience and complexity” of the fundraising sector
Howard Lake | 9 June 2026 | Uncategorised
The results of “the largest ever benchmarking exercise of [its] nature in the UK” focusing on fundraising in the UK were announced at last week’s Fundraising Convention by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising in partnership with AAW.
Their 2026 fundraising benchmarking survey yielded data from 104 charities, representing £2.2 billion of voluntary income.
The findings provide a clear picture of how fundraising teams are operating, investing and performing across the sector. Key findings include:
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- Legacies remain the single largest source of voluntary income, generating 37% of all income across the sample. Despite this, only 15% of fundraising expenditure is directed towards legacy fundraising.
The survey also highlights a significant disparity by organisational size, with larger charities getting a far greater proportion of their income from legacies than smaller organisations.
- Individual giving remains the largest area of fundraising spend, with almost two-thirds of that investment focused on acquiring new donors. The survey found that more than 70% of new regular givers were recruited through face-to-face fundraising, and 50% of new one-off donors were acquired via digital channels.
- The survey also found that fundraising team sizes range from a median of six full-time equivalent (FTE) staff in charities with income under £10 million to an average of 73 FTE in organisations with income over £100m.
Tobin Aldrich, Principle Partner at AAW, said: “This is now the third year for our benchmarking partnership, and with 104 participating charities, it’s our most diverse year yet. The demand for this project has grown, adding value to fundraising teams across the UK. The new report is designed to continue that work, allowing organisations to make meaningful, and enlightened, decisions.”
AAW will publish the full survey findings on their website later this month.
Rob Cope, executive director of membership and operations at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, added:
“This year’s benchmarking survey gives us the most comprehensive and wide-ranging insight we’ve had into how fundraising is evolving across the UK. The findings highlight both the resilience and complexity of the fundraising landscape.
“It’s clear that legacies continue to be a powerhouse of voluntary income, yet, interestingly, the investment levels don’t reflect their long-term potential. At the same time, the data shows how donor recruitment channels are shifting, with digital and face-to-face playing distinct and vital roles. We regularly hear from our members that face-to-face is one of the most valuable and consistent methods of fundraising for them and this data backs that up.
“Through our work with our Championing Fundraising advisory panel, we advocate for greater understanding of and investment in fundraising. The findings of this survey provide crucial evidence about the value of fundraising and help make that case.”
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.