# UK Fundraising

Fundraising news, ideas and inspiration for professional charity fundraisers

- Site: https://fundraising.co.uk/

## The Fore launches Nature Recovery Fund

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/09/the-fore-launches-nature-recovery-fund/
- Published: 2026-11-09T13:26:30+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Fore, the UK’s venture philanthropy fund for high-potential small charities
and social enterprises, has launched a Nature Recovery Fund to support conservation
organisations restoring habitats and protecting wildlife across the UK.**

## Three organisations, up to £52,000 each

Funded by an individual philanthropist who wants to help Britain’s wildlife flourish,
the fund will give three grassroots conservation organisations **up to £45,000**
each in unrestricted funding over up to three years. Each will **also receive £7,000
worth** of professional mentoring, training, skilled volunteering and practical 
support, bringing the total package to up to £52,000 per organisation.

The fund will focus on rewilding and nature restoration: organisations that restore
and connect natural habitats, work with landowners and local communities, and encourage
wider participation in conservation.

![Mary Rose Gunn, smiling in red top](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2026/
11/mary-rose-gunn.jpg)

Mary Rose Gunn, CEO

**Mary Rose Gunn**, Founder and CEO of The Fore, said:

> “Some of the most promising solutions to Britain’s environmental challenges come
> from smaller charities and social enterprises with the passion, expertise and 
> local knowledge to make a real difference. Yet many struggle to secure the funding
> and practical support they need to grow and reach their full potential.”

## How and when to apply

Registration for the Spring 2027 funding round opens at 12pm on Wednesday 25 November
2026 and closes at 12pm on Friday 4 December 2026. Applicants will go through The
Fore’s Dragons’ Den-style funding process, culminating in funding panels in April
2027, when the successful organisations are expected to be selected. Details are
on [The Fore’s website](https://www.thefore.org).

## Why environmental causes need funding

The Fore points to the RSPB’s **State of Nature Report** 2023, which found the abundance
of monitored wildlife species in the UK has fallen by an average of 19% since 1970,
with about one in six species assessed in Great Britain threatened with extinction.
It also cites Big Give’s Green Match Fund Annual Impact Report 2025, which found
only 5% of UK public charitable giving goes to environmental causes.

The new fund builds on the £315,000 The Fore has awarded through its Sustainability
and Environment Fund since December 2024. Organisations previously supported include
Youngwilders, a youth-led nature recovery initiative that has created 348 acres 
of new habitat and mobilised more than 1,600 young people since connecting with 
The Fore in 2023.

 * **[Big Give’s Green Match Fund raises £8.1 million](https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/04/29/big-gives-green-match-fund-raises-8-1-million/)(
   29 April 2025)
 * **[Funding opportunities and developments for charities in June 2026](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/06/12/funding-opportunities-and-developments-for-charities-in-june-2026/)(
   12 June 2026)
 * **[Applications open for 2025’s Big Give Green Match Fund, plus more funding news](https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/11/06/applications-open-for-2025s-big-give-green-match-fund-plus-more-funding-news/)(
   6 November 2024)**

## Waller-Bridge donates flat to Writers’ Block scheme

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/09/waller-bridge-donates-flat-to-writers-block-scheme/
- Published: 2026-11-09T07:41:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Actress, screenwriter and producer Phoebe Waller-Bridge has donated the rent-free
use of a London flat she bought for early-career writers, as part of Writers’ Block,
a new scheme tackling the cost of London accommodation for playwrights from disadvantaged
backgrounds.**

The resident of the flat pays the bills only. Jack Thorne has also contributed financially,
and the scheme is backed by James Graham, Sally Wainwright and Peter Morgan, along
with Lee Hall, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Stephen Beresford, Caryl Churchill, Martin McDonagh
and David Lan. The Estate of Harold Pinter has also contributed.

### How Writers’ Block works

Writers’ Block is run in partnership with [Omnibus Theatre in Clapham](https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/).
It matches playwrights with Londoners who have a spare room or property to rent 
at reduced rates. These “Omnihosts” charge no more than £30 a night or £500 a month,
and many charge less. Stays range from a single night to longer terms. The scheme
has also funded a Writers’ Cabin, a free workspace for playwrights.

### From award to accommodation

Writers’ Block was created by Sofie Mason and Diana Jervis-Read, founders of the
Off West End Theatre Awards and OffWestEnd.com. It builds on the **Adopt a Playwright
Award**, set up in 2008 to support emerging writers from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The annual £10,000 award has supported 55 writers as winners or runners-up, including
Ryan Calais Cameron, Sarah Grochala and Kenny Emson. Many winners spent the money
on London accommodation, which prompted the wider scheme.

### Pilot results

In the pilot year, 15 homes signed up and 12 writers stayed. Reported savings include
about £850 a month for Emma-Louise Howell, about £600 a month for Tommy Sissons 
and between £4,000 and £6,000 over a year for Steve Hevey.

The need is clear. Research from the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre
and [the Sutton Trust](https://www.suttontrust.com/news-opinion/all-news-opinion/research-reveals-stark-class-inequalities-in-access-to-the-creative-industries/)
found that 16 per cent of creative industry workers come from working-class backgrounds.
Also, 41 per cent of Adopt a Playwright members live outside London.

Thorne said: “For many writers the need for a roof makes writing impossible which
is why this pilot is so important.”

Graham said: “We don’t need grand gestures, just someone to open a door and help
us keep going.”

### What fundraisers can learn

Writers’ Block shows what gifts in kind can achieve alongside cash. A donated flat
and spare rooms from ordinary householders remove a specific barrier directly, and
the £30 and £500 caps make the offer easy to understand.

High-profile donors lend credibility, but the pilot’s evidence, with 12 writers 
housed and measurable savings, gives the next appeal a story beyond the famous names.
When it launched, the scheme was also presented as a model other theatres could 
replicate, which suggests scope for similar approaches elsewhere in the arts.

 * **[Keep it Fringe Fund offers £100k to Edinburgh Fringe performers](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/03/14/keep-it-fringe-fund-offers-100k-to-edinburgh-fringe-performers/)(
   14 March 2023)**
 * **[Fleabag Support Fund to help theatre workers in financial need during COVID](https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/03/23/funding-to-tackle-covid-19-and-its-impact#h_fleabag)(
   23 March 2020)**
 * **[London’s oldest restaurant donated to the National Trust](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/03/londons-oldest-restaurant-given-to-national-trust/)(
   3 November 2026)**

## Youth Music launches £2.4 million racial equity fund

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/08/youth-music-launches-2-4-million-racial-equity-fund/
- Published: 2026-11-08T20:30:26+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Youth Music has launched a £2.4 million fund to tackle racial inequity in the 
arts, offering grants of up to £120,000 over four years to grassroots organisations
working creatively with young people across England. Applications close on 4 December
2026.**

## Flexible core funding for organisations led by communities experiencing racial injustice

The **Recharge Fund: Racial Equity in the Arts** is aimed at organisations led by
and for communities experiencing racial injustice that work creatively with children
and young people in England. It is funded by the National Lottery via Arts Council
England, and supports a range of art forms, not only music.

Around 20 organisations are expected to receive grants of **up to £120,000 each**
over four years. The money is flexible core funding, which Youth Music says could
be spent on leadership development, governance, staff wellbeing, fundraising, strategic
planning, digital infrastructure, workforce development and other essential running
costs.

Supported organisations will also come together as a cohort to share experiences
and build long-term resilience. Youth Music says the fund is designed to reduce 
the time organisations spend chasing short-term funding, at a time of rising costs
and growing demand.

## The evidence behind the fund

Youth Music cites research from the Pathway Fund’s Funding Justice report, which
found that 76% of Black and ethnically minoritised-led organisations surveyed believed
they had been refused funding because of their race or ethnicity. It also points
to Creative UK’s State of the Creative Industries 2025, which found that people 
from ethnic minority backgrounds make up 15.9% of the UK workforce but hold 9.8%
of management and director-level roles across the cultural sector.

Its own [Born into Music, Locked out of Power](https://www.youthmusic.org.uk/news/born-music-locked-out-power)
research found that 36% of 18 to 25-year-olds from Global Majority backgrounds can
see a future career in music, but are almost half as likely as their white peers
to see themselves represented in music industry leadership.

Youth Music CEO **Adam Joolia** said:

> “Core funding can be transformational for small organisations but is like gold
> dust to secure. Which is why I’m hugely excited to be launching the Recharge Fund:
> Racial Equity, and investing in brilliant organisations reaching young people 
> across the country.”

## How to apply

Applications opened on 16 October and close on **4 December 2026**, through a one-
stage application process. Applicants can access workshops, webinars, one-to-one
guidance, access support and application access funding. Full details are available
from [Youth Music](https://www.youthmusic.org.uk/news/why-we-need-racial-equity-arts-funding).

Youth Music is a national charity that raises around £10 million a year to fund 
grassroots music projects for marginalised young people. It is funded by the National
Lottery via Arts Council England, players of the Postcode Lottery, and partners,
fundraisers and donors.

 * **[New £2.25 million fund for disabled young people to help equalise access to arts](https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/09/05/new-2-25-million-fund-for-disabled-young-people/)(
   5 September 2025)
 * **[£45 million Plan for Music announced by DCMS](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/07/14/45-million-plan-for-music-announced-by-dcms/)(
   14 July 2026)
 * **[Charities invited to take part in 12-month anti-racism & race equity programme](https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/04/15/charities-invited-to-take-part-in-12-month-anti-racism-race-equity-programme/)(
   15 April 2024)

## Four in ten fundraisers “plan to leave employers”

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/06/four-in-ten-fundraisers-plan-to-leave-employers/
- Published: 2026-11-06T09:56:56+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Almost four in ten fundraisers (39.7%) in major fundraising countries intend to
leave their current employer within the next two years, according to new international
research from the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy (IFSP). **

More worrying for the profession, **16.2%** expect to leave fundraising or development
altogether, **up from 9% **when the Institute last measured this in 2022.

_The Heart of Fundraising: The Impact of Wellbeing and Love on Fundraiser Retention_,
by **Adrian Sargeant, James Barrett and Kathryn Edworthy**, draws on a survey of
272 fundraisers in Australia, the UK, USA, New Zealand, Canada and elsewhere. Respondents
averaged **16 years experience of working in fundraising**.

The authors conclude that retention is driven less by salary than by purpose, professional
respect and human connection.

## A mixed picture on turnover

The proportion of those planning to change employer is lower than the 46% recorded
in the Institute’s 2022 international study, which the report calls a marginal improvement,
though it describes none of the figures as encouraging. The rise in those planning
to leave the field is the more alarming warning.

The report also revisits the cost of churn. It cites US estimates (from 2006 and
2013) that replacing a fundraiser costs **117% of their annual salary**, with some
commentators putting it **as high as 250%**, and research suggesting that around
a quarter of donors give less, give later or stop giving when their relationship
with a gift officer ends.

The authors add that it can take 12 to 18 months to rebuild trust and close major
gifts from a leaver’s portfolio.

## What motivates fundraisers, and what drains them

Respondents rated motivating factors on a seven-point scale. **Making a difference
to the cause** scored highest (6.3), followed by **autonomy, positive team relationships
and feeling valued** (all 6.2). **Being trusted by senior management** or the Board,**
being respected as a professional** and **good donor relationships** each scored
6.1. **Salary and benefits** scored 5.0, joint lowest alongside **regular feedback**.

Only **3.3%** said salary or benefits had drawn them into fundraising, while **51.8%**
said they had simply fallen into the role.

The most common draining experiences were **unrealistic expectations from senior
management or the Board**, and a **focus on short-term metrics only** (both 4.1).**
Feeling undervalued** (3.8), a **professional voice not being heard** (3.6) and 
a **lack of training and development** (3.6) followed.

The authors note that **five of the six highest-scoring drains relate to competence,
suggesting many fundraisers still work where the nature of fundraising is poorly
understood.**

Open comments bore this out. Respondents asked for more trust in strategic decisions,
fewer approval layers, a CEO or Board that understands fundraising, and proper performance
reviews. One said they had hit a glass ceiling because every senior fundraising 
post at their large charity was based in London.

## Career paths: moving on to move up

Career development shows the strongest link to retention, and the weakest provision.
Only **16.5%** said adequate development opportunities were available to them, with
40.8% reporting some, 33.5% few and 9.2% none. Just 11.7% could clearly see a career
path in their organisation, and a further 34.9% could see one somewhat. By contrast,
77.9% said their line manager supported their professional growth strongly or somewhat.

In the statistical modelling, which controlled for age, gender and length of service,
respondents who reported a career path (clearly or somewhat) had **82.1% lower odds**
of intending to leave their employer than those who reported little or none. Those
reporting management support for professional growth had **75.2% lower odds**. Feeling
appreciated was associated with **52.5% lower odds** of planning to leave an employer,
while feeling undervalued was associated with **92.3% higher odd**s of planning 
to leave fundraising altogether.

Sargeant said: “One of the striking findings is that many fundraisers appear to 
believe they have to move on in order to move up. If organisations want to retain
talent, they need to plan for their future whether that be with the current employer
or not.”

## Love, connection and leadership

![Large pink balloons in L-O-V-E letter shapes - photo: Rawpixel](https://wfay6x.
infiniteuploads.cloud/2020/03/love-purple-balloon-letters-rawpixel-id-574949.jpg)

Love

The study also asked an unusual question: **what does love have to do with fundraising?**
Some **55.5%** of respondents could identify a moment when they fell in love with
the profession, often when they saw the impact of their work, created a meaningful
experience for a donor, or came to see fundraising as part of their professional
identity. Around **3%** were uncomfortable with the language of love or had never
experienced it in their role.

**Donors were the most widely cited source of love at work**, followed by line managers
and executive leadership. Beneficiaries, fundraising colleagues and other teams 
also featured, and the report says appreciation from colleagues outside fundraising
was uniquely powerful because of the esteem in which service teams are held. The
authors stress that organisations cannot manufacture such moments, but can build
cultures in which they are more likely.

The authors identify **three wellbeing needs, connection, competence and autonomy**,
and note that meeting them does not require organisations to spend more.

Their recommendations for leaders include **respecting fundraising expertise** and
giving fundraisers a voice, building appreciation into everyday culture, providing
genuine career paths, and reducing unrealistic expectations and short-termism. Barrett
said fundraisers need to feel professional respect and to be supported by their 
leadership and Board.

## Reading the findings in context

Some context is worth bearing in mind. The survey was promoted through the Institute’s
social media and its sponsor F&P, which supported the Australian portion of the 
work. Of the 272 responses, **143 came from Australia and 58 from the UK**, so the
findings are not specific to UK fundraisers. Some **83.5%** of respondents were 
female and about two-thirds were directors or managers. Intentions to leave are 
also not the same as actual departures.

For fundraising leaders, the practical questions are straightforward. Do your fundraisers
know what their next step looks like here? Are the expectations set by your Board
realistic, and judged on more than short-term metrics? And do those who raise the
money hear, regularly and specifically, that their expertise is valued?

![The Heart of Fundraising: The impact of wellbeing and love on fundraiser retention.
Report cover.](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2026/11/heart-of-fundraising-
wellbeing-institute-of-philanthropy-202610-cover@2x.png)

The Heart of Fundraising: The impact of wellbeing and love on fundraiser retention,
by the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy.

The report is available from the [Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy](https://www.philanthropy-institute.org.uk/reports-sign-up)
website.

 * **[Research reveals what makes fundraisers tick](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/10/27/research-reveals-what-makes-fundraisers-tick/)(
   27 October 2022)
 * **[Research suggests taking new approach to improve retention](https://fundraising.co.uk/2022/11/03/research-suggests-taking-new-approach-to-improve-retention/)(
   3 November 2022)
 * **[Rogare report explores why fundraisers change jobs and how to retain them](https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/08/28/rogare-report-explores-why-fundraisers-change-jobs-and-how-to-retain-them/)(
   28 August 2025)**

## £6 million Local News Fund backs 50 outlets

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/05/6-million-local-news-fund-backs-50-outlets/
- Published: 2026-11-05T15:09:40+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The government [has announced](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-backs-local-journalism-with-6-million-funding-while-careers-campaign-reaches-thousands-of-youngsters)
that 50 organisations will share £6 million from the Local News Fund, as part of
a package of support for local journalism across England and Wales. **

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport ([DCMS](https://fundraising.co.uk/tag/dcms/))
confirmed the awards on 5 November 2026, alongside an update on a careers campaign
aimed at young people.

## Who is receiving the funding?

Most of the grants, worth **up to £125,000 each**, are going to local print and 
online news outlets, as well as independent local television and radio stations.
A further seven organisations, including software developers and other industry 
players, have received infrastructure grants of up to £275,000 each. The awards 
are spread across England and Wales.

According to DCMS, the money will support community outreach, digital tools, apps
and multimedia services, and efforts to build more sustainable income. A full list
of the 50 grant recipients and the seven infrastructure awards is published with
the original release.

Media Minister **Ian Murray MP** said: “I am determined not to leave local journalism
to collapse.” **Polly Curtis**, co-chair of the Local News Fund Steering Board, 
said: “There are too many news deserts in this country and this fund is starting
to make a difference.” Her fellow co-chair, **Jeremy Clifford**, noted that the 
volume and quality of bids meant many worthwhile applications had to be turned down.

## Careers campaign reaches more than 11,000 students

DCMS also reported on Inspiring the Future, a careers campaign funded jointly with
the News Media Association (NMA). Its first six-month pilot focused on schools in
the North West with higher levels of deprivation, and has so far reached more than
11,000 students in over 100 schools. The government says it will consider a national
rollout, subject to evaluation and funding.

**Theo Bamber**, chief executive of the NMA, said the association was pleased to
have supported the pilot. **Joanne Forbes**, chief executive of the National Council
for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ), said: “Local journalism matters enormously.”**
Laura Davison**, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), welcomed
the government’s support but said many members remain worried about their livelihoods.

## Journalist safety and the next round of funding

The National Committee for the Safety of Journalists is due to agree a refreshed
National Action Plan during Journalism Matters Week. The government says that in
due course £1 million will be targeted at “news deserts next year,” with **up to
£5 million more** to support sustainability and innovation.

The announcement builds on [Amplify, the Local Media Action Plan](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/amplify-the-local-media-action-plan/amplify-the-local-media-action-plan),
and the work of the [Local News Fund Steering Board](https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/the-local-news-fund-steering-board).

## Why it matters to fundraisers

Local media remains an important route for charities, particularly smaller and community-
based organisations, to reach supporters, recruit volunteers and publicise appeals
and events. When local titles and stations close or shrink, that earned coverage
disappears with them, and fundraisers lose a trusted channel.

The funding is aimed at media organisations rather than charities, so it is not 
a grant opportunity for the sector. However, fundraisers may wish to check whether
their local outlets are among the recipients, and to consider how well-prepared 
case studies, event announcements and appeal stories can support titles that are
working to build sustainable income.

Fundraisers could also use the announcement as a prompt to review their media contacts.
Which local titles, radio stations and online news sites cover your area, and who
commissions charity and community stories there? Building those relationships now,
while new funding is reshaping who publishes and how, may help your organisation
stay visible to local audiences and donors. This groundwork costs little time and
pays dividends later.

 * **[Newspaper Christmas appeals: who’s supporting who in 2024](https://fundraising.co.uk/2024/12/10/newspaper-christmas-appeals-whos-supporting-who-in-2024/)(
   10 December 2024)
 * **[National newspapers announce their Christmas 2025 charity partners](https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/12/09/national-newspapers-announce-their-christmas-2025-charity-partners/)(
   9 December 2025)
 * **[Guardian readers donate more than £1 million to 2025 charity appeal](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/01/16/guardian-readers-donate-more-than-1mn-2025-appeal/)(
   16 January 2026)**

## CIOF publishes revised public fundraising Rule Books

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/05/ciof-publishes-revised-public-fundraising-rule-books/
- Published: 2026-11-05T09:02:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIOF) has published three revised Rule
Books setting out the standards expected of organisations and individuals in its
public fundraising programme. They cover door-to-door, private site and street fundraising.**

The update follows the Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice 
and an extensive consultation with CIOF’s charity and fundraising agency members.
The Rule Books also reflect other relevant regulation, including the Gambling Commission’s
Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice where applicable, as they cover lottery
fundraising through door-to-door and private site campaigns.

## What the Rule Books contain

Each Rule Book distinguishes between requirements derived from external regulation
and additional rules specific to CIOF’s programme. They set out separate expectations
for frontline fundraisers and operational staff, alongside the arrangements for 
assessing compliance, reporting breaches, applying sanctions and hearing appeals.

The additional CIOF rules include specific protections for households displaying
no-cold-calling notices, greater transparency and accountability where agencies 
use subcontractors, a requirement for fundraisers to wear branded clothing, and 
detailed requirements on permission, conduct and the responsible use of private 
and street fundraising sites. CIOF says members agreed these were needed to support
good practice and protect public confidence in fundraising.

## Reactions

> Rob Cope, Executive Director of Membership & Operations at CIOF, said: “These 
> revised Rule Books give charities, agencies, operational teams and frontline fundraisers
> clear and consistent standards to follow. They align our programme with the new
> Code of Fundraising Practice and other relevant regulation, while retaining additional
> safeguards developed with our members.”

Paul Winyard, Director of Policy at the Fundraising Regulator, said all public fundraisers
should “carefully follow the Rule Books”, which align with the recently updated 
Code and other regulatory requirements.

The revised Rule Books are available on the [CIOF website](https://ciof.org.uk/news-and-policy/public-fundraising/public-fundraising-rule-books/).

 * **[Regulator tells AI advisers and suppliers to reflect its guidance too](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/09/10/regulator-tells-ai-advisers-and-suppliers-to-reflect-its-guidance-too/)(
   10 September 2026)**

 * **[Rogare issues warning as commission-based pay for fundraisers is deregulated](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/02/04/rogare-issues-warning-as-commission-based-pay-for-fundraisers-is-deregulated/)(
   4 February 2026)
 * **[New version of Code of Fundraising Practice revealed](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/06/06/new-version-of-code-of-fundraising-practice-revealed/)(
   6 June 2019)**

## Ben Delo pledges $20 million to Commonwealth fund

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/04/ben-delo-pledges-20-million-commonwealth-fund/
- Published: 2026-11-04T13:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**British philanthropist and entrepreneur Ben Delo has pledged $20 million to launch
the Commonwealth Aspiration Fund, a new independent fund to support education, youth
employment and enterprise across the Commonwealth’s 56 member states.**

The pledge is “the largest ever private gift in support of the Commonwealth” and
was announced today to world leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting(
CHOGM) in Antigua. Delo will spearhead the fund’s mission to raise a $300 million
endowment to finance projects that improve the economic prospects of young people
around the world.

## How the Commonwealth Aspiration Fund will work

The fund has been established under the leadership of Commonwealth Secretary-General**
Hon Shirley Botchwey**. It will be independent, but will work closely with the Commonwealth
Secretariat and operate under the guidance of an oversight board.

It will make grants to “innovative projects focused on education, skills and improving
the conditions for prosperity that generate economic opportunities for young people”.
It will also support national capacity building in member states. Operations will
begin in 2027.

## The pledge and Delo’s earlier Commonwealth giving

Delo has pledged a lead gift of $10 million, with a further $10 million promised
in matched funding as the fund grows. With the successful matched funding Delo’s
donation aims to provide $30 million in total, which is 10% of the $300 million 
target.

The gift follows his existing support for the Commonwealth, including the Ben Delo
Commonwealth Leadership Programme, a scholarship initiative run by King’s College
London that he launched in 2023. That programme provides training and executive 
education for mid-career civil servants from Commonwealth member states and British
Overseas Territories.

Delo is a British entrepreneur, mathematician and philanthropist who supports causes
that aim to maximise human potential, from scientific discovery and free academic
enquiry to neurodiversity and Commonwealth collaboration. Before turning to philanthropy
he co-founded the crypto-currency derivatives trading platform BitMEX.

In September 2026 he [donated £36 million to Reform UK](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3v4zvyde15o),
a record amount for a UK political party.

## Calls for other philanthropists to join

Both Delo and the Secretary-General used the announcement to appeal for further 
backers. Botchwey said she hoped the gift would “put the Commonwealth Aspiration
Fund on the map” and inspire other philanthropists to support the network.

Delo said he was honoured to be the fund’s first backer and called on other philanthropists
to join what he described as an exciting new platform to spread opportunity and 
prosperity across the network. He said young people worldwide increasingly face 
institutional barriers and economic uncertainty rather than opportunities.

## What it means for fundraisers

The fund is at an early stage, with a $300 million target still to be raised and
no grant-making until 2027. For fundraisers working with major donors and international
funders, the structure is worth watching: a public seed gift, matched funding to
encourage others to give, and an explicit appeal to philanthropists to join the 
donor base.

 * **[Philanthropist’s £25 million endowment to fund foundation’s work in perpetuity](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/02/20/philanthropists-25mn-endowment/)(
   20 February 2026)
 * **[Sir Chris Hohn tops Sunday Times Giving List after giving £1.4 billion](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/05/15/sir-chris-hohn-tops-sunday-times-giving-list-after-giving-1-4-billion/)(
   15 May 2026)
 * **[Steve Morgan Foundation announces £100 million funding pledge](https://fundraising.co.uk/2025/05/30/steve-morgan-foundation-announces-100-million-funding-pledge/)(
   30 May 2025)**

## Blackbaud launches Lantern fundraising language model

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/04/blackbaud-launches-lantern-fundraising-language-model/
- Published: 2026-11-04T06:52:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Blackbaud has unveiled Lantern, which it calls the first domain-specific language
model purpose-built for fundraising. It will not reach customers until 2027, and
the company has not said where it will be offered first.**

Announced on 29 September 2026 at bbcon 2026 in Columbus, Ohio, [Lantern⌊™⌉](https://www.blackbaud.com/newsroom/article/bbcon2026-lantern-announcement)
was developed in a strategic collaboration with data and AI company Databricks. 
It will sit in the intelligence layer of Platform for Good, the unified operating
system that Blackbaud launched at the same event. Blackbaud says more than $100 
billion is raised, granted or managed through its platforms every year.

Chief executive **Mike Gianoni** said general-purpose frontier models “learn from
the internet, while Lantern learns from philanthropy.”

## When and where Lantern will be available

Lantern will begin powering select Raiser’s Edge NXT and Agents for Good capabilities
in 2027, with broader availability planned across Platform for Good. Blackbaud has
not published a launch date, pricing or a list of countries. On its third quarter
earnings call, management did not say whether availability would come in the first
or second half of 2027.

[Blackbaud](https://fundraising.co.uk/tag/blackbaud/) has also outlined Lantern 
plans to Australian customers at bbcon Sydney. UK charity users should ask their
account manager about timing, licensing and data hosting.

## What Lantern was trained on

Blackbaud says Lantern combines leading open-weight models, running on the Databricks
Data + AI Platform, with its own 40+ years of sector experience. The base models
have not been named.

Lantern is then post-trained on “synthetic scenarios” modelled on Blackbaud’s Social
Impact Signal Graph, designed to reflect real-world patterns such as donor retention,
upgrade paths and lifetime relationships. On the earnings call, Gianoni said Lantern
does not use customer-specific data. Instead it uses synthetically created data 
that mimics customer data, alongside Blackbaud’s own sector data assets, according
to a transcript of the call.

## Is Lantern unique?

Blackbaud’s claim to have developed the first fundraising sector-specific language
model seems to be accurate, although sector-specific AI is now common in vendor 
marketing.

[Bonterra says](https://www.bonterratech.com/blog/how-ai-is-unlocking-new-possibilities-for-nonprofits)
its Que engine is “trained exclusively on nonprofit and social impact data” and 
cites 1.16 billion network transactions, but presents Que as an agentic assistant
built into its products rather than a separately named model.

GoFundMe Pro’s tools use machine learning trained on its own fundraising dataset,
and Virtuous has launched an AI research agent for donor prospecting.

## Sector response

Tim Cerato of Boston University, one of the customers consulted during development,
said each industry has its own language, rules and guardrails that AI needs to reflect.

[MarTech Edge](https://martechedge.com/news/blackbaud-expands-ai-fundraising-and-marketing-tools-at-bbcon-sydney)
said Lantern’s value will depend on real-world performance and measurable outcomes
after deployment.

## Blackbaud research on AI use

A Blackbaud Institute survey, conducted in the USA in March 2026 with 1,389 social
impact professionals and 1,034 donors, found that 85 per cent of professionals use
AI, but only about 10 per cent of organisations see significant returns.

The same research found that 76 per cent of donors say it is important for organisations
to disclose when and how they use AI, while only 26 per cent of professionals say
their organisation does so. That gap matters whichever vendor’s tools a charity 
adopts.

 * **[Bridgit wins People’s Choice at Blackbaud’s bbcon](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/10/19/bridgit-wins-peoples-choice-blackbaud-bbcon/)(
   19 October 2026)**
 * **[Bridgit joins Blackbaud’s global accelerator](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/02/02/bridgit-joins-blackbauds-global-accelerator/)(
   2 February 2026)**
 * **[Highlights from Blackbaud’s bbcon 2020](https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/10/09/highlights-from-blackbauds-bbcon-2020/)(
   9 October 2020)**

## Claude for Nonprofits gets new fundraising skills

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/03/claude-for-nonprofits-new-fundraising-skills/
- Published: 2026-11-03T13:29:51+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Anthropic has released a Claude for Nonprofits plugin, a set of skills and connectors
aimed at helping small charity teams with fundraising, marketing, hiring and setting
up AI responsibly. It is installed automatically, at no extra cost, for verified
nonprofits on Claude Team and Enterprise plans.**

The plugin was [announced on 26 October](https://claude.com/resources/articles/expanding-claude-for-nonprofits).
Anthropic says it was built with around 30 organisations in its Design Partner Circle,
from small regional teams to international organisations working in dozens of countries,
many of them funders themselves.

The company says more than 25,000 nonprofits now use Claude and that over 75% of
them have fewer than ten seats, which is why this release targets small, local teams.

## Fundraising skills

Anthropic says the plugin supports the fundraising cycle “from research through 
to reporting”. The skills include:

 * Researching donors, foundations and companies, and surfacing open grants, with
   sources cited.
 * Breaking down a forwarded RFP into eligibility, requirements and what it would
   take to compete.
 * Turning an RFP into a requirements list and a first draft built from the charity’s
   own material.
 * Producing grant reports in which the figures carry sources.
 * Preparing a brief before a funder call, then a write-up and thank-you note afterwards,
   plus donor updates in the organisation’s voice and stewardship plans for re-engaging
   donors.

Anthropic stresses that the aim is to free staff for relationship management and
for deciding which opportunities to pursue.

## Marketing, hiring and board support

Other skills cover campaign planning appropriate to a team’s capacity, drafting 
in an organisation’s own voice and a second read of content before it goes out.

For hiring, Claude can build a job post with an interview guide and scoring rubric,
plan a new starter’s first 90 days and answer staff questions from the organisation’s
handbook.

Trustees’ or board members’ skills include identifying gaps in trustee skills, drafting
outreach to prospective members, producing orientation packs and planning meeting
decks.

## Setting up responsibly

Two skills deal with governance. One asks where an organisation keeps donor data,
grant files, finances and policies, then saves that map (with memory switched on)
so other skills know where to look.

The other lets staff ask “Can I use Claude for this?” and **get an answer based 
on the organisation’s own AI policy**. Anthropic says it does not train its models
on customer data by default, and that administrators control access and which connectors
are enabled.

## Support and cost

Anthropic is also planning to extend Claude Corps, which places early-career fellows
in US nonprofits, through a partnership with Taproot Foundation that would match
nonprofits with experienced pro bono consultants for shorter projects. Consultancies
listed as adoption partners include Accenture, BCG, Bridgespan and Deloitte.

Two live webinars are scheduled, [an admin’s guide to data handling and AI use policy](https://claude.com/resources/webinars/claude-for-nonprofits-admin-guide-to-data-handling-ai-policy)
on 10 November and [a staff guide](https://claude.com/resources/webinars/claude-for-nonprofits-a-staff-guide-to-making-claude-useful-on-day-one)
on 12 November, and a [Claude Academy tutorial](https://academy.claude.com/tutorials/claude-for-nonprofits-data-handling-and-your-ai-use-policy)
covers drafting an AI use policy.

The plugin follows earlier changes in pricing. Discounts of up to 75% were announced
at launch last December, and in September Anthropic introduced a discount of around
90% for verified nonprofits in low and middle income countries, bringing team seats
to $3 per user per month. The Team plan minimum is now two people, and Claude Code
is included in nonprofit plans.

## UK availability?

Much of the announcement is framed around the United States. Claude Corps places
fellows in US organisations, and Taproot is a US foundation.

There is a hint that the developers know the limits. Prosper Global said its testing
showed the first version assumed a small US charity, and that a later version handled
a job posting for a role in Bogotá with Colombian context in mind. UK teams will
want to test the skills against UK funders, regulation and giving practice before
relying on them.

Anthropic says this is the first of several releases and is inviting nonprofits 
to say what would help most.

 * **[Anthropic launches $150 million Claude Corps fellowship](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/06/15/anthropic-launches-150mn-claude-corps-fellowship/)(
   15 June 2026)
 * **[DSC launches speed read guide to AI for charities](https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/04/30/dsc-launches-speed-read-guide-to-ai-for-charities/)(
   30 April 2026)
 * **[AI for fundraising: why ChatGPT matters to fundraisers](https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/03/15/ai-for-fundraising-why-chatgpt-matters-to-fundraisers/)(
   15 March 2023)**

## London’s oldest restaurant given to National Trust

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/11/03/londons-oldest-restaurant-given-to-national-trust/
- Published: 2026-11-03T08:19:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The owner of the Covent Garden building that houses Rules, open since 1798, has
donated the freehold to the National Trust. It is the first historic restaurant 
the charity has taken on.**

J-P Mayhew, who has owned 34-35 Maiden Lane for 40 years, has donated the building
and its historic collection to the National Trust. Media reports value the gift 
at more than £11 million, although the Trust’s [announcement](https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/services/media/2026/october/landmark-act-of-generosity-secures-home-of-londons-oldest-restaurant-for-the-future)
gives no figure. The collection includes visitor books, menus, caricatures, photographs,
stained glass and signs.

## Two centuries, three families

Thomas Rule opened Rules in 1798, primarily as an oyster bar. His family kept it
until the First World War, when descendant Charles Rule swapped businesses with 
Tom Bell, a Briton who ran a Paris restaurant called the Alhambra. Bell’s daughter
sold it to John Mayhew in 1984. In 2022 Mayhew sold the business to Ricky McMenemy,
who had worked there for 35 years, but kept the freehold. The building has therefore
had just three owners until now, and the business four proprietors.

Rules is known for game, much of it from an estate in Teesdale owned by Mayhew. 
The Trust says it has served more than 40 prime ministers, and diners have ranged
from Dickens and Chaplin to Madonna and David Bowie. Graham Greene ate there every
birthday and featured it in _The End of the Affair_. The Trust calls it the last
survivor of a group of renowned London restaurants that included the Trocadero, 
the Mirabelle and Le Gavroche.

## Why it was given?

Mayhew says the gift answers an appeal made in 1971. The Greater London Council 
planned to turn the Strand into a dual carriageway, threatening Maiden Lane, and
John Betjeman spoke in defence of the restaurant’s “invisible atmosphere”. “My gift
to the National Trust is in answer to that appeal,” said Mayhew.

The Trust adds that many iconic central London buildings now face redevelopment 
pressure and economic challenges. The gift is inalienable, so the building cannot
be sold or otherwise disposed of.

## Will it still be a restaurant?

Yes. The venue will continue trading under McMenemy, who becomes a commercial tenant
of the Trust. His annual rent, which has not been disclosed, will fund the Trust’s
conservation work. One trade report expects no material difference to day-to-day
running.

Director-general **Hilary McGrady** said the gift gives the building “a future measured
not in years but generations”. McMenemy said the arrangement gives the independent
business security and peace of mind, and that he looks forward to another two centuries
in the building.

The Trust already cares for **39 working historic pubs**, including the George Inn
in Southwark and the Crown Bar in Belfast. **Rules will be its first restaurant**.

## Not the Trust’s first big property gift

The Trust’s first land, Dinas Oleu near Barmouth, was donated by Fanny Talbot in
1895. Historic House Hotels later gifted three working hotels, Hartwell House, Bodysgallen
Hall and Middlethorpe Hall, making them inalienable and sending all profits to the
Trust.

![The Fanny Talbot pub in Barmouth.](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.cloud/2026/11/
47A0F367-BD19-4F11-8649-17C19123C737_1_105_c.jpeg)

The Fanny Talbot, Barmouth. Photo: Howard Lake

In September the Trust announced it would take on 22 Parkside in Wimbledon, the 
modernist home of Richard and Su Rogers, which the family donated. In January it
announced a £10 million unrestricted gift from Humphrey Battcock, the largest donation
in its 131-year history.

## Has a restaurant been donated before?

It seems that this type of gift is unique: no historic restaurant building has been
donated to a heritage charity, in the UK or abroad.

The closest UK examples are comedian Russell Brand donating his [Trew Era Cafe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trew_Era_Cafe)
in Hackney to the Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust in 2016, and [Brighton restaurant Alfresco giving its entire contents](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/business/brighton-restaurant-donates-its-entire-contents-to-charity-ahead-of-closure-571923)
to local charities when it closed in 2019.

For fundraisers, the gift shows that major gifts are not always cash. This one transfers
an asset and an income stream, and it came from a donor who was clear about what
he wanted protected.

 * **[Charity to scoop €10 million](https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/06/22/charity-scoop-e10-million/)(
   22 June 2005)**
 * **[Nominate a regional charity to win a new £250k house](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/07/13/nominate-regional-charity-win-new-250k-house/)(
   13 July 2012)**
 * **[Irish businessman donates holiday home to charity](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/11/29/holiday-home-donated-charity/)(
   29 November 2016)**