Charity & Fundraising Resources
Essential links and tools to strengthen your charity’s impact.
Discover trusted UK resources to help your charity grow — from governance and compliance guidance to funding opportunities and fundraising tools that build long-term sustainability.
Starting and Registering a Charity in the UK
Charity Regulators & Membership Organisations
Starting and Registering a Charity in the UK
Starting a charity involves meeting legal requirements and registering with the right regulator depending on your location. Each part of the UK has its own rules for trustees, governance, and charitable purposes. These guides explain the step-by-step process for registration:
- Set up a charity in England & Wales - covers eligibility and registration with the Charity Commission.
- Start a charity in Northern Ireland – guidance from the Charity Commission for NI.
- Scottish Charity Test & OSCR registration – details of the charity test and application process in Scotland.
Managing a Charity: Governance & Compliance
Charity Regulators & Membership Organisations
Starting and Registering a Charity in the UK
Once your charity is established, trustees have ongoing duties to meet legal, financial, safeguarding, and reporting standards.
Good governance ensures accountability, financial transparency, and the wellbeing of both staff and volunteers.
These resources provide practical guidance to help you manage your organisation effectively, build resilience, and stay compliant:
- NCVO guidance for charities in England & Wales
Charity Regulators & Membership Organisations
Charity Regulators & Membership Organisations
Charity Regulators & Membership Organisations
Every charity must be registered with its regulator and can benefit from joining membership organisations for support, training, and sector updates.
UK Charity Regulators:
- Charity Commission for England & Wales
- Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
- Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)
Membership organisations:
- National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
- Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action (NICVA)
- Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO)
Funding Opportunities for Charities
Fundraising Organisations, Regulators & Tools
Fundraising Organisations, Regulators & Tools
Securing funding is one of the biggest challenges for charities. From small community grants to large-scale projects, these sources support a wide range of charity needs across the UK. Each funder has its own eligibility criteria, so check guidance carefully before applying.
Top Funders
- National Lottery Community Fund – grants from under £10,000 to larger multi-year awards.
- Garfield Weston Foundation – significant funding across many charitable sectors.
- Pilgrim Trust – targeted grants for heritage, social change, and community projects.
Funding Databases
- Charity Excellence Funding Finder – searchable database of UK grant opportunities.
- Funds Online – database with thousands of funding opportunities for charities.
Fundraising Organisations, Regulators & Tools
Fundraising Organisations, Regulators & Tools
Fundraising Organisations, Regulators & Tools
These organisations provide training, maintain fundraising standards, and offer practical resources to help your charity run successful campaigns.
- Chartered Institute of Fundraising – professional membership body.
- Fundraising Regulator (England, Wales & NI) – maintains fundraising standards.
- OSCR – Fundraising guidance for Scottish charities – legal and ethical rules for fundraising in Scotland.
- CAF Fundraising Fundamentals toolkit – Core framework to plan and deliver more effective fundraising campaigns.
- CAF Research Hub — UK Giving insights – Data-driven donor behaviour insights and giving trends.
- Charity Digital – A-Z Fundraising Ideas - Creative campaign ideas from raffles to hackathons.
Crowdfunding Platforms for Charities
Fundraising Organisations, Regulators & Tools
Crowdfunding Platforms for Charities
Crowdfunding is a powerful way to raise money for specific projects, campaigns, and community initiatives. These trusted online platforms are widely used by UK charities to engage supporters and fund a variety of charitable activities.
- JustGiving – donation and fundraising campaigns for UK charities and good causes.
- GoFundMe – global crowdfunding platform for charities, individuals, and community projects.
- Crowdfunder UK – supports charities, CICs, and local community initiatives across the UK.
- Localgiving – tailored to small charities, community groups, and grassroots organisations.
- The Big Give – runs UK match funding campaigns to maximise donations.
- Spacehive – crowdfunding platform for local projects and community-led initiatives.