Blog

As 2026 starts and we shift our focus to planning for the year ahead, it also feels like the right moment to pause and reflect on everything 2025 brought with it. It was another challenging year across the charity fundraising sector: the cost-of-living crisis continued to reshape how and when people chose to give, budgets tightened across funders, and many organisations were under growing pressure to do more with less.

However, despite the challenges, we’ve seen remarkable things: determination, creativity, and charities and fundraising teams who refuse to give up. And we feel incredibly proud to have stood alongside them.

What We’ve Achieved in 2025

Over the past 12 months, we’ve supported more than 40 small and medium-sized charities, offering everything from strategic guidance and income diversification planning to hands-on bid writing across all income streams, the development of major donor programmes, research and insight, and quick-fire support when urgent action was needed.

Many relationships have been sustained over years; others have involved short, high-impact bursts of activity. Our longest-standing client has now been with us for seven years, which is something we are genuinely proud of.

Each year, we also support one pro bono client, a small charity nominated by our team. This is something we started during Covid and annually continue helping a grassroots charity increase stability and resilience. It has been a privilege to work with them and see the incredible impact they are achieving.

How Charity Fundraising Evolved in 2025

Last year required all of us to adapt. Fundraising in 2025 demanded flexibility, creativity and a willingness to pivot quickly. We’ve seen funders narrowing criteria, increasing expectations around measurement and governance, and a shift towards longer-term sustainability and partnership models.

There were also important sector-wide developments, including updates to national fundraising standards and increased focus from the Charity Commission on transparency, risk management and evidence of impact, and the introduction of new data legislation such as the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. These changes underline how essential it is to stay ahead of the curve, and we made it a priority to ensure our clients are supported to navigate these shifts confidently and effectively.

In this tougher funding landscape, we remained responsive and practical, meeting clients where they are, tailoring support to real need, and working alongside teams as true partners.

Our Fundraising Plans for 2026

2026 marks a special milestone: Orchard Fundraising’s 10th year. From a single freelance fundraiser to a team of more than 20 specialist consultants, we have grown quickly while staying true to our principles, offering flexible, remote, values-driven support that allows brilliant fundraisers to balance work and life, while delivering committed and expert help to charities that need it most and adding value to their communities.

To celebrate our tenth year, we’ll be introducing 10 for 10, a pro bono initiative designed to support ten small charities, give back, amplify impact, and help them thrive. We’ll be sharing more details, including how you can nominate a charity, over the coming weeks, so stay tuned. We can’t wait to support more great causes in the year ahead.

Thank You

To all of our clients, partners, collaborators and friends, thank you. It’s a genuine privilege to do the work we do. Thank you for your trust, your energy and your belief that change is possible even in the hardest of times.

Wishing you a hopeful New Year.

Here’s to 2026, a year of growth, resilience and impact.

Warmest wishes,

The Orchard Fundraising Team