2026 National Fundraising Awards Winners

Give A Little, established in 2019, provides one of the most accessible, flexible, and affordable ways for charities to collect cashless donations. Supporting over 10,500 charities and enabling £70m in donations to date, the platform has seen exceptional growth, with £31.5m processed in the past year alone - a 59% year‑on‑year increase.

This success reflects Give A Little’s commitment to removing cost and technical barriers through a wide range of affordable tools and a unique community‑based pricing model. Smaller charities can access a free Basic service, while larger organisations benefit from advanced Premium features such as Gift Aid and data capture. With transparent fees, no contract tie‑ins and unlimited users and devices, Give A Little continually reinvests in its platform to reduce costs, expand impact and help charities thrive in the cashless fundraising landscape.

Judges praised Give a Little’s impressive scale and strong commitment to inclusivity, highlighting its sponsored support that enables smaller charities to access the platform. They noted its exclusive focus on the charity sector, enthusiastic client testimonials, and continual reinvestment to strengthen its model and expand its impact. 

In just 18 months, Shanty has transformed ScoutsCymru’s approach to fundraising, building the organisation’s first ever fundraising function entirely from scratch while operating as a one-person team. New to both fundraising and the sector, she has already submitted £837k in applications and secured £400k, including rare core funding, while establishing the systems and long-term pipeline ScoutsCymru previously lacked.

Her innovative programme development has led to major successes including Women in the Hills, two rounds of Taith international exchange funding and a full Democratic Engagement programme culminating in the ScoutsCymru Youth Parliament at the Senedd. She has also demonstrated strong leadership through her role as lead contact during the three-week Taith Bavaria trip. 

Alongside her fundraising achievements, Shanty actively supports colleagues, volunteers and young people, bringing empathy, initiative, and collaboration to everything she does. 

Judges praised the creation of a fundraising function from scratch, securing £400k and repeat competitive funding. They highlighted strong strategic leadership, volunteer management, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable systems that opened new income streams and strengthened the organisation’s long-term prospects. 

For over two decades, the Childline Board has transformed fundraising for Childline through vision, creativity, and relentless dedication. Established by Tom Toumazis MBE, this exceptional group of media-sector leaders has raised an extraordinary £33m, enabling Childline to answer 8.2 million contacts or fund the service for over 2 years, providing a lifeline for millions of vulnerable children in crisis.

Their impact goes far beyond income. Through flagship events like the Childline Ball and Sports Day, they have raised £10m. Innovative collaborations, including Newsquest’s £5.8m gift-in-kind partnership, have amplified campaigns to millions. Alongside this, they’ve secured pro bono services, recruited 200 marathon runners, and inspired an entire industry to champion child protection. Their sustained vision and influence have set a benchmark for volunteer led fundraising. 

Judges praised the Childline Board for its exceptional long‑term impact, noting over 20 years of commitment and £33m raised. They highlighted the dedication of busy C‑suite volunteers who give their time, resources, and networks to support the charity. Their sustained contribution and commitment across all areas were particularly commended. 

Barnardo’s and Co-op’s partnership is transforming futures across the UK. United by shared values, they set out to raise £5m to support 750,000 young people with positive futures through access to food, mental wellbeing support, and opportunities to learn and connect.

Their approach is innovative and youth-led: 20 services co-designed with over 1,400 young people, online support designed by over 600 young people and advocacy activity led by young people. A Youth Advisory Group supports all elements of the partnership. 

They reached their initial targets ahead of schedule, with 92% reporting improved mental wellbeing and 96% feeling their voices have been heard. The partnership has influenced national policy, including the extension of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme and an increase in value of the Healthy Start Vouchers. As a result, they have extended their partnership and now aim to raise £7m to support 1m young people. 

After an 18month hiatus, Oxfam’s Legacy 2025 campaign reframed legacy giving as enduring activism, reenergising ABC1 55+ supporters with authentic, intergenerational storytelling and culturally timed bursts.

A full funnel mix - TV (30"/60"), national radio, digital (Meta leadgen, PPC, display, quiz), retail, email, and optimised web - turned emotion into measurable action. 

The results included 1469 enquiries up 64% year-on year, +4.6% consideration, 44 in period pledges (+40 via new TM), 984% increase in legacy web traffic, and all delivered on a £605k media budget with strong cost efficiency and share of voice. Distinctive creative using real activists ensured authenticity, aligned to Oxfam’s values, and set a new benchmark for integrated legacy fundraising.

The judges said the campaign had clear objectives, a strong strategic rationale and compelling success metrics. They praised the well‑defined audience, thoughtful inclusion of diversity and inclusion, effective multi‑channel delivery, and powerful creative approach, including the innovative digital quiz that deepened engagement. 

Bright Futures UK is nominated for its exceptional growth, innovation, and impact in ad-dressing illness-related education loss. The charity exists to ensure that no young person must choose between their health and their future. 

Operating on a small budget, the charity supported 637 young people in 2024 and over 2,000 by late-2025 through their cost-effective, volunteer-led model. Since June 2024, the volunteer base has also grown by 72%, enabling thousands of hours of tailored support to be delivered without compromising quality or safeguarding standards.

Fundraising is underpinned by strong evidence, lived experience and strategic partnerships with schools, NHS hospitals, consultancies, and policymakers. By combining service delivery with national advocacy and prioritising sustainability and wellbeing, Bright Futures UK has built a powerful fundraising model that protects young people’s futures and drives systemic change.

The judges recognised Bright Futures’ strong commitment to addressing an important issue and its impressive growth in reaching more people. They highlighted the charity’s authentic approach, effective integration of fundraising and its strong partnerships and collaborations. 

In the last 2 years, Prostate Cancer Research’s public fundraising team delivered exceptional growth by combining ambition with humanity. In just two years, total income has more than doubled to over £6m, regular givers went up fivefold, the number of supporters increased over fivefold and income from events skyrocketed. 

Behind the numbers sits a small, collaborative team that put supporters at the heart of everything they did. Testing ideas, learning quickly, and building trust through honesty. Agile ways of working, a culture of curiosity and a willingness to be bold transformed what felt possible.

This is a team that did not just raise more money. They changed how fundraising is done in the charity, creating sustainable growth that directly accelerates life-saving research and impact for people affected by prostate cancer. 

The judges said Prostate Cancer Research has shown impressive income growth, driven by a strong culture and agile, supporter focused approach. They highlighted its adoption of new technology, its test and learn mindset and the growing confidence and impact of its fundraising. 

Ian has devoted more than two decades to strengthening fundraising as a respected, ethical profession.  

Beginning as editor of Professional Fundraising magazine in 2001, he led sector-defining debates on self-regulation and ethics before shaping public policy and media narratives around face-to-face fundraising as Head of Communications at the PFRA—work that helped secure its place as a £50m annual income stream for charities.  

As founder of Rogare, the fundraising profession’s only dedicated think tank, Ian has built a bridge between academic research and professional practice. Under his leadership, more than 250 contributors have produced over 60 outputs, advancing fundraising knowledge worldwide. Ian’s most significant legacy lies in fundraising ethics. He codified existing theory and pioneered “rights-balancing” ethics, placing beneficiary rights alongside donor rights in decision-making.  

Through his writing, teaching and more than 100 conference presentations, he has inspired fundraisers to think more critically, act more confidently, and articulate the value of their work with clarity and conviction. 

Ian is respected for his sharp intellect and inquiring mind, supported by good humour and genuine humility. Ian continues to engage people in his work and stimulate thinking through the curation and exploration of ideas. To quote a fellow fundraising professional, ‘if fundraising didn’t have an Ian MacQuillin, we would want to invite one’.