The Fundraising Accelerator
One charity. One year. Over £100,000 worth of expert fundraising support, completely free.
Thread Fundraising is offering one UK charity the chance to partner with us for a full year (Jan-Dec 2026) to help drive fundraising growth.
From strategy and campaigns to automation and AI, you’ll get access to everything we do - at no cost.
What’s the Accelerator?
This isn’t a consultancy giveaway.
It’s a genuine partnership designed to help one charity grow their income, strengthen their supporter experience, and build sustainable fundraising foundations.
We’ll work alongside your team for 12 months, combining strategy, creativity and practical delivery, to help grow your fundraising income.
Total value: £107,000
Q&A Webinar
Your questions answered - everything you need to know about the accelerator
What’s Included
| Support Area | Description | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Fundraising Strategy Review | Full portfolio analysis, SWOT, and growth plan | £9,000 |
| Warm Campaigns & Appeals | Creative ideas, strategic support, and delivery plan for four campaigns (one per quarter) | £12,000 |
| Digital Lead Generation | Two full campaigns to attract new supporters and prospects | £10,000 |
| Supporter Experience Audit & Strategy | Review and redesign of your supporter journeys | £9,000 |
| Thread Fundraising Platform Access (12 months) | Deliver journeys, digital fundraising, and social content through our platform | £9,000 |
| AI & Automation Audit | Identify and set up three automations to save time, money, and improve supporter experience | £12,000 |
| Access to BINGO Solution Platform | Real-time reporting, dashboards, and budgeting insight | £18,000 |
| Critical Friend Support | Ongoing strategic input across all income streams | £9,000 |
| Training & Coaching | All on-demand training + two in-person days for your team | £10,000 |
| Individual & Group Coaching | Ongoing development throughout the year | £9,000 |
Why We’re Doing This
We already do a lot of pro-bono work across our team, but it’s often uncoordinated and short-term. Some of the team have also recently stepped back from trustee roles and we want to use that time in a meaningful way.
This accelerator lets us focus that energy on one partnership. Using our collective experience to make a significant difference to one great cause.
We’ll bring the full weight of Thread’s expertise, strategy, creativity, data, and delivery, to help a single charity grow faster and work smarter.
This is about partnership, not parachuting in with advice. We’ll roll up our sleeves and work alongside your team every step of the way.
Application Process
We have a short application form for you to complete.
You’ll need to confirm:
Your current CRM and fundraising tech stack (e.g. JustGiving, Fundraise Up, Mailchimp).
You have (or will have) an AI policy and permission to use AI tools for automation and content creation (though you’ll have sign off and control). For example, you can use Open AI, Google Gemini, n8n, Make.com etc.
You can commit to regular meetings with Thread and stick to deadlines.
Your senior management support applying and implementing our recommendations.
You’ll provide honest feedback and content for case studies or learning materials when appropriate.
If your charity has a smaller fundraising income, don’t worry, we’ll share details of an additional development opportunity soon.
How To Apply?
Applications are quick and straightforward. It takes around 10 minutes.
You’ll be asked to share:
1. Basic details: Your organisation, CRM, and current fundraising channels
2. Your motivation: Why you’re applying and what difference this would make
3. Your biggest challenge: What’s holding your fundraising back right now
4. Your vision: What success would look like if you won
5. Your story: Why your charity deserves this opportunity
After reviewing applications, we’ll shortlist charities for a short chemistry conversation before selecting our final partner.
The winning charity will begin work with us in January 2026.
What We’re Looking For
We’re not searching for “perfect” charities, we’re looking for great partners.
Those who:
Are ambitious about growth
Believe in the importance of supporter experience and relationship fundraising
Value collaboration and transparency
Want to improve supporter experience, not just income
Are open to experimenting with data, automation and new ideas
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are you running this Accelerator?
We want to focus our pro-bono work into one powerful partnership that demonstrates what’s possible when strategy, creativity and technology align. It’s a way for us to give back while proving what supporter-first fundraising can achieve.
What’s included?
Everything listed above — strategy, delivery, coaching, automation, training, and tech access. The charity will receive the full £107,000 package, delivered over 12 months.
What’s not included?
We’ll cover our time, tools, and delivery — but not external subscription or usage costs.
That means you’ll cover (at cost) any third-party software, email or WhatsApp sends, or automation credits beyond your free monthly allowance.
Who’s eligible?
UK-registered charities with a fundraising income of £1 million or more, a working CRM, and leadership support for the partnership.
Why can’t charities with under £1m fundraising income apply?
We believe to make a viable difference there needs to be a certain level of income and size of team in place. We gave over £20,000 worth of free support and training when we launched in July, plus we ran the free ‘Thread Fundraising Festival’ in September.
Our intention is to plan a different grant programme better suited to smaller charities at some point in 2026
Why can’t charities with over £10m fundraising income apply?
We believe the support we can offer could be lost in a bigger organisation. The sign off processes, existing systems and silos mean that we won’t be able to move at a sufficient pace to make a difference.
There are lots of other ways we can help though. From campaign design to AI automations, we offer a range of support and products that can help large charities improve supporter experience and journeys.
If you really think we could make a difference and can overcome the challenges we outlined, then do get in touch.
When will the winner be announced?
Shortlisting and interviews will take place in early November with the winner being announced later that month. This will give us December to get things in place to hit the ground running with the winning charity in January 2026.
The Impact
This isn’t just a prize.
It’s a chance to reimagine what your fundraising team can achieve in a year, with a partner who’s helped 50+ charities grow income, improve retention, and strengthen supporter experience.
Imagine having the expertise of a full-service fundraising team behind you - without the agency fees.
The Fundraising Accelerator - Application Form
Stitching supporter-first fundraising into every campaign. Expert people, proven blueprints, and smart tech to grow income and wow donors.
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