Aaron Barbour, one of our fundraising consultants, looks ahead to building stronger relationships in 2026.
Here’s an uncomfortable truth for 2026: what if your New Year’s resolution was to submit 50% fewer grant applications?
It sounds counterintuitive. After all, fundraising wisdom suggests that more applications equal more chances of success. But the reality facing UK charities, churches, and schools tells a different story.
Applications: the numbers don’t lie
Recent research from Hinchilla shows that well-resourced fundraising teams now achieve roughly 35% success rates across trusts fundraising pipelines, whilst some major foundations like Esmée Fairbairn and Paul Hamyln report that only 6-7% of open applications secure funding. Jo Jeffery’s vital work through The List has documented the sobering reality: hundreds of trusts and foundations have paused, closed or restructured their grantmaking post-Covid. The sector is chasing fewer pots with more applications.
This raises a critical question: if you’re submitting 20 applications to win two or three grants, how much time, energy and money are you wasting on the other 17 failures?
The relationship revolution
Here’s what the research tells us: whether you’re approaching a trust, cultivating a major donor or launching a Big Give campaign, relationships beat volume every single time. The fundraising literature reinforces this. Have a read of Ken Burnett’s ground breaking ‘Relationship Fundraising’ book, published back in 1992 (in fact read any or all of Ken’s books). One of my old bosses, David Robinson, is now running the Relationships Project if you’re looking for inspiration. Or look to Rob Woods and his excellent but simple suggestion of having more cups of coffee with people as a way of developing your relationships.
Research from The Big Give shows that 84% of respondents are more likely to give when matching is offered and donors give larger amounts when their donations are matched. But here’s the thing: successful Big Give campaigns aren’t built in December. They’re built all year round by engaging with communities who trust your work.
The same principle applies across every income stream. According to Blackbaud’s 2025 Status of UK Fundraising report, charities experiencing income growth rely on a mix of grants, trusts and foundations, individual giving and legacies, whilst declining organisations over depend on single sources. But diversification isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing the right things well and doing them through the relationship you already have and those you can develop.
“Apply Less, Win More” means smarter applications, cultivation and income portfolio
This isn’t about abandoning grant applications. It’s about being strategic. Here are some simple steps you can take in 2026:
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Audit your relationships, not just your applications
Before you pursue a new funder, ask:
- Have you engaged with them before applying? Pick up the phone and talk to them.
- Do you understand their current priorities (not just what’s on their website)? Scroll through their socials; check their Charity Commission and 360 Giving pages; speak to their previous grantees.
- Is there genuine alignment between their mission and yours? Be honest – are they really, really the right match for you.
One well researched, relationship based application to a funder you truly understand will always outperform five generic submissions to trusts you’ve never engaged with.
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Build your income portfolio around your strengths
Churches with strong congregations? Focus on individual giving and major donors who already know your work. Schools with active parent communities? The Big Give campaigns can mobilise that existing goodwill. National charities with track records? Strategic trust partnerships and statutory funding might be your sweet spot.
As recent sector analysis emphasises, diversifying income sources has become more critical than ever and will continue to be this new year, particularly given rising costs and increased demand for services. But diversification doesn’t mean doing everything. It means identifying 2-3 income streams that match your capacity and relationships, then doing those brilliantly.
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Invest in cultivation, not just applications
Major donors don’t emerge from nowhere. Research consistently shows that major donors to an organisation have usually been previous supporters, often at much lower levels, who see their relationship with that organisation develop over time. The same applies to Trust funders. They’re far more likely to fund organisations they’ve engaged with beyond a cold application.
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Make “No” your superpower
Permission to say ‘no’ is perhaps the most valuable gift you can give yourself in 2026. Not the right fit? Wrong timing? Unclear priorities? Walk away. Every hour spent on an ill matched application is an hour not spent deepening relationships with funders, donors or supporters who genuinely connect with and care about your mission.
Your January Challenge
This month, commit to three actions:
First, calculate your ‘success rate’ from last year. If you’re below 25-30%, you’re applying too broadly.
Second, map your genuine relationships across all potential income streams – trusts, major donors, community supporters, corporate partners, etc. Where do you have real connections? Where are you starting cold? An hour spent mapping your relationships with your SLT and Trustees, with a few post it notes and address books, would start this process.
Third, choose one income stream to strengthen this quarter. Not five. One. Whether that’s deepening relationships with existing trust funders, launching a cultivation programme for potential major donors or building the community that will drive your next Big Give campaign. This focus will create results.
The bottom line
The fundraising landscape has fundamentally changed. Charities that thrive in 2026 will continue to diversify their income streams, whilst building genuine relationships with their donors. They’ve stopped playing the numbers game with applications and started playing the long game with people.
In 2026, applying less doesn’t mean achieving less. It means being more strategic, more intentional and more relationship focused. It means recognising that whether you’re writing to a trust, meeting a major donor or engaging your community, you’re not just seeking funding, you’re building partnerships that will sustain your mission for years to come.
The question isn’t how many applications can you submit this year. The question is: which relationships will you invest in?
Need help? Get in touch
At Craigmyle Fundraising Consultants, we help charities, churches and schools identify their strongest relationship opportunities and build sustainable fundraising strategies around them. Want to discuss how to apply these principles to your organisation? Get in touch or send us an email at first@craigmyle.org.uk.
