The Myth of the Corporate Golden Goose: Why corporate funding may not be the saviour the sector is banking on
Podcast transcript
Podcast description
Corporates to the rescue? Or perhaps not. Why corporate fundraising may not be the saviour the sector is banking on
In the current funding perfect storm, are corporates the superhero that will save the sector with their deep pockets and desire to appear good? In this episode we dive into whether corporate fundraising is really the saviour many charities hope for. We hear insights from companies: from the frustrations and horror stories to what actually makes partnerships work, explore mismatched expectations, the power dynamics between sectors, and why respect and professionalism matter as much as brand or size. And we uncover what you need to do if you are going to make corporate fundraising work for your charity.
“I think what we’re seeing is organisations recognising the potential that corporate partnership presents, while not quite having their own house in order to take advantage of it”.
“Like any good relationship, you have to put the effort in in order to reap the rewards. So what I’m seeing is definitely a little bit of magical thinking; we’ll plug our gap with corporate income…without actually investing in the right capacity, the roles, the data and the time to build the relationships…It’s not a case of going out and picking that money off the magic money tree. You need to invest in proper resource and capacity and ensure that you’re organisationally ready for it.”
Rachel Holborow
“One of the things that really struck us in the project is that companies don’t have to give. There’s a kind of attitude in the sector that we feel really strongly In our gut that they should. And because we feel that they should, it can be quite easy to forget that they don’t have to. But they don’t have to, and actually the attitude that they should and they have to is one of the things that really holds us back.”
“Desperate cash flow panic is one of the worst things that you can bring to corporate fundraising. It’s not the income stream for that. And I don’t know what is.”
Andy King
“It’s not for want of not wanting to give more, the desire is there, it just isn’t always possible because times are really tough. That’s not to say that we don’t give anything away…but we’re just being a bit more targeted and a bit more specific so we’re making slightly tougher choices than we would have done maybe ten years ago.”
“So the best set of partnerships that I have worked on and had the pleasure of seeing are when those values of each set of people in those organisations are aligned, so you’re both trying to tackle the same problem together. Neither one of you is trying to undercut each other or take each other for granted…The best partnerships are about respecting each person as an expert, so each organisation has credibility in what they do and the partnership enhances both of those things together.”
Hiran Adhia
Our hosts
Felicia Willow, aka the Mary Poppins of the Charity Sector, is a seasoned interim CEO and consultant in the Charity Sector, working primarily on strategy, governance, crisis and effectiveness. Her leadership roles include the Fawcett Society and the Shannon Trust. A lawyer by training, Felicia’s career has spanned government, UN and the UK charity sector (the ‘For Impact’ sector) and she finds herself increasingly focussed on discussing and challenging the systemic issues that are holding the sector back.
Chris Pitt is responsible for positive social and environmental impact at Benefact Group, a family of specialist financial services businesses owned by a charitable Trust. The Group is the 3rd largest corporate giver to charity1 and Chris oversees over £2m of giving, namely through the Movement for Good awards which give small donations to a huge diversity of causes and large grants to charities close to the customers and communities of the Group.
1 DSC – The guide to UK Company Giving 2023-24
Our guests
Rachel Holborow
I’m Rachel, founder of Rachel H Consulting. I’ve spent over 17 years in the charity sector, leading corporate fundraising at national organisations like Macmillan Cancer Support, Young Lives vs Cancer, and Home-Start UK. Working for a federated charity like Home-Start UK also means I understand the unique challenges smaller, local charities face, and I’ve had the privilege of supporting hundreds of them across the UK. Over that time, I’ve built and managed partnerships worth millions with companies such as Tesco, BT, John Lewis, and Virgin Money.
These days, I work with charities of all sizes to help them build stronger, more strategic corporate partnerships that deliver sustainable income and real impact.
Alongside consultancy, I’ve recently released some research into the state of corporate fundraising in 2025, exploring the opportunities and challenges faced by fundraisers and businesses alike.
I live on the Gower coast in South Wales with my husband and three children. Life is busy, noisy, and often a bit chaotic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Andy King
Andy King is the Director of Fireside Fundraising and an award-winning storyteller. In July 2022, Fundraising Magazine named him ‘the most influential fundraiser in the UK’. Andy’s passion is helping charities tell their most important stories to those with the power to change the ending. This has led him to kickstart corporate partnerships programmes from a standing start to a value of £450,000 per year in 18 months. He has also transformed existing approaches to go beyond ‘logo-led’ fundraising with St. John’s Ambulance, UNESCO and Cancer Research UK. Having worked with charities of all shapes and sizes, he is keen to create the tools that will work for you.
Hiran Adhia
Hiran is a branding and marketing executive, with a background in start-ups and innovation. Having worked across both the US and European regions, he’s led large global projects and teams across the world’s biggest brands including H&M, Barclays, Gillette, Volkswagen and WPP. He’s also founded and sold two businesses – an innovation consultancy and a small design agency. In his spare time, he’s an avid badminton player and enjoys baking cookies.
Resources
Corporate Fundraising in 2026 research
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