The Fundraising Everywhere Podcast Event Fundraising in 2026: Leadership Buy-In, Data, and the Power of Community
What if the biggest barrier to event fundraising success isn't budget, marketing, or even donor fatigue- but a lack of leadership buy-in within your own organisation?
In this episode, Simon Scriver sits down with Pascale Harvie, President of JustGiving, to unpack their 2026 Event Fundraising Snapshot report and reveal what's really driving results in the sector. Despite cost-of-living pressures across the UK, event fundraising raised over £235 million on JustGiving alone in 2025—a 6% year-on-year increase. But the data reveals a surprising truth: 71% of charities that exceeded their event fundraising targets had one thing in common; leadership teams that made events a key priority.
Pascale shares the standout case study of Endometriosis UK, a small team that doubled their event income to £250K by starting small, tracking demand, and proving results to leadership. Their secret? Focus, efficiency, and making fundraisers feel valued- not a massive budget or team.
In this episode, you'll discover:
- Why 71% of successful charities prioritise event fundraising at the leadership level
- The gap between belief and resourcing: 78% say events are essential, but only 28% feel properly resourced
- How running events (especially 10Ks and half marathons) are driving the fastest growth
- The biggest challenges facing charities: cost-of-living pressures, rising event costs, and staff burnout
- Why 1 million fundraising pages and 18 million donations prove the public's commitment hasn't disappeared
- Pascale's advice on making the internal case for event fundraising investment
- What's next for JustGiving, including exciting AI developments on the horizon
Check out JustGiving 2026 Events Fundraising Snapshot
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And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.