What is trust fundraising, really? Back to basics this autumn
September is a natural moment to revisit the basics of trust fundraising. Stacey Teece sets out the eight foundations behind a strong programme and the honest funding landscape UK trust fundraisers are working within right now.
Trust Fundraising Planning: How to Prepare for a Busy Autumn
August and early September are the quietest weeks a trust fundraiser gets all year. Stacey Teece sets out how to use them: an honest pipeline review, a realistic income forecast, every autumn deadline in the diary, and end of grant reports prepared before the rush arrives. A few intentional hours now is what makes September manageable.
Summer Recharge: Permission to Rest and How to Set Yourself Up for a Busy Autumn
August in trust fundraising can feel strange. The pace slows, funders go quiet, and for people used to being busy that stillness is uncomfortable. Stacey Teece makes the case for rest, and sets out a short, realistic August list that makes September easier.
Managing Up: The Internal Conversations That Can Make-or-Break Trust Fundraising
Trust fundraisers are brilliant at navigating external barriers. The internal ones, the conversations about impact data, targets and telling beneficiary stories, get far less attention. Stacey Teece explores the internal conversations that decide whether trust fundraising thrives or struggles.
The Questions Trust Fundraisers Are Really Asking
After nearly two years of Let's Chat sessions, training and client work, Stacey Teece keeps hearing the same questions from trust fundraisers. Here she answers the most common ones honestly and practically, from executive summaries and application length to how much to ask for and making the case for core costs. No judgement, no silly questions.
Showing Up When It's Hard - Building Resilience as a Trust Fundraiser
The rejections in trust fundraising are relentless, and the emotional weight is real. Resilience is not about pushing through regardless. It is about knowing yourself well enough to step back, ask for help and look after yourself, so you can keep showing up.
When the Answer is No — How to Respond to a Rejection and Keep the Relationship Warm
A rejection letter can feel like the end of the road, but it doesn't have to be. This post looks at how to respond to a trust funding "no" with grace, when to ask for feedback, and how to keep the relationship warm for future applications.
The Executive Summary: The Part of Your Trust Proposal That Does the Heavy Lifting
The executive summary is often treated as an introduction. In practice, it is the part of your proposal that a funder reads most carefully, and sometimes the only part they read at all. Get five specific things right, in the right order, and your proposal stands a much stronger chance of getting the attention it deserves.
Why Good Trust Applications Still Fail — and What to Do About It
Most trust applications that fail aren't bad ones. They're good applications with fixable problems. Stacey Teece unpacks the most common patterns she sees — from describing activities instead of impact to sending applications in volume rather than with precision — and explains what small adjustments actually move the needle.
You Know Your Stuff. So Why Does Trust Fundraising Still Feel Lonely Sometimes?
Trust fundraising is one of the most skilled, complex roles in the sector. It's also one of the loneliest. Stacey explores why that isolation happens — and what we can practically do about it.
Your Trust Pipeline Is Trying to Tell You Something. Are You Listening?
Your trust pipeline is more than a tracker of money in and money out. Stacey Teece explains how to read it as a map of your funder relationships — and what to do when it reveals that something needs to change.
Good news on Trust funding — but is it the whole story?
Positive headlines about trust funding growth are welcome — but they can mask very different realities for individual fundraisers. Stacey Teece looks at what the data actually means for your cause area, and why digging deeper into the numbers matters.
How to Improve Your Trust Success Rates
If your trust applications are not converting, adding more to the pile is not the answer. Stacey Teece sets out why a more strategic and relationship-led approach makes more difference than volume ever will — and what that looks like in practice.
When Compliance Feels Like Good Fundraising
Organisations with strong ethical foundations in their fundraising find that compliance feels less like a checklist and more like a confirmation. Stacey Teece reflects on delivering training about the 2025 Code — and what it reveals about the charities that are already doing this well.
Beyond the Application: Why Trust Fundraising Is Really About Relationships
Strong applications alone are no longer enough. The strongest trust fundraising programmes are built on genuine funder relationships — before, during, and long after any application. Stacey Teece explains what relationship-led trust fundraising actually looks like in practice.
How to Find and Approach the Right Trust Funders
A scattergun approach to trust fundraising wastes time and rarely works. Stacey Teece explains how to research, assess, and approach funders strategically — so you invest your energy where it is most likely to result in a grant.
How to Make Core Costs Fundable: The Reframing Approach
Funders often overlook operational costs because they do not connect emotionally with line items labelled 'overhead'. Stacey Teece explains how a shift in language and framing can make your essential costs genuinely fundable — and why this matters more than ever.
Trust Fundraising 101: Understanding the UK Funding Landscape
Trust fundraising offers charities a significant income opportunity — but success requires more than having a worthy cause. Stacey Teece walks through the landscape, the key players, and the approach that gives new trust fundraisers the strongest possible start.
Why Trust Fundraisers Must Be Involved in Project Design
When trust fundraisers are brought in at the last minute, applications suffer. Stacey Teece makes the case for involving fundraisers in project design from the outset — and explains why the charities that do this consistently raise more from trusts.
How to Find the Right Trust Funders: A Prospect Research Guide
Finding the right trust funders for your charity starts with asking the right questions — before you search a single database. Beth Upton walks through the six questions to ask first, and a curated list of free and low-cost research tools that trust fundraisers actually use.