The 2026 Charity Sector Support Index: What Help Charities Need to Deliver More Impact
To understand what help charities currently need, we asked 1,274 charities, voluntary organisations and community groups what support would best help them deliver their mission and reach more people.
The responses paint a clear picture of the pressures charities are facing in 2026.
Our findings highlight the following charity sector support needs and pressures:
1
Funding and income generation
When charities talk about “help”, they often mean financial headroom to keep doing the work. In total, 28.6% of charities we surveyed said they need help with funding.
Of these, the most common funding-related needs were fundraising events and appeals (11.8%), donations and regular giving (7.4%), and grant or trust funding (4.9%).
Many organisations are looking for core or unrestricted income to keep services stable, cover overheads and take pressure off already stretched teams.
What charities are asking for includes:
- Help finding relevant grants and funding programmes
- Support with applications and bid writing (or simply the time to do it)
- Core funding and unrestricted income to stabilise delivery
- Fundraising support, donor development and corporate partnerships
A clear pattern here is that charities aren’t only seeking “more money”. They are also looking for more predictable income and more capacity to pursue funding properly.
2
Volunteers and people capacity
People power is the second biggest operational pressure point, with 20% of respondents citing it as an area their organisation currently needs help with.
Across the dataset, the strongest theme was volunteer recruitment and retention (16.7%), followed by staffing costs (10%) and wellbeing or burnout (5.3%). Many organisations described the same cycle: demand rises, teams stretch and the ability to plan and improve drops away.
Common requests included:
- Recruiting and retaining volunteers
- Funding for staff roles, often delivery and admin capacity
- Training and upskilling, including leadership capability
- Reducing workload pressure and avoiding burnout in small teams
Even where charities are “coping”, a lot of responses suggested it feels fragile. A handful of missed shifts, a delayed grant payment, or one key person leaving can have an outsized impact.
3
Programme delivery and service expansion
Demand is rising, and many organisations feel they are chasing it.
A significant number of responses (17.7%) referenced the need to run or expand services, increase reach, deliver more sessions or start new projects, often driven by unmet need. Waiting lists, crisis support and pressure on frontline services came through strongly, particularly where charities support people affected by poverty, poor mental health, disability and social exclusion.
What this tells us is that “help” is frequently about capacity to deliver, not only new initiatives. Many charities want support to keep services running consistently and respond to demand without exhausting their teams.
4
Digital, IT and data
Digital capability is still a barrier for charities, especially at the practical end, with one in ten charities saying they need help with hardware like laptops and devices and systems or software such as CRMs and databases.
While these numbers are smaller than funding and people themes, they matter because IT gaps can create knock-on inefficiencies across fundraising, service delivery, volunteer management and reporting.
What charities said they needed:
- Laptops and basic IT kit, often linked to digital inclusion and admin capacity
- Website improvements, software subscriptions and digital tools
- Upgrading systems to work more efficiently, with occasional cyber-related concerns
In plain terms, lots of charities are still trying to do modern work on outdated tools, and it costs them time every week.
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5
Premises, facilities and estates
Keeping buildings usable is a growing strain, as 8.6% of respondents said they needed help with their premises.
These tended to focus on rent and space, heating, energy and utilities costs and repairs or maintenance. For charities running community spaces, offices, shops, hubs or centres, premises costs can quickly become the budget line that squeezes everything else.
Common needs included:
- Building maintenance and repairs
- Heating systems, insulation, safety improvements and security equipment
- Fit-out and furnishings for community spaces
- Vehicles and equipment used to deliver services
This category also links directly to service continuity. Premises problems can disrupt programmes fast, especially in winter or during periods of severe weather.
6
Equipment and core resources
The “boring but vital” everyday costs are becoming harder to absorb for charities across the UK, with 8% citing them as a major area of support.
A lot of requests were for basic programme equipment or kit, food and essentials and furniture or fittings.
These needs may sound basic, but they’re often what keeps services running day-to-day, and they are frequently difficult to fund through restricted grants.
Examples included:
- Office essentials and the running costs that keep the lights on
- Practical supplies that help deliver sessions and support beneficiaries
- Help with rising costs that are not matched by income growth
This is the reality underneath many responses: charities are stretching every pound, and the basics still matter.
7
Marketing, comms and awareness
Charities want help being seen, heard and understood.
The most frequent asks in this theme were for PR or media coverage, social media support and improving websites or SEO. Visibility drives donations, volunteer sign-ups, referrals and partnerships, but many teams don’t have the time or specialist skills to do it consistently.
What charities asked for included:
- Help reaching supporters and beneficiaries
- Promoting services, improving visibility, strengthening comms
- Support to run campaigns without burning out small teams
This is a common trade-off: comms is vital, but it often falls behind urgent delivery work.
8
Governance, compliance and risk
Many charities also said they would like support with governance of their organisation.
This clustered around insurance and cover questions, policies and procedures, safeguarding, and health and safety or risk assessments. Governance and compliance tends to rise in priority when something goes wrong, or when charities grow quickly and need stronger systems.
Requests included:
- Help with policies, compliance, and trustee or board pressures
- Practical risk management resources
- Safeguarding and health and safety guidance
- Insurance-related support and clarity
Even when it was mentioned less often, it’s a high-impact area. Getting it wrong can be costly in time, money and reputation.
9
Partnerships, networking & influence
Charities want doors opened, not just advice.
Some responses asked for introductions to corporate supporters, local partnerships (including councils), and help building useful networks. This links closely with funding, comms, and long-term sustainability.
What charities asked for included:
- Introductions to partners who can provide skills, funding, or resources
- Collaboration opportunities to deliver better services
- Support building relationships that lead to long-term impact
What this means for charities going forward
Looking across every theme, three underlying needs keep showing up for charities and voluntary organisations.
They need:
In other words, charities aren’t short on ideas or ambition. They’re short on time, headroom and practical support.
That's why we are looking to help as many charities as we can via our ongoing Charity Wishlist campaign. We are looking to partner with other organisations and businesses to help contribute to granting as many Charity Wishes as possible, so if you are interested in helping a charity, please contact us today.
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Any views or opinions expressed above are for guidance only and are expressed in generic terms. They are not intended as a substitute for readers taking appropriate professional advice relevant to individual circumstances. We would always encourage readers to seek professional advice.