Your grants pipeline called…it needs attention

If you’re looking at the months ahead and feeling slightly unsure about your grant income pipeline, it might be worth purchasing our Trust Fundraising Starter Pack.

Across the sector, charities are navigating a funding environment that feels increasingly competitive and harder to predict. NCVO’s UK Civil Society Almanac 2025 highlights that grant demand has risen sharply in recent years, with some funders reporting increases of up to 60%, making it harder than ever to stand out.

At the same time, the funding landscape itself is shifting. Third Sector has reported a growing move towards longer-term relationships and more trust-based funding models. While positive in principle, this doesn’t automatically translate into easier access to funding. In practice, it raises expectations around clarity and readiness.

And yet, many charities still approach grant fundraising reactively - writing applications only when deadlines appear, rather than building a structured pipeline in advance.

That becomes a problem because by the time autumn arrives, there’s often very little time left to do meaningful pipeline development.

Why now?

The quieter period before summer is one of the most valuable windows in the fundraising calendar. It creates space to step back and focus on the work that too often gets pushed aside, but makes the biggest difference later on:

• Identifying funders who genuinely align with your work; 

• Building a realistic, prioritised grants pipeline;

• Focusing effort on opportunities most likely to succeed;

• Planning around key autumn and winter deadlines;

• Creating a clearer 6 - 12 month fundraising roadmap.

With more charities applying for funding, funders tightening criteria and increasing use of digital tools (including AI) across the sector, the organisations that plan ahead are the ones most likely to secure consistent income.

This is where a structured approach helps…

A stronger pipeline doesn’t come from working harder at the last minute. It comes from building the right structure earlier in the year.

Our Trust Fundraising Starter Pack is designed to take that pressure off and give you clarity, direction and momentum.

For £825 (+ VAT) per month over four months, we will:

• Review your organisation and funding needs;

• Research suitable grant funders;

• Build a tailored pipeline of opportunities;

• Highlight priority prospects and next steps;

• Create a practical roadmap for your trust fundraising.

Why does the Starter Pack exist?

We exist to support small charities doing big work.

While many of our partnerships are longer-term retainers, we recognise that not every organisation is in a position to commit to that level of investment.

Entry-level fundraising roles now typically sit between £23,000 and £35,000, and even that remains out of reach for many organisations. Our standard monthly retainers reflect a full-service offer, but we know that can still feel inaccessible for smaller charities, churches and community groups.

That’s why we created the Trust Fundraising Starter Pack.

Whether you’re exploring grant fundraising for the first time, or simply need a focused round of applications submitted before year-end, this short-term contract is designed to give you a meaningful boost.

What’s included in the Trust Starter Pack?

You’ll be supported by two members of our team from September to December, taking you through a structured, end-to-end process:

Kick-off session

A deep-dive meeting to understand your work, priorities and funding needs. This forms the foundation for all applications.

Case for support development

We create a clear, compelling case for support covering need, aims, outcomes, outputs and impact - used across all applications.

Budget creation

We review your existing budgets to shape a clear, funder-ready funding ask and highlight any gaps or deficits.

Funder research

A tailored pipeline of relevant trusts and foundations aligned with your work and priorities.

Application delivery

Typically, we submit between 10 - 15 well-targeted applications to priority funders identified through the research.

Handover and reporting

Everything produced is returned to you, along with a clear overview of applications, strategy and next steps.

We could tell you but we'd rather they did…

“[Chell Perkins’] results have been remarkable. From the outset, they were proactive, strategic and impressively efficient. Within just a few months, we’ve seen significant success, securing substantial grants that will make a real difference to our work. We’re absolutely delighted.” - The Bear Church

“Since working with them, we’ve seen our best-ever return on funding applications and we’re excited about the doors this is opening for our work. We couldn’t recommend them more highly.” - Hope North London

“We’ve really enjoyed working with the team from Chell Perkins. They have been very professional in their approach and rigorous in their preparation and research prior to completing and submitting funding applications. The level of success to date has also been high, at a time when the demand for funding from Trusts and Foundations is growing hugely. I would have no hesitation in using them again and recommending them to others.” - Prodigal Arts

So…what now?

You focus on changing lives. We'll focus on helping you find the funding to make more of that possible.

If you'd like to explore whether our Trust Starter Pack could support your organisation, get in touch by emailing hello@chellperkins.com  We'd love to hear your story.