Training FAQ’s

UK charities, non-profits, schools, academies and faith organisations. That includes trustees, CEOs, school business managers, bursars, volunteers and anyone taking their first steps in fundraising, as well as experienced fundraisers keeping up with current law and best practice.

17 currently. One of them, Introduction to Fundraising, is completely free. All 17 are accredited by The CPD Group and grounded in current UK law and best practice. Our Courses.

All of the training is online and on demand. There are no live sessions, webinars, group courses or in-house training days. You work through each course at your own pace, whenever suits you.

Much of the content applies across the UK: the research tools, application techniques, budgeting and funder relationship practice are the same everywhere. The legal framework covered is that for charities registered in England and Wales, so organisations in Scotland should also refer to OSCR, and those in Northern Ireland to the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

No. They are educational resources. Nothing in a course is legal, financial, tax, regulatory or governance advice, and you should always check the current position with the Charity Commission, the Fundraising Regulator, gov.uk or a professional adviser before acting. The courses teach skills and approaches; they cannot guarantee any grant, donation or fundraising outcome.

If you are new to fundraising, start with the free Introduction to Fundraising. If you already know the basics and want to focus on grant applications, Writing Winning Funding Applications is the natural next step. Every course is self-contained, so you can take them in any order.

No. Each course stands alone. Introduction to Fundraising first is sensible if you are a beginner, because it gives you the grounding the others build on, but nothing is a prerequisite.

They overlap, and either is a good starting point. Writing Winning Funding Applications follows the application itself from research to submission, including budget and evaluation, across all funder types. Fundraising from Trusts and Foundations focuses on that one funder type and spends more time on shaping fundable projects and project plans before you write. If trusts and foundations are your main income source, choose that one; if you apply to a mix of funders, choose Writing Winning Funding Applications.

Monitoring and Evaluation is about building the system: Theory of Change, objectives and indicators, data collection and analysis. Impact Reporting is about what you do with the evidence: the legal reporting framework, measuring impact, and communicating it to funders, commissioners and the public. Many organisations take both, starting with Monitoring and Evaluation.

Yes. Fundraising for Schools and Academies is written for headteachers, business managers, bursars, academy trustees, PTAs and teachers, and starts with eligibility and the principle of additionality. Fundraising for Christian Faith Organisations is written for churches, Christian charities and faith-based organisations, including how to navigate the faith question for different funder types.

Most courses are six modules and take around three to four hours. Introduction to Fundraising is six modules over two to three hours. Statutory Sector Fundraising is the longest at nine modules and four to five hours. Corporate Fundraising and Philanthropy and Major Donor Fundraising have seven modules, Fundraising for Christian Faith Organisations has eight and Legacy Fundraising has five. Each course page gives the exact figures.

Go to Our Courses, click Add to Cart on the course you want, then go to the basket and check out. Access to the course, including the downloadable copy, is released as soon as your payment goes through.

See our courses here.

Debit and credit cards, processed securely by Stripe. GeckoFundraising never sees or stores your card details.

No. All purchases are made by card at checkout. A VAT invoice is issued automatically after payment, which you can pass to your finance team.

Yes. Each course is linked to one named learner's account on the training platform. You create your account when you register for the free course or check out for the first time. Please keep your login details private; accounts cannot be shared.

No. Each purchase gives access to one named learner through their own account, and the licence does not allow the course content, downloadable copy or login to be shared. If several members of your team want to complete a course, each needs their own purchase. To discuss a multi-learner arrangement, email amie@geckofundraising.co.uk.

The learner needs their own account, so the simplest route is for them to register and purchase themselves. If you are buying on behalf of a colleague or your organisation and that is not practical, email amie@geckofundraising.co.uk before you buy.

Yes. A VAT invoice is issued on every purchase and you will receive an Order Confirmation email with your access details. If it has not arrived, check your junk or spam folder first, then email amie@geckofundraising.co.uk with the name and email you used at checkout.

Two things happen when you buy. First, you can download a copy of the course (as a PDF) that is yours to keep permanently, like a book. Second, you get access through your online account, with the knowledge checks and certificate, for as long as the training platform is provided. There is no time limit and no renewal fee.

Yes. Once payment is processed you can download a copy of each purchased course in PDF format and keep it for your own use. Knowledge checks and certificates are completed inside the online course rather than in the download.

All 17 courses are currently the July 2026 Edition. The content reflects UK law, regulator guidance and sector best practice as at July 2026.

Each course is sold as a dated edition. The content is correct as at the date shown on the course page and is not changed after that, in the same way as a printed book. I expect to release updated editions roughly annually. A new edition is a separate product, so buying one edition does not automatically include later ones, although existing learners may be offered a discount on a new edition at the time.

The edition you buy is fixed at its stated date. I review course content periodically and may publish notes flagging significant changes, but I do not promise to update an edition after purchase. Always check the current position with the Charity Commission, the Fundraising Regulator or gov.uk before acting.

No. Your purchase is a personal, non-transferable licence for one named learner. The content, including the downloadable copy, may not be shared, copied, distributed or uploaded to AI tools, and login details may not be shared. Templates and checklists can be adapted for your own organisation's use, but the templates themselves remain GeckoFundraising's property.

You keep every downloadable copy you have paid for, so you do not lose the course. GeckoFundraising would give at least 30 days' notice by email. If the platform closed within twelve months of your purchase and you had not yet earned your certificate, a partial refund of the platform element (valued at no more than 20% of the course price) would apply, as set out in the Terms and Conditions.

Yes. All 17 courses, including the free Introduction to Fundraising, are CPD accredited by The CPD Group. Accreditation confirms that the structure and learning materials have been assessed against The CPD Group's framework. Each course displays its accreditation number and a verification link inside the course.

Most courses carry 4 CPD credits. Introduction to Fundraising, Building a Sustainable Fundraising Strategy and Corporate Fundraising carry 3, and Statutory Sector Fundraising carries 5. The Full Catalogue adds up to 66 credits.

In full: Introduction to Fundraising 3; Writing Winning Funding Applications 4; Finding the Right Funders 4; Storytelling at the Heart of Fundraising 4; Budget Brilliance for Fundraisers 4; Building a Sustainable Fundraising Strategy 3; Fundraising from Trusts and Foundations 4; Corporate Fundraising 3; Capital Campaigns 4; Philanthropy and Major Donor Fundraising 4; Legacy Fundraising 4; Statutory Sector Fundraising 5; Monitoring and Evaluation 4; Impact Reporting 4; Building Funder Relationships That Last 4; Fundraising for Schools and Academies 4; Fundraising for Christian Faith Organisations 4.

No. The courses are accredited by The CPD Group, not by the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, and the certificate is not formally recognised by the CIoF or by any other professional body. It is a certificate of completion carrying CPD credits from The CPD Group, which many people record in their own professional CPD log. If you need a certificate to count towards a specific membership, qualification or employer requirement, please check with that organisation before you buy.

Accreditation is granted to GeckoFundraising Ltd by The CPD Group for a fixed term and may be renewed, varied or withdrawn by them. A change in accreditation status after your purchase does not entitle you to a refund, and CPD credits apply to completions recorded while the course is accredited. Certificates already earned remain valid as evidence of completion.

Email amie@geckofundraising.co.uk with the subject line Complaint and describe what has happened. Complaints are handled under the GeckoFundraising Complaints Policy. GeckoFundraising is run by one person, so the timescales in the policy are targets that may occasionally be extended, but I will always respond as soon as I reasonably can. Complaints Policy.

You can appeal. Concerns about a knowledge check outcome, course completion or certification are handled under the Appeals Policy. Email amie@geckofundraising.co.uk with the subject line Appeal in the first instance and I will explain the next steps.