About Course
Corporate Fundraising
CPD Accredited – July 2026 Edition
A comprehensive, UK-focused training course on identifying, researching, approaching and managing corporate funding partnerships, grounded in UK legislation, CSR and ESG frameworks and the Code of Fundraising Practice.
Who Is This Course For?
This course has been designed for anyone involved in seeking, managing or developing corporate funding relationships in a UK charity or voluntary organisation. Whether you are a:
- Fundraiser or development professional looking to grow corporate income
- Chief Executive or senior manager responsible for high-value business partnerships
- Trustee with oversight of income diversification and corporate engagement strategy
- Volunteer or new entrant looking to build a corporate fundraising programme from scratch
- Communications or marketing professional supporting corporate partnership development
- Finance lead who wants to understand the legal and VAT implications of different types of corporate income
This course will give you the knowledge, frameworks and legal grounding to build a corporate fundraising programme that generates sustainable income and genuine mutual value. No prior corporate fundraising experience assumed.
Course Overview
7 modules · Average 3 to 4 hours to complete · Work at your own pace
The Corporate Fundraising Landscape
Corporate fundraising is one of the fastest-growing income streams for UK charities. This module sets the scene: what corporate fundraising is, the distinct types of support available (grants, sponsorship, cause-related marketing, payroll giving, employee fundraising, gifts in kind and corporate volunteering), and the legal and regulatory framework that governs each. Critically, you will learn the difference between a donation and a commercial arrangement, a distinction that has real tax and legal consequences.
Understanding Why Companies Give: CSR, ESG and Motivation
To secure corporate support, you must understand what drives corporate decision-making. This module explores Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the three pillars of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) reporting, the Companies Act 2006 requirements for social and environmental reporting, and the business case for giving. You will learn how to read a company’s CSR or sustainability report, speak the language of business, and identify the companies most likely to support your work.
Research and Due Diligence
Finding the right corporate partner is about far more than finding a company with money. This module covers how to research potential corporate partners thoroughly and ethically, using Companies House, sector databases, LinkedIn and CSR reports. You will also learn how to conduct due diligence on prospective partners: the reputational risks of corporate partnerships, your obligations under the Code of Fundraising Practice, and what a robust due diligence process looks like in practice.
Making the Match
The best corporate partnerships are built on genuine shared values and mutual benefit. This module shows you how to build a compelling partnership proposition, align your charity’s impact to a company’s CSR priorities, and present the business case for supporting your work in terms that resonate with corporate decision-makers. Worked examples of strong and weak partnership pitches are included throughout.
Crafting Your Corporate Proposal
How to write and present a corporate partnership proposal that wins support. This module covers the structure and content of an effective proposal, how to present your impact evidence, how to price a sponsorship package, and what to include in a cause-related marketing or joint promotion agreement. You will also learn what the Charities Act 2011 requires of a written commercial participator agreement, and why getting this right protects both parties legally.
Legal Framework and Compliance
Corporate fundraising involves a more complex legal and tax landscape than trust fundraising. This module covers the key legislation you need to understand: Gift Aid on corporate donations, the VAT treatment of sponsorship income, the legal requirements around cause-related marketing under the Charities Act 2011, HMRC’s payroll giving scheme, and your obligations under UK GDPR when managing corporate contact data.
Managing Corporate Partnerships
Winning a corporate partner is the beginning, not the end. This module covers the lifecycle of a corporate partnership, how to deliver on your obligations, report on outcomes, manage difficult conversations, handle partner transitions, and renew partnerships for the long term. You will also learn how to evaluate the value of a partnership from both sides, and build the internal systems needed to manage multiple corporate relationships effectively.
What You Will Learn
On completion of all modules, you will be able to:
- ✓ Understand the full range of corporate support available to UK charities and the legal framework governing each type
- ✓ Explain the CSR and ESG landscape and use it to identify prospective corporate partners aligned to your cause
- ✓ Conduct thorough, ethical due diligence on potential corporate partners
- ✓ Build a compelling corporate partnership proposition that leads with mutual value
- ✓ Write a corporate proposal that is persuasive, professionally presented and legally sound
- ✓ Navigate the legal and tax implications of sponsorship, cause-related marketing, Gift Aid and payroll giving
- ✓ Manage corporate partnerships effectively through their full lifecycle to secure renewal and long-term support
Benefits for You and Your Organisation
✓ Grow a New Income Stream
Corporate income is one of the fastest-growing voluntary income sources for UK charities. This course gives you the knowledge to access it strategically and sustainably.
✓ Stay Legally Compliant
Understand the legal distinctions between donations, sponsorship and commercial participator arrangements, and the tax and VAT implications of each, so you can manage corporate income correctly.
✓ Build Partnerships, Not Transactions
The strongest corporate relationships are built on genuine shared values. This course teaches you how to identify the right partners and build mutually beneficial, long-term relationships.
✓ Protect Your Reputation
A robust due diligence process protects your charity from reputational damage. This course shows you how to assess risk before you commit to a partnership.
✓ A Resource You Will Keep Using
Download and save the course for future reference, a practical guide you will return to every time you are developing a new corporate partnership or reviewing your programme.
✓ Recognised Achievement
Complete all seven modules and receive a personalised, printable CPD-accredited certificate of completion to support your continuing professional development.
– Amie Elliott, GeckoFundraising Ltd
How It Works
Complete your purchase using our secure online card payment. Access to the full course is granted immediately upon payment being received, no waiting, no delay.
Work through the modules online at any time, at your own pace. Your progress is saved automatically in your browser, so you can dip in and out across multiple sessions to fit around your work. Please complete the course on the same device and browser throughout, as your progress is stored locally and will not transfer between devices.
Once complete, save the course as a PDF to keep on your desktop. Return to it whenever you need it, a practical reference resource you will use again and again.
Complete all modules and generate your personalised, printable CPD-accredited certificate of completion instantly, at no extra cost, a record of your professional development to share with trustees, employers or commissioners.
Course Investment
One-off payment including VAT · No subscription · Instant access on payment
- Complete online at your own pace, 3 to 4 hours on average
- Full course available to download and save for future reference
- Links to authoritative UK legislation and official guidance throughout
- Personalised, printable CPD-accredited certificate of completion on finishing all modules
- Course content covers the legal framework for charities in England and Wales · Also available in course bundles and the Full Catalogue (£649 including VAT)
Access to the course content is granted immediately upon receipt of your completed online card payment. You will be able to start learning straight away.
Important: complete this course on one device
Your progress, knowledge-check answers and certificate details are saved locally in the browser you use to open the course. They are not stored on our server and will not transfer to another device, or to a different browser on the same device. Please start and finish the course using the same device and browser. Clearing your browser history or site data, or using a private or incognito window, will also erase your progress. Your downloadable copy of the course is unaffected and can be opened anywhere.
Course Content
Fundraising from Trusts & Foundations
Corporate Fundraising