About Course
Philanthropy & Major Donor Fundraising CPD Accredited – July 2026 Edition
A comprehensive, UK regulation-aligned training course covering everything from understanding the UK philanthropic landscape to securing transformational gifts, aligned to the Code of Fundraising Practice (2025), Data Protection Act 2018 and UK charity law.
Who Is This Course For?
This course has been designed for anyone involved in developing or managing major donor relationships in a UK charity or voluntary organisation. Whether you are a:
- Fundraiser or development professional looking to build a major donor programme
- Chief Executive or senior leader responsible for high-value philanthropic relationships
- Trustee with strategic oversight of major income streams and significant donor relationships
- Volunteer or new entrant who wants to understand how major donor fundraising works
- Individual giving manager looking to move donors up the gift pyramid towards transformational giving
- Communications professional supporting major donor cultivation and stewardship
This course will give you the knowledge, tools and regulatory grounding to build and sustain a major donor programme that is ethical, legally compliant and capable of generating transformational income. No prior major donor experience assumed.
Course Overview
7 modules · Average 3 to 4 hours to complete · Work at your own pace
Understanding the Philanthropic Landscape
The UK has a strong culture of major philanthropy, with giving by wealthy individuals estimated at £11.3 billion in 2024 (NPC). This module explores the UK philanthropic environment in depth: who high net worth donors are, what motivates them to give, and how the three key donor segments, Prospectors, Pioneers and Settlers, differ in their giving behaviour. The module also introduces the new Code of Fundraising Practice (effective November 2025) and its four core principles, Legal, Open, Honest and Respectful, and covers the Gift Aid rules for major donations.
Preparing Your Organisation
Before launching a major donor programme, your organisation must have the right foundations in place. This module covers what organisational readiness means for major donor fundraising, governance and leadership engagement, data systems and CRM, a compelling case for support, gift acceptance policies and your legal framework. You will learn what the Code of Fundraising Practice 2025 requires of organisations approaching major donors, and how to build the internal infrastructure needed to manage high-value relationships professionally and compliantly.
Identifying & Researching Prospects
Identifying the right major donor prospects is both an art and a science. This module covers research methodologies for major donor prospect identification, what UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 permit in individual wealth research, how to conduct a Legitimate Interests Assessment for prospect data, and how to use publicly available sources including Companies House and the Charity Commission to build a prospect portfolio. Ethical boundaries in prospect research are clearly defined throughout.
Cultivation Strategies
The cultivation phase, building the relationship before making an ask, is where major donor fundraising is won or lost. This module covers the principles of ethical, donor-centred cultivation: how to move a prospect from awareness to engagement to readiness using personal contact, events and tailored communications. You will learn how to map a cultivation plan for individual donors, how to involve trustees and senior leaders effectively, and what the Code of Fundraising Practice requires in terms of treating donors with respect and never applying undue pressure.
The Art of the Ask
Making the ask is the moment all cultivation leads to, and getting it right requires preparation, confidence and a clear ethical framework. This module covers how to prepare for and make a major gift ask: the right setting, the right people, the right language and the right follow-up. You will learn how to handle objections professionally, when to leave the door open after a no, and what the Code of Fundraising Practice and consumer protection legislation require in terms of honest, pressure-free solicitation.
Stewardship & Retention
Securing a major gift is the beginning of a relationship, not the end of a transaction. This module covers the stewardship of major donors: how to thank and recognise donors in ways that are appropriate, compliant and personally meaningful, how to report on the impact of their gift, how to navigate naming and recognition arrangements, and how to manage the long-term relationship through staff changes and shifting donor circumstances.
Measuring Success
How do you know if your major donor programme is working? This module covers the metrics and frameworks used to evaluate major donor fundraising performance, from return on investment and cost per pound raised to donor retention rates and lifetime value. You will learn how to set realistic targets, how to report on performance to trustees and senior leadership, and how to use your evidence base to make the case for continued investment in your major donor programme.
What You Will Learn
On completion of all modules, you will be able to:
- ✓ Understand the UK philanthropic landscape, donor segmentation and what motivates high net worth giving
- ✓ Build the organisational infrastructure needed to support a compliant, effective major donor programme
- ✓ Conduct ethical, UK GDPR-compliant prospect research to identify and prioritise major donor prospects
- ✓ Develop and implement a cultivation strategy that moves prospects towards a major gift ask
- ✓ Make a confident, donor-centred ask that complies with the Code of Fundraising Practice and consumer protection legislation
- ✓ Steward major donors through the full relationship lifecycle in a way that secures long-term loyalty
- ✓ Measure and evaluate your major donor programme and communicate its value to trustees and leadership
Benefits for You and Your Organisation
✓ Access Transformational Income
Major donor giving by wealthy individuals is estimated at £11.3 billion a year in the UK. This course gives you the knowledge to build a programme that accesses high-value philanthropy ethically and sustainably.
✓ Stay Legally Compliant
Understand your obligations under the Code of Fundraising Practice 2025, UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and consumer protection legislation, and manage major donor relationships with complete confidence.
✓ Build Genuinely Transformational Relationships
Major donor fundraising is about far more than a single gift. This course teaches you how to build relationships that generate sustained, long-term philanthropic support aligned to your mission.
✓ Protect Your Donors
The new Code of Fundraising Practice places increased emphasis on donor protection and vulnerable person safeguarding. This course ensures your programme meets the highest ethical standards.
✓ A Resource You Will Keep Using
Download and save the course for future reference. Return to it whenever you are building your prospect pipeline, preparing for a major ask or reviewing your stewardship 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
Philanthropy & Major Donor Fundraising
Philanthropy & Major Donor Fundraising