2026: A pivotal year for Catholic diocesan fundraising in the UK

By Harvey Duthie, CEO, Belmont Fundraising Limited

I have spent more than twenty years working extensively in Catholic diocesan fundraising across the UK. Over that period, I have supported seven dioceses, collaborated with Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and senior curial teams, advised hundreds of parishes - clergy and lay leaders, and been directly involved in raising more than £120 million for Catholic causes.

That experience matters not as a credential, but because it brings perspective at a moment when perspective is needed. The pressures facing diocesan finances in 2026 are not unprecedented—but it is exciting to see that the responses are becoming more mature, more confident and more diversified than at any point I have seen in my career. This bodes well for 2026 and beyond.

After several years shaped by pandemic disruption, deferred decisions and cautious recovery, diocesan fundraising in the UK is entering a phase of renewed momentum. Across my conversations with Clergy, COOs, Fundraisers and Lay Volunteers, I see dioceses quietly building on foundations that place them in a stronger, more intentional position than five years ago.

My hope is that in sharing the emerging patterns I see, it will give others the confidence to move forward with approaches that fit their own context. What follows are nine trends emerging across Catholic Dioceses in the UK in 2026.

1.    The emergence of the middle ground

Diocesan fundraising in the UK has long been characterised by a binary choice: either a major, resource-intensive campaign—or very limited structured fundraising. Increasingly, dioceses are finding a middle ground.

Today, more dioceses are adopting tailored, diocese-specific approaches—testing what works, learning from experience, and building incrementally rather than waiting for the “perfect” campaign moment.

This middle-ground model sits between:

• wholly volunteer-led parish effort, and

• large, infrequent diocese-wide campaigns.

It is defined by:

• proven diocesan-supported frameworks,

• central expertise and coordination,

• local delivery,

• a repeatable rather than a heroic effort.

  
  

It is not about lowering ambition—but about matching ambition to capacity, as well as internal readiness, and the need for local proof before investing more significantly. (I hear ‘Our diocese / parish is different’ everywhere, and while that is true, the fundraising fundamentals are the same worldwide).

For dioceses willing to learn and adapt, this middle ground approach is rapidly becoming the dominant and most sustainable model.

2.    Planned giving as a non-negotiable foundation

Dioceses that run planned giving drives every three years are ensuring parishes have strong financial fundamentals. These programmes do more than increase income: they renew awareness of current needs, improve GiftAid uptake, encourage increased giving, and provide a structured opportunity for new parishioners to begin regular support.

In an environment of rising costs and constrained flexibility, this foundational work is becoming less optional and more essential.

3.    Capital pressure returns — at scale, at cost, and at once

The postponement of capital decisions during the pandemic did not remove the need for investment; it compressed it. Across dioceses, projects delayed between 2020 and 2023 are now re-emerging simultaneously, creating a convergence effect that is pushing capital pressure toward a tipping point.

Roofs, compliance upgrades and essential fabric repairs can only be deferred so long before risk, cost or failure forces action. This re-emergence is taking place in a far less forgiving environment. Construction inflation has permanently raised baseline costs, while professional fees, statutory requirements and compliance standards have added both cost and complexity.

In 2026, dioceses should therefore expect capital requirements materially larger than originally forecast, reserves with reduced purchasing power, and limited tolerance among donors for unfocused or overlapping appeals. The question is no longer whether these investments must be made, but how deliberately and credibly they are prioritised once they can no longer be deferred.

At the same time, inflation has reset the operating cost base. Staffing, utilities, professional services and compliance costs rarely fall back once they rise. Maintaining the same level of ministry now requires more income than it did five years ago, leaving less flexibility to absorb capital shocks when deferred projects finally come due.

The dioceses that navigate this moment most effectively will not be those with the smallest needs, but those that demonstrate disciplined prioritisation—clearly distinguishing what is essential, what is missional, and what must wait, and then executing the fundraising aspect with a clear and confident plan and supporting messaging. There is a fragile line here: between honesty that builds trust, and avoidance that leads to crisis appeals when choice has disappeared.

4.    Modest investment in staffing: evidence now outweighs anxiety

Perhaps the most significant internal shift I am seeing across UK dioceses is a growing willingness to invest—carefully and proportionately—in fundraising staff.

This remains modest by any external benchmark, particularly those of Universities or the well-known high street charities, but it represents real progress.

Historically, many dioceses relied heavily (and in many cases exclusively) on clergy or volunteer-led parish efforts with minimal or no central capacity. That model achieved much, but its limits are now clear.

Over the past five years, evidence has steadily accumulated that modest professional investment can deliver meaningful return through:

• well-run planned giving programmes,

• structured special appeals,

• coherent stewardship and communications.

  
  

This is not about building large teams. It is about targeted capacity that supports parishes rather than replaces them. In 2026, more dioceses are recognising that doing nothing now carries greater risk than investing strategically.

A non-scientific barometer of the landscape is John Green’s Catholics in Fundraising group meetings, which are increasingly at capacity, and the annual conference, (which Belmont Fundraising is proud to sponsor again in 2026) brings new faces each year.

5.    Expectations from the pews are changing

Parishioners remain rightly attentive to cost and increasingly alert to any perception of waste. But they are also now accustomed—through daily exposure—to fundraising that is clear, coherent and professionally presented. Competing charitable appeals arrive regularly in inboxes, appear across mainstream media, and articulate need, impact and purpose with confidence.

Against that backdrop, informal or poorly framed parish appeals no longer land as they once did. This is not about extravagance; it is about clarity, credibility and respect for the donor. As expectations shift, so too must our approach. Dioceses and parishes that adapt will find engagement easier, not harder. Those that do not risk being quietly tuned out, even by their most committed supporters.

6.    Recalibrating expectations of trusts and foundations

Around the pandemic, many dioceses significantly increased efforts to generate income from trusts and foundations. This was appropriate—and often successful—during a period when funders prioritised emergency response, community resilience, heritage at risk and faith-based social outreach.

That environment has changed. In 2026, dioceses should expect diminishing marginal returns from trust fundraising, particularly for routine fabric repair, general heritage conservation and ongoing ministry costs.

This reflects structural realities:

• relatively few trusts fund explicitly Catholic activity,

• repeat grants are rare,

• competition has intensified across the charitable sector,

• and many trusts are narrowing focus or reducing grant size.

  
  

Trust funding remains valuable—but it is no longer a dependable solution to structural funding gaps. Plans built on over-optimistic assumptions in this area are increasingly fragile.

7.    Contactless giving: necessary infrastructure, not a strategy

The growth of contactless and online giving since the pandemic reflects a simple reality: we carry less cash. Providing this infrastructure is now a baseline requirement.

Its value lies in capturing generosity that would otherwise be lost—particularly from visitors, occasional worshippers and sacramental families. Dioceses seeing sustained benefit treat contactless as part of a wider pathway:

• clear parish messaging,

• and a journey from tap to relationship.

  
  

Used in the right sequence, contactless becomes a quiet but reliable contributor.

8.    Legacy giving: significant growth, but unevenly realised

Legacy income is one of the more significant areas of income growth across the UK’s charitable sector. Nationally, legacy giving has grown by roughly 40% over the past decade, reaching over £4 billion+ annually, and continues to rise as demographics shift.

For many dioceses, legacies already represent a core income line. However, this income has historically been donor-driven rather than the result of active, coordinated legacy fundraising by parishes or dioceses—though this is beginning to change slowly.

Where dioceses are seeing growth, it is driven by:

• consistent, low-pressure messaging,

• clarity about what legacies enable that annual giving cannot.

  
  

Legacy growth correlates strongly with institutional trust. Looking to 2026, the opportunity is not immediate replacement income, but pipeline development. Those investing now are laying foundations for resilience five, ten and fifteen years ahead.

9.    The quiet gap in diocesan fundraising: major donor fundraising

Outside of major capital or shared-need campaigns, diocesan approaches to major donor fundraising in the UK remain modest relative to the significant growth potential.

The departure of many high-net-worth individuals from the UK further dampens national ambition in this area. That said, most dioceses already have major donors. What is often lacking is a deliberate, confident approach to engaging them.

For dioceses facing complex pressures, major donor fundraising is not a luxury. It remains a long-term strategy, not a quick fix, but one that is becoming harder to ignore. We remain unconvinced that this will change significantly in 2026.

Looking ahead

2026 is not about becoming more commercial or less pastoral. It is about recognising that mission requires infrastructure—and that infrastructure requires funding that is intentional, credible and appropriately supported.

The momentum is building and Belmont Fundraising is here to help

For further insights into how we can help examine the right approach for your diocese, build a credible plan and support an appropriate rollout aligned to your ambition and budget, email: harvey@belmontfundraising.com.

Happy New Year.