School Fundraising in the UK and Ireland: Why Now Is the Time to Act

12 January 2026

A critical moment for School Fundraising

For more than 20 years, Harvey Duthie, CEO of Belmont Fundraising, has advised schools across the UK and Ireland on how to build sustainable philanthropic income. Over that time, he has seen fundraising move from a peripheral activity to a defining factor in institutional resilience.

What is striking in 2026 is not just the scale of the challenges facing schools — but the clarity of the solution. The conditions for effective school fundraising have rarely been more aligned. For schools willing to act decisively, this is a pivotal moment.

The clearest signal of this shift emerged in the second half of 2025. We noticed a marked increase in LinkedIn posts announcing new development appointments, and jobs adverts online. Notably, many of these roles were filled by experienced fundraisers moving from higher education, charities, or established independent schools to lead newly ambitious or rapidly expanding development offices. This was not speculative hiring: it reflected a strategic recognition that professionalised fundraising capacity is now essential to long-term sustainability.

1. From “US-Style” to global best practice

For many years, major-gift fundraising was viewed as a distinctly American concept: a US-style approach built on prospect research, relationship-led giving, and campaign-scale ambition. That framing is now obsolete.

Today, major-gift fundraising is simply the model for institutions seeking meaningful philanthropic growth — whether in education, healthcare, or the arts. It is not an import; it is global best practice.

In 2026, successful UK and Irish schools are no longer debating whether to adopt this approach, but how quickly they can implement it. The schools that thrive will be those that professionalise fundraising now, rather than attempting to retrofit it later under greater pressure.

2. Capital costs are predictable again

After several years of volatility, capital planning has regained a degree of stability. Construction costs and tender inflation have settled into a more forecastable range, enabling schools to plan projects with confidence rather than caution. This matters enormously for fundraising.

Predictability allows schools to articulate clear projects, realistic budgets, and tangible outcomes — exactly the conditions major donors require. When schools can present well-defined capital needs, fundraising conversations become focused, credible, and compelling.

3. Fee income alone cannot carry the future

Schools are being asked to deliver more than ever before:

• broad and flexible curricula

• small class sizes and deep pastoral care

• modern facilities for STEM, arts, sport, and wellbeing

• meaningful bursary and scholarship provision

All of this is capital-intensive. Increasingly, it cannot be sustained through fee income alone.

In Ireland, this pressure is visible in public discourse, with the Irish Times recently highlighting how parental fundraising is now essential simply to maintain standards. In the UK, similar dynamics have long driven schools to look beyond operating surplus and towards philanthropy as strategic infrastructure rather than supplementary income.

4. Financial capacity exists — even as pressure grows in certain quarters

It is undeniable that some families are under real strain as costs rise. But it is equally true that wealth at the upper end of society has continued to grow.

Across both the UK and Ireland, the number of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals has increased steadily over the past decade. This concentration of wealth does not automatically translate into philanthropy — but it does represent a significant, often untapped, opportunity when approached professionally and strategically. The issue is not capacity. It is readiness.

5. Capital needs as the catalyst for fundraising

Capital needs will always act as a powerful catalyst for school fundraising. While successful programmes are typically built on long-term engagement with parents, alumni, and friends, many schools are propelled into action by an urgent requirement — the moment when fundraising shifts abruptly from a future aspiration to an immediate financial necessity.

This rapid pivot is often triggered by the need to invest in facilities: replacing ageing infrastructure, expanding capacity, or responding to changes in curriculum, safeguarding, or sustainability standards. In these moments, philanthropy becomes not just a source of funding, but a mechanism for institutional renewal.

Time and again, transformational gifts enable schools to reimagine their estates — delivering new science centres, arts facilities, sports provision, and learning environments that would otherwise be unattainable through fee income alone. These projects do more than improve buildings; they reshape pupil experience, strengthen market position, and signal long-term confidence to the whole school community.

6. Scholarships have become the strategic heart of fundraising

Support for scholarships and bursaries now sits at the centre, or at least as a significant element of most school fundraising.

Rising affordability pressure, combined with heightened public focus on access and social mobility, has created one of the strongest philanthropic propositions schools can offer. When framed well, bursaries connect mission, impact, and urgency in a way few other projects can.

Professional fundraising bodies increasingly emphasise that sustainable bursary provision depends on major donors — not annual appeals alone. In 2026, scholarships are not just morally compelling; they are strategically fundable.

7. Competition has intensified

Schools today compete on a blended offer:

• subject diversity

• low pupil–teacher ratios

• high-quality facilities

• visible commitment to access and inclusion

Protecting any one of these without philanthropy is becoming difficult. Protecting all of them without it is unrealistic. Fundraising is no longer about enhancement. It is about maintaining competitiveness in an increasingly demanding market.

8. VAT: A hump, not a wall

The introduction of VAT on school fees in the UK has altered the landscape — but it has also removed uncertainty. With VAT policy now defined and implemented, schools can plan rather than speculate. The implications are clear:

• affordability pressures sharpen the case for bursaries

• reliance on fee rises becomes less viable

• philanthropy shifts from “helpful” to essential

VAT is not a blocker to fundraising. If anything, it strengthens the narrative for mission-led giving and long-term sustainability.

8. Why act in 2026?

The evidence shows that major philanthropy underpins long-term sustainability — not as a bolt-on, but as a strategic engine.

Talk to Belmont Fundraising today if you are ready to take that step — whether beginning your fundraising journey or planning or launching a major campaign.

www.belmontfundraising.com