Could small changes be the key to your charity’s next big leap?

Let’s be honest: when it comes to fundraising, everyone hopes that their next campaign or fundraising event will spark that lightning moment - the “Ice Bucket Challenge” that changes everything. But big transformations rarely happen overnight. They're far more likely to come from a series of small, deliberate changes that add up to a much larger whole.

Imagine your charity is an engine. You don’t need a new one to go further or faster. You need to tighten the screws and make sure every gear, from digital marketing to fundraising and volunteer management, can turn smoothly. 

That’s the power of marginal gains. 

It’s not about chasing unrealistic promises. It’s about making small, interconnected changes that strengthen every stage of your supporter journey and create the conditions your organisation needs, not just to survive - but to thrive. 

For organisations looking to grow their supporter base, lasting change is a combination of reach and conversion. 

A lot of organisations, for example, use Google Ad Grants to raise awareness and drive traffic to their website. But even the best campaign will fall short if visitors bounce before they’ve made a donation. 

Google Ad Grants are the first link in an important chain, but managing campaigns can be tricky for non-expert teams. That’s why Access offers a dedicated service that will take care of everything - including campaign optimisation and management - for you. 

Once your Ad Grants are up and running, Access Raise is there to help you make small but powerful changes that turn supporter interest into direct action. 

• Optimising your landing page:

Simplifying layouts, reducing visual clutter and focusing on one message per page will help guide users towards the outcome you want.  

• Enabling third-party integrations:

Connecting payment systems like GoCardless or Stripe reduces barriers by allowing donors to give directly through your website.

• Bringing key actions in-house:

Enabling supporters to create fundraising pages or register for events directly on your website keeps people within your brand environment, builds trust and helps build a strong connection to your cause. 

Case study: building momentum through marginal gains with Kicks Count

For Kicks Count, a small UK charity dedicated to reducing stillbirths, optimising their Google Ad Grants and website hasn’t just transformed their online presence, it’s transformed the organisation. 

Carefully targeted ads now guide people to a website where they can access vital information, fundraise in memory, donate, and register for events. These thoughtful improvements have turned clicks into genuine connections - helping Kicks Count grow from a modest £18,000 charity into a thriving £140,000 organisation.

Read their story

Recruitment is just the first step. Great fundraising means building relationships that increase donor lifetime value.

A charity CRM helps you do just that.

More than just a database, solutions like Donorfy act as a central hub that brings donor information together. It doesn’t matter if someone made an online donation, joined an event, or sent a cheque - the right CRM makes it easy to log and track their interactions with you. 

With all your data under one roof, you can build a clearer understanding of supporter behaviour, spot trends, and start making small, strategic changes that will:

• Unlock short-term gains:

Automated workflows and AI tools make it easy to create and send personal thank you letters within the golden 48 hours of donation. The best CRMs will also process Gift Aid claims automatically so that you can secure that extra 25%.

• Strategically grow your fundraising:

Intuitive dashboards and ready-made reports help you learn more about your donors - what motivates them, and how they give. You can use these insights to make sure your donor journey meets the needs and interests of different groups and works to cultivate long-term support.

Case study: bringing clarity to complexity with the National Churches Trust

Before going digital, the team at National Churches Trust had to juggle multiple systems to manage memberships, fundraising, and donor communications. 

Today, Donorfy sits at the heart of their operations - integrating data from platforms like Mailchimp, Eventbrite, GoCardless, and Stripe. This connected setup means they can send the personalised communications they’re known for in a fraction of the time. It’s also given them a clearer view of their supporter community, enabling the team to work more strategically and make changes that boost donor retention and help drive growth in new areas, like legacy giving.

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Of course, donating money is just one way to give. Every year, millions of people give their time and skills to UK charities - and it’s important that your volunteer community is managed with the same care and attention as any group of donors.

Once again, small shifts can make a big difference.

• Digital processes:

Online ads, applications, and onboarding systems can cut lengthy recruitment processes down to just a few days - helping you make the most of that initial burst of enthusiasm and welcome volunteers quickly. 

• Personalised communications:

Whether it’s instant updates, one-to-one messages or a celebratory e-card, timely and relevant communication makes sure volunteers feel recognised, valued, and supported.

• Self-service tools:

Allowing volunteers to set their own shifts and access resources online is a great way to boost engagement and encourage people to get involved.  

A lot of organisations keep their volunteer and fundraising systems separate. But don’t underestimate the power of integration. Linking your volunteer management system (VMS) to your CRM will give you a complete picture of how people engage with your organisation so that you can build a vibrant, loyal and engaged community of supporters.  

Case study: building an inclusive volunteer community with Mencap

For Mencap, the UK’s leading charity for people with a learning disability, adopting Access Assemble has helped the team build a stronger, more inclusive volunteer community. Features like reusable role profiles, automated workflows, and a central document hub mean staff no longer have to reinvent the wheel or lose time to endless email chains. Meanwhile, the built-in newsfeed, messaging tools, and accessible design are helping volunteers feel more connected and supported than ever. 

With stronger foundations in place, Mencap has seen its volunteer community grow by more than 70% in just one year - this includes an 18% increase in volunteers with a learning disability taking on retail roles.

Read their story

It doesn’t matter what stage of development your charity is at. Small changes in each area - digital marketing, donor management, volunteering - can make a big difference. Imagine what you can achieve if you bring them all together. 

Even with the best tools, charities can lose hours switching between platforms. And the bigger your organisation grows, the harder it becomes to keep everything, and everyone, connected.

When systems talk to each other, it breaks down silos and allows information to flow seamlessly across your organisation. 

This means:

• Everyone works from a single point of truth:

Shared data helps teams see the bigger picture and make confident, data-driven decisions that drive growth.

• Supporters enjoy a seamless experience:

Whether donating, signing up for an event, or volunteering their time - every interaction becomes part of a connected story that deepens their relationship with you.

• Your team can focus on what matters most:

Automation and connected systems reduce manual admin, and free up your team to focus on strategic growth and development for greater organisational impact.

• Insights become action:

Joined-up reporting that draws from multiple systems makes it easier to spot trends, identify opportunities, and make smart decisions that scale impact, not workload.

It might sound ambitious, but with the right technology, these links and the impact they enable are entirely within reach.

Is your charity ready to turn small gains into a big leap?

Change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of many small, intentional improvements that strengthen the foundations of your fundraising and volunteer systems.

Whether you’re a small organisation looking to grow your supporter base or a larger team aiming to deepen relationships and expand your volunteer network, we’d love to hear from you.