Umbrella Platform Programme
How membership bodies, funders and anyone wanting to support others to raise income can become the fundraising backbone for smaller groups — generating new income for everyone involved.
Many organisations sit on a powerful and largely untapped opportunity — the ability to offer the groups they support a ready-made, low-cost fundraising platform that generates income for those groups and for the organisation itself.
This isn't just for membership bodies. Funders, for example, can offer this to the charities they fund — giving those charities the tools to become more self-sufficient and reduce their dependency on grants over time. Most simply don't know this opportunity exists or where to begin. This guide explains exactly what it is, how it works and how I can help you implement it.
What This Makes Possible
You would create a branded platform, register with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and give yourself the ability to fundraise through your own platform. Once established, you offer the groups you support — members, associates or even unlinked groups — the opportunity to build their own fundraising page on your platform.
They don't take your branding unless you want them to. Their page can simply mention an association with your organisation, or operate completely independently. Groups can then choose whether they want their own fully branded platform with their own URL, or to go unbranded and use the standard graphics and images available through the main People's Fundraising pages. Both options are simple and quick to implement.
What Your Organisation Gains
1. New recurring income for your organisation
By providing a fundraising platform to the groups you support or work with, your organisation generates a new recurring, unrestricted revenue stream through your share of platform fees — with minimal operational burden. The groups you support raise more money, reducing their dependency on you, while your organisation benefits from a new income stream at the same time.
2. Improved benefit and retention for your network
A ready-made, low-cost fundraising platform is a valuable, tangible benefit that significantly strengthens the everyday value of being part of your network — particularly for smaller groups who currently lack the knowledge, budget or capacity to access modern digital fundraising tools.
3. Low cost and transparent fees
There is a fee to host the platform on AWS (Amazon Web Services), which is reduced for some charitable organisations. People's Fundraising has one of the lowest platform fee structures in the market — and unlike some platforms that claim to be free but prompt donors for tips (which go to the platform, not your cause), People's Fundraising never asks donors for tips. What your supporters give goes to you.
4. Modern, instant and simple to manage
No more collecting money through personal PayPal accounts or laborious bank transfers. No more complicated checking and confirming funds have arrived. Payments are instantaneous, and multiple levels of your organisation can view reports in real time — significantly reducing the workload on your finance team. Groups don't even need their own website to get started.
5. 20+ fundraising methods for every group
Each group gets access to over 20 flexible income streams — from individual donations, events and ticket sales, raffles and memberships to lotteries, gift vouchers and online shops. Everything in one place, one dashboard, one set of donor records. Funds can be withdrawn on demand and released daily — not held in a platform bank account for weeks as some providers do.
6. Gift Aid for eligible groups
Certain charities are eligible to claim Gift Aid where the donor is a UK taxpayer — adding 25p to every eligible £1 raised at no cost to the donor. Because the platform identifies donors, eligible groups can claim Gift Aid on transactions. There is also the option to input offline donations — such as cash, cheques or bank transfers — improving both the ease of claiming and the total amounts that can be reclaimed.
What the Setup Process Looks Like
I guide you through the process of becoming the platform provider for the groups you support — from initial setup through to bringing your first groups onboard. The platform itself provides comprehensive video guides and runs regular Q&A sessions to help your team get up to speed, and I am on hand to support as questions arise.
What's included
- Assessment of your current network and structure
- Platform setup and configuration
- Guidance on bringing groups onboard
- Signposting to platform video guides and regular Q&A sessions
- Support getting your first groups live
- Gift Aid advice and guidance — I'll show you how to do it, not do it for you
Pricing
- Setup assistance — £350 per month during implementation
- Once your groups are live, you receive the ongoing commission — not me
- You may also reduce fees you are currently paying to other providers for ticket sales or other income-generating platforms
- No long-term commitment — the fee covers the implementation period only
- People's Fundraising provide all tools, support and training ongoing at no charge