Corporate giving in the UK is falling at exactly the same time that pressure on families, charities and public services is increasing.

Recent analysis from the CAF Corporate Giving Report highlighted an estimated £185m drop in charitable contributions since 2022 when adjusted for inflation. Even more strikingly, most British businesses still do not support charities at all.

Yet the need for charities has arguably never been greater.

Families are facing continued cost-of-living pressure, worsening mental health challenges and increasingly stretched health and social care systems. Charities themselves are operating in a tougher environment too, with rising demand, increasing complexity and growing financial pressure.

At the same time, there are also reasons for optimism.

Employee participation in giving and volunteering has increased significantly over the past year, suggesting that people increasingly want purpose, connection and community from the organisations they work for.

The best corporate partnerships are no longer simply fundraising exercises. Increasingly, they are becoming part of culture, leadership, employee engagement and long-term social impact.

We spoke to leaders from across the charity sector to better understand:

• Why corporate partnerships matter more than ever
• What businesses sometimes misunderstand about charities
• What the best partnerships genuinely look like in practice.

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Stephanie Witt, Director of Income and Engagement at Make-A-Wish UK, has seen first-hand how corporate partnerships can transform the lives of children living with critical illnesses and their families. As charities face increasing demand and growing financial pressures, she shares her thoughts on why business support matters more than ever, what makes the strongest partnerships successful, and why more business leaders should consider getting involved with the charity sector.

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What does the current environment look like for charities and communities right now, and why does corporate support matter more than ever?

One thing that has really struck me over my fundraising career is how much giving has shifted. The environment for charities feels both more fragile and more demanding than ever.

The latest data from the Charites Aid Foundation (CAF), shows that giving in the UK is no longer a stable cultural norm. It has become increasingly “conditional, selective and fragile”, shaped by rising living costs and changing public attitudes. Crucially, the UK has now seen a decline in total giving to £14bn in 2025, the first drop in five years, alongside a continued long-term loss of donors. (CAF UK Giving Report 2026)

Over the past decade, the sector has lost around six million donors, leaving the UK in a position where roughly as many people give as don’t. At the same time, affordability is the biggest barrier, with around one in five people saying they simply can’t afford to give. (CAF UK Giving Report 2026)

For charities, this creates a perfect storm: rising demand, rising costs, and a shrinking base of support. The reality is that giving today is more reactive, more emotionally driven and often less consistent. Which makes long-term partnerships even more important.

At Make-A-Wish UK, we see this mirrored in our wish family community. The children we support are often facing longer, more complex medical journeys, and their families are under significant emotional and financial strain. A wish is not just a ‘nice to have’, it plays a meaningful role in the wellbeing of a child living with critical illness, building resilience and creating lasting memories during incredibly difficult times.

Corporate support matters more than ever because it offers something that parts of the current giving landscape cannot guarantee: consistency, scale and long-term partnership. In a context where two-thirds of giving is unplanned and increasingly reactive, corporate partnerships enable charities to plan ahead, invest in delivery and for us, ultimately reach more families and children.

What do businesses often misunderstand about working with charities or becoming corporate partners?

A common misconception is that charity partnerships are primarily about short-term campaigns or brand-led fundraising.

In reality, the sector is operating in a far more complex and constrained environment. Charities are being asked to do more, for more people, with less predictable income and a declining donor base. That means sustainable impact depends on investment in core capability, infrastructure and long-term planning, not just frontline delivery.

The best partnerships recognise this shift. They go beyond transactions to become embedded, purpose-led collaborations, connecting employees, customers and communities with real impact. At Make-A-Wish UK, our most successful partnerships are those that are woven into culture, leadership and employee engagement, not just CSR activity.

We also can’t ignore the fact that businesses are operating in an increasingly complex and fast-changing environment, so it’s understandable that partnering with a charity isn’t always seen as a top priority. In reality, we’re set up to make it as easy as possible with experienced teams that take on the heavy lifting and focus on embedding partnerships seamlessly into a business in a way that adds real value.

What I see time and again is that partnerships create genuine connection for employees, customers and leadership. Particularly in my time at Make-A-Wish UK, where the impact is so tangible and easy to understand.

This matters more than ever, as employees, customers and stakeholders increasingly expect organisations to demonstrate real purpose. Partnerships offer a clear, authentic way to do that. With Make-A-Wish UK, the impact is immediate and visible, making it easier for businesses to engage their people and customers in a way that feels genuinely meaningful, not just symbolic.

Why should more business leaders consider becoming charity trustees or getting personally involved with the sector?

At a time when the sector is facing structural challenges in how it’s funded and supported, business leadership has never been more valuable.

Charities are adapting to a landscape where donor numbers are declining, income is less predictable, and expectations are rising. Navigating this requires strong governance, strategic clarity and new capabilities; from digital innovation to data-led decision making and long-term income diversification.

Business leaders bring exactly these skills.

There is also a powerful human dimension. The CAF report shows that people are most motivated to give when they feel personally connected, emotionally engaged, or part of something meaningful. Becoming a trustee or getting involved in a charity offers leaders that same connection and grounds strategic decisions in real human impact.

For many, it is also an opportunity to develop as a leader. It builds experience in complex decision-making, purpose-driven leadership and stakeholder accountability, often in more resource-constrained environments than the private sector.

We’re very fortunate that Nik became a board member at Make-A-Wish UK and we’ve see firsthand the difference that engaged trustees and business leaders can make, not just in strengthening our organisation, but in helping ensure that more children with critical illnesses can experience the life-changing impact of a wish.

As giving becomes more fragile and demand continues to grow, the role of corporate partners and engaged business leaders is not just important, it is essential to sustaining impact and rebuilding a stronger culture of giving in the UK.

Done well, working with charities isn’t complicated. It’s a really effective way of doing good in the world and doing something great for your business or leadership development at the same time.