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Multi-academy trusts and the schools under their remit are increasingly seeing a need to fundraise for core educational provision.

The demands on their budgets, especially for SEND & special needs is not covered by traditional funding.

They are also aware that there is an increased need to be a greater actor in the communities they serve.

Ali James, the founder of James Advisory is a grammar school girl, and therefore understands where the sector sits in secondary education provision.

Those grammar schools who have remained as state-funded are seeing the same financial pressures as the rest of the sector

With an increase in pupils from private schools post-VAT introduction, there is more pressure on them to provide top-class facilities.

Many colleges need to build their endowment, but it’s a challenge to gain support for something which is less tangible.

Although the supporter base is fed annually with new alumni, there is a finite pool of prospects with whom to build and sustain engagement.

The way donors manage their philanthropy and make charitable gifts is changing, and many colleges need to adapt and change the way they ask.

There is always competition from the umbrella organisation.

The introduction of VAT on school fees has potentially created a negative knock-on effect on the main supporter base: parents.

There is more competition to attract students, and be able to offer exceptional staffing and facilities, against rising costs.

Senior leaders are questioning whether their current operating model is sustainable in the current climate.

Many higher education institutions are seeing a rise in costs and a drop in income, but arts and music education is particularly vulnerable.

With less central funding for the arts, and fewer young people considering this sector as a viable career, the current funding model is not sustainable.

Despite having a regular supply of new alumni, there is still a finite pool of potential prospects, and many of these people end up having careers which do not allow them to be major donors.

Attracting support from other sources of arts funding is extremely competitive, time-consuming, and often unsuccessful.

Again, like many higher education institutions, many specialist organisations are running at a deficit, or with a reduced surplus.

Although many of these organisations are research heavy, which used to generate guaranteed income, the reduction in international students, and more global competition, means this is no longer reliable.

It is likely that there will be a downturn in people wanting to do further qualifications, if student debt is already an issue, or they see their prospects in another country.

There have been many factors affecting the intake of students to international schools over the past decade, and old operating and income-generation models may no longer be sustainable.

Brexit, the pandemic, VAT on fees, and the general global turmoil are all having an effect on the intake of students, and therefore the main revenue stream.

Like most schools, there are additional costs required for SEND provision, but also these type of schools require increased investment in pastoral care.

The biggest challenge for mainstream charities is how to acquire more donors, and then keep, sustain, and grow the ones they already have.

The global charities, with whom James Advisory has worked are also having to fill funding gaps generated by the global reduction in international development money.

Many are starting to rethink their strategy and approach to fundraising and other income streams to ensure that they can deliver on their remit for the medium- to long-term.

Family wealth management is changing. We are in the middle of a great wealth transfer, where attitudes on philanthropy are changing.

There is currently a disconnect between how family offices and wealth managers talk about philanthropy, and how charities talk to HMWI about giving.

Without a common language, the many £billions that could potentially be given to charitable causes may never happen.