When Laura Harte and her colleagues set out to raise over £500,000 for a new community café, she was leading a small charity with an annual turnover significantly less than that target. They were facing tough odds.
But eighteen months later, The Berin Centre opened The Burrow—a beautiful new café that the community had genuinely shaped from the ground up. And Laura knew something that makes fundraising so much easier: when you truly involve people in creating something and doing it right, a big increase in fundraising income becomes possible.
I recently caught up with Laura for the Fundraising Bright Spots podcast, and she shared insights that I think could help many of us—especially if you work for a smaller charity or lead a team.
Why consultation makes fundraising easier, not harder
Laura describes herself as unabashed advocate for involving people. Yes, it’s slower. Yes, it can get messy. But here’s what happened when she was determined to approach the project in this way.
She sent out surveys to the public and partner organisations. She ran focus groups using different thinking frameworks to capture what people really wanted—and didn’t want. (‘No chia seeds, please!’)
She took all that feedback, created a project proposal, and sent it back to participants to confirm it reflected their views. That document went straight to the architects.
When some donors questioned whether £500,000 was excessive—couldn’t they just use a horsebox with infrared lights?—Laura could respond with complete confidence: “Those ideas work brilliantly elsewhere. But this community told me they want somewhere warm, with thoughtful design, that feels like a treat. Here’s why.”
Several donors moved from sceptical to supportive because she could clearly articulate what people needed and why.
The golden rule? Set parameters. Don’t ask “what would you like?” Give people a framework: for example, the building will go here, the budget won’t exceed this, now tell me three words that describe how you want the space to feel.
Storytelling without putting people on the spot
Laura feels strongly that people using her services shouldn’t have to worry about raising money. That’s her job.
So the entire £500,000 was raised without once bringing a beneficiary into a pitch meeting. Instead, she built up a treasure trove of stories she can share on their behalf.
Twice a year, every team collects case studies using the storytelling methodology. A volunteer sits down with someone and asks: What did you do? What difference did it make?
They record the conversation, transcribe it, then edit it down to a one-page story told entirely in the person’s own words—complete with their slang and vocabulary. The beneficiary checks it, can change names if they want, and approves it.
Laura attaches these to follow-up emails and newsletters. Donors sometimes respond saying “that one really choked me up at my desk” or “I laughed out loud.”
She also keeps three-sentence anecdotes ready. Like David, the man in his 70s who’d never chopped a vegetable, cut his finger in a cooking group, then showed up two weeks later with homemade curry in a Tupperware to share with staff.
Involving supporters in the process
Laura didn’t just consult the community—she involved donors too.
She remembered Christina from a focus group saying coffee was the most important thing to get right. So when choosing a supplier, Laura shortlisted options, then invited Christina to a coffee tasting at their preferred roastery.
Christina chose the blend. When she came into the nearly finished café and tasted that coffee being served, she said “I feel like I could cry. You’ve done it.”
Now she comes in and sees people drinking the coffee she helped choose.
Similarly, Laura invited a fund administrator to volunteer in the community garden. While digging out weeds together, Laura talked about using the garden produce in the café. The administrator went back with fresh vegetables she’d pulled from the ground that day, shared them with the couple whose fund she manages, and they came back wanting to support the project.
A simple way to donate – the pay it forward scheme
The Berin Centre serves both an economically disadvantaged village and surrounding affluent areas. Laura needed the café to work for both.
She created a discreet two-tier system. You can buy anything on the reasonably priced menu, or add £3.50 or £7 to your bill to pay forward a hot drink or meal. When you do, staff put a token in a bowl by the till.
Anyone who needs it can order like everyone else, then hand over a token instead of payment. The person behind them can’t tell they’re doing anything different.
At any given time, there’s up to £100 in that bowl.
Arthur, an elderly gentleman, now comes in twice a week. He buys his drink but uses a token for a hot meal. As he told Laura: “It’s brilliant. I get to talk to people, it saves on the electric, I get a nutritious meal, and I’m making friends.”
He’s just asked if he can host his 90th birthday party there in December.
It worked!
This is where the money came from. Individual donors gave £165-170K, trusts and foundations gave £275K and the rest was through commercial support, reserves, and pro bono work.
But the real success is that the community shaped the entire project and they love the result. People walk in and say “I voted for that one. That was my choice.”
And Arthur gets to celebrate his 90th birthday there, surrounded by friends he’s made over hot meals he can afford.
If you’d like to hear the full conversation with Laura, including more examples and insights, you can listen to the podcast episode here.
Need to increase Major Gift income for your charity?
Laura is an alumnus of Bright Spot’s Major Gifts Mastery. If you need to increase High Value Fundraising income, this training will help. Curious? You can find out more here.
The post How One Small Charity Raised £500,000 – Four Valuable Lessons appeared first on Bright Spot Fundraising.
