Women entrepreneurs can raise money for charity in ways that deepen customer loyalty, strengthen team morale and reinforce the values behind your brand. The UK’s community of women-led businesses is larger and more influential than ever. The latest Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship progress report (2023) found that around 1.6 million women-led enterprises now contribute to the UK economy, generating an estimated £105 billion. See our Women in Business: Key UK Facts page for the full picture, and our Rose Review Female Entrepreneurship: Progress or Promises? analysis for what the findings mean in practice. Research from the same review suggests women founders are more likely than men to prioritise social or environmental objectives, which is one reason many explore B Corp certification. Giving back is not limited to charities and social enterprises: a mainstream small business can donate, fundraise or campaign for a cause that matters to its founder and its customers.
Corporate social responsibility is not just for big firms. The UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of local fundraising, from coffee mornings and sponsored runs to pro-bono professional support. If you are going to give, make it meaningful for you, your business and the cause. Here are four practical ways to make the most of giving back.
Four Ways Women Entrepreneurs Can Raise Money for Charity
Pick a Charity or Cause
Whether you raise awareness, donate a portion of profits or help a charity raise money, choose something you genuinely care about. You will be investing time, energy and often your own money, so the cause needs to be one you are willing to champion over the long term. As of 2024, the Charity Commission for England and Wales regulates more than 160,000 registered charities, so take time to find one whose mission connects with your experience or vision. Start with the Charity Commission register to check that an organisation is properly regulated, and look at its annual report to see how it spends its income.
Think about alignment with your business, too. A women’s coaching consultancy might partner with a domestic-abuse refuge, while a sustainable fashion brand might support an environmental charity. A close fit makes your support more credible and easier to communicate. Ask the charity what it actually needs: unrestricted funding, help with a specific project, or awareness-raising. Setting clear expectations from the start protects both sides and makes the partnership more productive.
Empower Your Customers to Give
A well-chosen campaign can help the charity and make your customers feel more connected to your business. Social media is ideal for this: share the story behind your chosen cause, post updates on how much you have raised and thank people publicly for taking part. Encourage customers to spread the word, donate directly or buy a product where a percentage goes to the cause. User-generated content, such as photos from an event or a dedicated hashtag, can extend your reach far beyond your usual audience.
If you collect donations, make sure you understand the rules. Cause-related marketing and public fundraising may need a licence or agreement with the charity, and you cannot claim Gift Aid on money raised from customers. The charity can claim Gift Aid on eligible personal donations made directly to it, so signpost supporters to the charity’s own donation page when possible. Transparency matters: be clear about how much of each sale or donation reaches the cause and how the money will be used.
Get Creative with Fundraising
Household budgets have been squeezed in recent years, so people may not give as readily as they once did. The Charities Aid Foundation UK Giving Report 2024 found that around 55% of people in the UK donated to charity over the previous year, with total giving estimated at roughly £13.9 billion. To stand out, your fundraising needs to be creative and relevant to both your business and the cause.
Consider niche events, limited-edition products, expert workshops or a social-media challenge. A female-run bakery could host a “bake-off” for a food bank; a fitness studio could run a sponsored class for a mental-health charity; a consultancy could auction a strategy session for a youth project. The more closely the activity ties to what you already do, the easier it is to organise and the more authentic it feels. Digital fundraising platforms such as JustGiving, Enthuse or GoFundMe can handle donations securely and help you share progress in real time.
Use Your Business Assets
As a business owner you have assets that charities need. Your client and supplier networks can be invited to sponsor or attend an event; your premises can host a collection, meeting or fundraiser; your products or skills can be donated as raffle prizes or pro-bono support. Even something as simple as letting a charity use your social-media channels or email list to promote an appeal can be valuable.
Do not overlook your team. Payroll giving lets employees donate to charity directly from their salary before tax, and you can boost engagement by match-funding donations or offering paid volunteering days. These schemes show that giving back is part of your company culture, not just a marketing tactic.
Measure and Share Your Impact
Success is not only measured by profit. What matters is the impact you create and how you communicate it. Set a clear target, track the results and share the outcome with your customers and stakeholders. With a thoughtful approach, women entrepreneurs can raise money for charity, support their communities and build a business that stands for something bigger than the bottom line.
Action Steps for Your Business
- Check the Charity Commission register before partnering with any UK charity.
- Ask the charity what it needs most: funding, awareness, volunteers or pro-bono support.
- Be transparent with customers about how much of each sale or donation reaches the cause.
- Signpost individual donors to the charity’s own page so Gift Aid can be claimed.
- Set a fundraising target, track progress and share the results publicly.
Image: Female entrepreneur supporting charity via Shutterstock
