- Thursday, 14 May 2026
What does sustainable funding really look like in today’s environment? And how can community organisations future‑proof themselves when funding is tighter and volunteers are stretched thinner than ever?
These were the questions at the heart of two recent Sustainable Funding workshops delivered by Exult in partnership with Community Trust South, bringing organisations together to rethink how they fund their work for the long term.
Rather than focusing solely on short‑term grants, the workshops explored sustainable funding: having enough money for a specific purpose on an ongoing basis. Participants dived into practical, real‑world approaches including membership models, donations, sponsorship, fundraising and entrepreneurial and trading activities
By the end of each session, attendees had the tools and frameworks to start building a sustainable funding plan tailored to their organisation’s mission, size, and capacity.
A strong theme among participants was the value of simply having time and space to step back from the daily pressures of service delivery and really think:
“It was great to have a solid chunk of time to concentrate solely on how we look at and approach funding — rather than nose to the grind delivering. It gave me time and space to think of new ideas, which was awesome.”
For some, the workshop was a genuine eye‑opener, challenging long‑held assumptions about what funding approaches might — or might not — be possible:
“This was an amazing workshop… I really wish it had been longer. I felt there was so much more that Megan wanted to communicate, opening my eyes to a form of funding I didn’t think was suitable for our organisation.”
With a reduced funding environment, fewer volunteers, and increasing demand for community services, Community Trust South sees building capability as a vital complement to its granting programme. Helping organisations strengthen their skills, confidence, and funding foundations supports resilience across the whole sector.
The feedback reinforced why this work matters and why Community Trust South will continue leaning into initiatives that support long‑term impact. By investing in capability as well as funding, Community Trust South is supporting organisations not just to survive, but to thrive - now and into the future.