It’s a brand new year, and now that the UK has finally thawed out, we’re ready to deliver our first newsletter of 2026. We’ve given the visuals a bit of an overhaul (so please pardon our dust as we get things right!) , but you can expect the same practical updates, tips, and advice we aim to deliver every month.
We’ve got a lot to cover, so let’s get into it.
Last month’s launch of CRAFT was a big milestone for ADA, and we’re happy to see new users signing up each week! We’re going to be kicking things up a notch over the next few weeks, so expect more community action in the forums, a user-friendly onboarding process, and the launch of a brand new app – so watch this space! If you've yet to discover CRAFT and all it can offer, you can join for free today and begin your journey to data confidence.
Speaking of launches, we’re excited to announce Engaging Networks Essentials, a streamlined version of the ADRFM reporting suite that gives charity teams a single, joined-up view of what’s really happening with their EN data. No more guessing, no more pivot tables; just clarity across email, fundraising, advocacy, and regular giving.
Features:
One shared version of the truth: Stop switching between screens or stitching reports together. Everyone sees the same picture.
From activity to insight: Essentials highlights what’s changing, what’s working, and where attention is needed, with supportive nudges like “test one small change at a time.”
Full supporter journey visibility: Understand how supporters move between channels, gifts, and actions, so you can spot where journeys stall or deepen.
Actionable email and fundraising metrics: See income, clicks, and value per 1,000 emails; identify high-performing donation pages; track regular giving in a human, actionable way.
Built for reflection, not firefighting: Designed for monthly and quarterly check-ins, Essentials helps teams pause, align, and make better decisions together.
It’s not about perfect data; it’s about enough clarity to take the next best step – all at an affordable price so charities of all sizes can take advantage of all these lightweight yet powerful features.
Want to learn more? Drop us a line and discover EN Essentials for yourself.
Finally, Ant will be speaking in the final two-part ArtWorks Data Series webinar with Business to Arts on January 22nd, closing out the programme with a practical focus on reporting and data visualisation for arts organisations. Session B dives into how data visualisation can move beyond “nice charts” to become a real decision-making tool, covering dashboard basics, data hygiene, stakeholder trust, and how to activate insights across boards, senior leadership and teams.
Ant will be joined by Jane Trenaman (The Human Experience Consultancy), Rosi Callery (National Youth Orchestra), and Dominika Cechova (manifesto), bringing real-world perspectives from across the sector. It’s an ideal session for anyone looking to improve reporting confidence, increase data visibility, and make insights more actionable across their organisation. You can sign up for it here.
Digital Fundraising Is Now the Norm – and Data Is the Accelerator
Charity Digital’s latest look at sector trends underlines that online giving has shifted from “innovation” to baseline behaviour. Recent analysis suggests around 60% of charitable donations were processed online last year, and digital channels are now a core part of donors’ giving habits.
This trend has big implications for fundraisers and analysts alike:
Digital engagement metrics matter more than ever for forecasting revenue.
Segmentation and personalisation pay off – donor journeys now start online.
Offline success stories still matter, but must be tied back to digital touchpoints.
Actionable takeaway: If you haven’t yet benchmarked your digital vs offline donation trends for 2025 – make that a priority. Compare year-on-year shifts in online conversion rates and donor acquisition costs to inform your Q1 strategy.
Getting Your Data Ready for a Clean 2026
January is when teams inherit last year’s mess and decide whether they’re going to fix it or drag it around for another 12 months. These tips are about quick, realistic data hygiene wins that pay off fast, especially for fundraising and analytics teams.
Audit duplicates and contact info: Check for multiple records, missing emails/postal addresses, and inconsistent “do not contact” flags. Even a quick CRM report can highlight hidden issues.
Standardise key fields: Agree on critical fields like supporter type, consent status, and campaign codes. Remove unused values and lock down free-text entries to improve reporting accuracy.
Align KPI definitions: Ensure fundraising, finance, and insight teams share a single definition for “active donor,” “campaign ROI,” etc. A one-page glossary saves confusion later.
Build one baseline dashboard: Focus on acquisition, conversion, and income by channel. A simple, trusted dashboard beats a complex one nobody uses – extra layers can come later.
A few hours spent cleaning and aligning your data now makes every campaign, report, and insight in 2026 far more reliable.
If you’d like a helping hand, CRAFT subscribers can use our Data Quality App to reduce this work from hours to minutes, while our Resources page – free to all users – also includes a Data Quality Audit Checklist to get you started.
As mentioned last month, we’ve updated this section to include both events happening in the coming month and larger sector events later in the year — useful if you need to plan ahead.
You can also find a full, regularly updated list on the Events Calendar on the CRAFT website.
Upcoming Events
Charity Conference (ICAEW) – 22–23 Jan 2026 (Online) Up to 8 CPD hours covering accounting, governance, reporting frameworks and regulator priorities – perfect for finance and analytics leads.
The Charity AI Update – 27 Jan 2026(Online) A focused online event on practical AI trends for charities – great if you’re fielding questions about tools, ethics, and implementation.
ArtWorks Data Series: Data Visualisation & Activation – 22 Jan 2026 (Online) A practical webinar on using dashboards and data visualisation to improve trust, transparency and decision-making. Featuring Anthony Fawkes alongside sector peers, with real examples of data in action for arts organisations.
Future Events Spotlight
Elevate 2026 – March 11, 2026 (London) Held in London, this event focuses on voice, visibility, and vulnerability to realise influence and impact.
CFG Digital and Technology Conference 2026 – March 26 2026 (London) This London event is designed for finance, leadership, and digital teams within charities, covering digital transformation and AI.
Data Decoded – April 22-23 2026 (London) A two-day festival for data and analytics professionals, featuring expert talks, hands-on workshops, and networking opportunities to turn insight into practical impact. Free to attend.
Third Sector: The Conference 2026 – 23-24 June 2026 (London) A flagship two‑day event for charity leaders and practitioners, packed with practical insight on resilience, fundraising, governance, tech and leadership — plus time built in for networking and hands‑on sessions to help you take ideas straight back to the office.
Legislative & Policy Updates
SORP 2026 now in effect: The updated Charities Statement of Recommended Practice came into force for accounting periods from 1 January 2026. Key changes include a three-tier reporting framework based on income, revised presentation and disclosure requirements, and updated lease and income recognition rules.
What to do now:
Confirm which SORP tier your charity sits in.
Review your income recognition practices – especially for contracts and legacy gifts.
Brief trustees on changes to narrative reporting expectations early in the cycle.
Charity Soft Opt-In – Implementation Delayed: The long-anticipated extension of the “soft opt-in” for charities has not come into force yet, despite the underlying legislation receiving Royal Assent in June 2025. While the Data (Use and Access) Bill 2025 enables charities to use soft opt-in for email and SMS fundraising, these provisions require formal commencement through secondary legislation.
The government has confirmed a staged rollout, and the charity soft opt-in will now take effect later in 2026, not January as previously expected. Until commencement regulations are published, charities must continue to rely on existing PECR consent rules.
Action required: Until commencement regulations are published, charities must continue to rely on existing PECR consent rules for email and SMS marketing. You can find out more about the current plans for commencement on the GOV.UK website.
Not every data breakthrough comes from complex models or new tools. Often, the biggest “aha!” moments are simple — seeing data in a new way, saving hours of manual work, or finally trusting what the numbers are saying.
This month, I asked Ant and Mike to share some of the moments that stood out most when working with charity teams:
What’s your favourite data “aha!” moment you’ve seen with a client?
Ant: "One of my favourites is seeing a CRM system grow from empty to fully loaded. When you start with a blank system and begin importing gifts, payments, and consent data, it’s like watching a child grow—it’s that first holistic view of a supporter.
Another memorable moment was showing a client an old CRM system could switch from record view to table view. Suddenly, they could see multiple records at once instead of clicking through each one. They told me that single feature justified the consultancy fee—it completely changed how they worked. I also love the moment during training when someone finally “gets it,” understands the value of the system, and sees how it can make their daily work easier."
Mike: "I agree. Implementation moments are great, but I’d add another 'aha' is when someone sees a report or a trick in the system that genuinely simplifies their workflow. With ADRFM, it’s when people see all the RFM data in one place and can manipulate it instantly to gain insights—it saves time and supports better decisions."
Do you have any “aha!” moments you’d like to share? You can either reply to this email directly or share it on the CRAFT Crew Community forums. We love hearing about those kinds of moments, so do let us know!
Before we finish, here’s a quick round-up of recent and notable blogs in case they passed you by the first time round:
New Year, Same CRM System?
Practical ways to get more value from the tools you already have.
And that brings our January edition to a close. Thank you all for continuing on this journey with us. It’s honestly wonderful to see the community grow each month, and we’re excited to see where it all leads – not just for ourselves at ADA, but for your continued success in the charity sector.
Until next time,
Carl Phillips
Head of Marketing
Actually Data Analytics Ltd, 3 Milestone Road, Crystal Palace, London SE19 2LL, United Kingdom, 0782 444 3989
