Shuhana Zareen from Endometriosis UK shares how the charity doubled their challenge event income in just one year.

Event fundraising is set to boom in 2026. Despite the challenges facing charities, fundraising isn’t slowing down, especially in organised sporting and fitness challenge events.

As part of our 2026 Event Fundraising Snapshot research, Shuhana Zareen from Endometriosis UK shared how they took their challenge event income from £123,000 to £252,000 by…

• Choosing the right event mix
• Creating awesome supporter experiences
• And securing senior leadership buy-in

Keep reading for an overview of our conversation (and how you can use these strategies too).

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Choosing the right fundraising events

The right mix of events can help grow your cause, serve your supporters’ interests, and make the most of the budget you have.

69% of charities say running events are the most valuable for their cause, and Endometriosis UK prioritises their budget toward buying spaces for larger core running events like London Landmarks Half Marathon and Great North Run. 

From there, they extend their reach by partnering with organisations like Run for Charity and Action Challenge for smaller events in their local area. The charity is also happy to trial new events, even those based on supporters’ requests.

“[Fundraisers are] able to contact us directly and say, “I’ve actually had my own space at the Loch Ness Marathon, and I would love to see Endometriosis UK there.” We trialled the smallest package and that worked really well.”

Leadership buy-in helps reach fundraising targets

Our report shows that teams with leadership support are nearly twice as likely to reach or exceed their fundraising targets.

Endometriosis UK’s culture of strong leadership buy‑in was formed by starting small and proving their growth over time. In 2022, they had 10 charity places in London Landmarks Half Marathon but grew a waiting list of 102 people: clearly a major opportunity! Now in 2026, the charity has 41 spaces, enabling even more people to raise money for them.

Shuhana and team showcase growth by sharing weekly updates on spaces filled and income generated, and always keep events high on the agenda.

Stewardship makes a difference

Endometriosis UK says improving their stewardship is what’s helped them grow the most. Here’s what that looks like for the charity’s cornerstone events like London Landmarks Half Marathon:

• A fundraiser welcome pack containing more about the charity, the campaign, JustGiving’s fundraising tips, and an invite to the charity’s WhatsApp Group.
  
• A nine-email stewardship journey sharing the first fundraising deadline, minimum targets, and incentives for fundraisers to meet their goals.
  
• Endometriosis Action Month is the charity’s month-long event dedicated to keeping fundraisers motivated, including in-person fundraiser meetups.

“We see a lot of repeat fundraisers….and I think that also shows us that the stewardship is working. It’s a really positive outcome to see that long term relationship.”

Growing from £123,000 to £252,000 over the past year…isn’t that incredible?! The charity’s story offers an actionable blueprint for small teams looking to grow with fundraising events in 2026.

But the above is just a snippet of the full story! There’s much more from Endometriosis UK in our 2026 Event Fundraising Snapshot report, including…

• The targets they set for fundraisers in London Landmarks Half Marathon
• The incentives that motivate fundraisers to raise more
• The digital channels they use to connect fundraisers with each other

Get the new report now for all this, plus the key data, actionable insights, and top opportunities for your events in 2026.