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In many charities, Fundraising and Retail are the twin engines that power income generation – but too often, they’re flying in different directions. Fundraisers chase donations. Retail teams chase sales. Both work tirelessly for the same cause yet sometimes feel like they’re on separate missions.

At recent Charity Retail Association hospice meetings, one question kept coming up:

“How do we stop working against each other and start working as one income generation team?”

It’s a question worth asking, and answering. Because when Fundraising and Retail join forces, the results go far beyond higher income. You get stronger teams, richer community engagement, and a shared sense of pride in every pound raised.

The “Poorer Cousin” Problem

Charlotte Greenwood, former Head of Retail & Marketing at Isabel Hospice and now Consultant with The Charity Retail Consultancy, describes Retail as often being treated as Fundraising’s “poorer cousin.”

Many Directors of Income Generation come from fundraising backgrounds, which can unintentionally lead to an imbalance in how priorities are set. But Charlotte believes this view overlooks the commercial acumen and values-led leadership that retail teams bring.

“Retailers are commercially driven, but they’re also deeply mission-focused,” she explains. “When you combine that commercial mindset with the heart of fundraising, the results can be transformative.”

At Isabel Hospice, Charlotte and her Head of Fundraising made a conscious effort to align their approaches. They found that using Retail as the “foot in the door” often opened new opportunities for wider engagement. With the cost of living crisis followed by rising minimum wage and national insurance costs, many organisations simply don’t have the cash to make generous donations anymore, leaving Fundraising teams in a difficult predicament.

“Enter Retail,” says Charlotte. “By asking for stock donations rather than cold hard cash, it becomes a much easier ask. Once you’ve established that foothold with a corporate partner, you can use storytelling about your charity’s mission to pull on the heartstrings and open the door to further support, whether that’s payroll giving, event challenges, or more traditional donations.”

When Retail and Fundraising collaborate, both sides benefit and ultimately, so does the charity. It’s about recognising that both are part of the same story: generating income and goodwill to fund vital care.

Breaking Down Myths

For Michelle Nicholls, Director of Income Generation at Saint Francis Hospice, successful collaboration starts with tackling long-held myths about how each side works.

“I was told that Fundraising can’t be commercial. Not true at all! We all know how hard it is just to get a fiver. Sharing the load has helped each area see that the outcome is the same.”

To embed this culture, Michelle created an Income Senior Leadership Team that brings together her Heads of Fundraising and Retail.

“Each Head gets to swim in the other’s pool,” she says. “It’s a collaborative way of working where everyone understands the full picture – figures, people, and priorities.”

This shift has broken down barriers and created a culture where both functions share accountability and celebrate each other’s success. It’s no longer about where income comes from – it’s about the difference that income makes.

Collaboration in Practice

When Ross Henderson joined Nottinghamshire Hospice as Director of Income Generation & Digital, his mission was clear: unite Fundraising and Retail under one vision. He discovered that achieving this required not just process changes, but cultural ones. Ross highlights three key principles that helped bridge the divide:

1. Income belongs to the organisation, not the individual

“The income is owned by the organisation, not by the individual income generator.”

That statement reshaped how Nottinghamshire Hospice teams viewed their roles. Whether income came from a donation, an event, or a shop sale, it all contributed to the same goal; supporting patient care. One corporate partnership, nurtured by the fundraising team, led to £52,000 in retail income. Rather than claiming departmental credit, both teams celebrated it as a shared success.

2. Collaboration at every level

Real integration doesn’t happen just in boardrooms. It grows from everyday interactions.

Ross encouraged operational staff to connect. Fundraisers spending time in shops, retail managers attending fundraising meetings, and teams working on shared projects.

“When shop staff now ask for a £1 donation,” Ross says, “they’re not asking for the Fundraising team – they’re asking for Becky, the Community Fundraiser they met who brought good biscuits to the meeting.”

These small, human connections break down professional walls. Relationships build understanding. Understanding builds trust. And trust builds income.

3. Equal footing and visibility

Giving retail an equal voice in income generation discussions is transformative. At Nottinghamshire Hospice, Ross made it a rule that the Retail Operations Manager and Area Manager attend all fundraising meetings. Even when 70% of the people in the room are fundraisers, retail gets equal time and importance.

The result? Shared language, shared priorities, and a genuine sense of team identity.

One Team, One Mission

Charlotte, Ross, and Michelle’s experiences show that collaboration isn’t about meetings or slogans. It’s about leadership, empathy, and a shared commitment to impact.

When leaders focus on collective success instead of departmental competition, they release the real potential of their income generation teams.

Because ultimately, the public doesn’t see two departments. They see one charity, one cause, and one brand.

When Fundraising and Retail align, share goals, and support each other, the impact multiplies. It stops being about “my income” or “your shop” — and starts being about our mission.

From Silos to Synergy: How We Help You Build One Team

At The Charity Retail Consultancy, we specialise in helping organisations turn collaboration into action. We can work with your charity to bring Fundraising and Retail teams together through a tailored strategy, roadmap, or facilitated workshop designed to build a genuine “one team” approach.

Using tools like Myers Briggs (MBTI) profiling and our Internal Engagement course, we help teams understand each other’s strengths, improve communication, and create a shared vision for income generation. The result is a united, motivated team working together with clarity, confidence, and a common purpose.

Ready to start your one-team journey? We’d love to help you make it happen.

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