We are beyond exited to announce that Thread Fundraising have chosen Cerebra as the charity partner for their inaugural Accelerator Programme 2026.
Thread co-founder, Craig Linton, shares:
“We’re really excited about the impact that pulling our collective pro bono support as an agency into one strategic partnership is going to have in 2026. The breadth and quality of applications made our decision pretty tough, but we’re so pleased to be partnering with Cerebra. We can already see some high potential uses for the support we’re offering and we’re really looking forward to getting stuck in together in the New Year.”
Cerebra CEO, Jess Camburn-Rahmani says:
“Cerebra is on an ambitious journey of transformation and growth. Our services already make a profound difference to thousands of children and families across the UK, yet the landscape of support for disabled children is under immense strain—and demand far exceeds what we can currently deliver. We are committed to diversifying and sustainably growing our income, so we can be there for many more families who need us. Being selected for the Thread Accelerator will be truly transformational for the charity, it comes at a pivotal moment in our journey. The expertise and innovation that the Thread team offer us will have huge impact in shaping the way we work and engage with our supporters into the future.”
What is the Accelerator Programme?
One charity. One year. Over £100,000 worth of expert fundraising support, completely free.
Thread describes the Accelerator programme as £107,000 worth of pro bono specialist support in the following areas:
- STRATEGY (£9,000): We start with a full fundraising strategy review – portfolio analysis, SWOT, gap analysis, and a clear growth plan for the year.
- CAMPAIGNS (£12,000): Four warm campaigns – one per quarter. We’ll help with creative ideas, strategic planning, and delivery. These could be appeals, seasonal campaigns, or reactivation – whatever makes sense for your goals.
- DIGITAL LEAD GENERATION (£10,000): Two full digital campaigns to bring in new supporters and prospects. Proper acquisition work.
- SUPPORTER EXPERIENCE (£9,000): A complete audit of your supporter journeys – from first gift to retention – and a strategy to improve the experience at every touchpoint.
- PLATFORM ACCESS (£9,000): 12 months’ access to the Thread Fundraising platform – this helps you deliver journeys, digital fundraising pages, and social content all in one place.
- AI & AUTOMATION (£12,000): We’ll identify and set up three automations to save you time and money while improving supporter experience. This could be thank you letter generation, donation processing, reporting dashboards – whatever will have the biggest impact.
- REPORTING SOLUTION (£18,000): Access to the BINGO solution platform for real-time reporting, dashboards, and budget insight. No more waiting weeks for data.
- CRITICAL FRIEND SUPPORT (£9,000): Ongoing strategic input throughout the year across all your income streams. You’ll have us in your corner whenever you need a sounding board.
- TRAINING & COACHING (£19,000): All our on-demand training, plus two in-person training days for your team, and ongoing individual and group coaching throughout the year.
Max Newton, Cerebra’s Director of Fundraising, Marketing and Comms, said:
“We’re beyond thrilled to have been chosen to partner with Thread. The accelerator programme will help us transform, revolutionise even, our understanding of and relationships with supporters and audiences. We’ll apply it straight away for everything from cash appeals to regular giving to mass pax events. It’s going to be an amazing journey and everyone involved in Fundraising, Marketing and Comms at Cerebra cannot wait to take that journey hand in hand with our friends at Thread.”
