Crowdfunding is up 236% compared to equivalent pre-election period in 2022 with support being driven by lower-income communities.
Crowdfunder, the UK’s leading crowdfunding platform, has released new data showing a marked growth in grassroots political fundraising ahead of the 2026 local elections.
A total of £436,000 was raised for political causes on Crowdfunder from January to April 2026 — a 236% increase on the equivalent pre-local election period in 2022. There has also been a significant increase in the amount of people donating to political causes, with campaigns receiving three times as many individual pledges as in 2022.
“Crowdfunding for political causes is about more than just raising money — it’s about active participation in a political system.”
The data also points to a broadening base of participation in how political campaigns are funded. Notably, support is concentrated in more deprived communities: 42% of backers of political campaigns are based in the 30% most deprived areas of the UK, compared to 21% from the least deprived—indicating strong engagement from lower-income areas.
Simon Deverell, Founder and Co-CEO of Crowdfunder, said: “Crowdfunding for political causes is about more than just raising money — it’s about active participation in a political system.”
The figures come as recent reporting has highlighted the continued role of large individual donors in UK politics. Although crowdfunding continues to represent a small share of overall political finance, it reflects a …
Subscribe to The Mace
Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of
what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs,
with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from
Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and
resource for the government affairs industry, offering required
reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.
To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes
having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing
professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by
government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy
and political decision-makers.
Sir Keir Starmer has announced that he will resign as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party, triggering a leadership process that now looks increasingly likely to
As vultures circle Downing Street, now that Burnham is back as an MP, Starmer must realise that resigning is going to be better for the Labour Party than
What will a Burnham government look like ? Lucy Carrier-Pilkington analyses what a change of prime minister will mean for the country and who will be the likely
Debate has erupted over whether the new policy is an overdue attempt to rein in Silicon Valley or a short-sighted, politically motivated move that will push children towards
With Restore and Reform tearing votes off each other, the Makerfield by-election could propel Andy Burnham into Number 10. But, asks William Cash, will Restore's percentage of the
Creating a Defence Industrial base with no new money is going to be a challenge for any Defence Secretary. But, argues defence expert William Wallace, there are several
The dismal results of reducing the police force in Scotland should act as a cautionary deterrent for English police reform, writes Sharon Dowey, a former member of the
Tristan Breijer is the new London head of Checkmate Government Relations. The move into London gives the US lobby firm its first European base, bringing its global power-broking