Civil Society Media

What Civil Society Media does

Civil Society Media Limited is a London-based, privately held independent media company that has operated since 1990 as the only UK media firm exclusively dedicated to the charity and voluntary sector. The company publishes three specialist magazines — Charity Finance, Fundraising Magazine and Governance & Leadership — alongside a comprehensive digital news platform at civilsociety.co.uk carrying thousands of articles across finance, fundraising, governance, policy and SORP topics. A free daily newsletter functions as the top-of-funnel acquisition channel.

The business derives revenue from a diversified set of streams: annual magazine subscriptions (individual titles £89–£179, bundled Chief Executive Package £308), paid online training courses for trustees and charity professionals (£195–£400 per delegate, discounted for subscribers), invitation-only and open events including the Charity Finance Investment Forum, annual reference products (Charity Finance Yearbook, SORP Compliance Checklist, Charity Shops Survey), and the long-running Charity Awards programme. Event sponsorship is anchored by investment-management firms (CCLA, Baillie Gifford, Barclays Private Bank, Cazenove Capital, Investec, LGT, Newton, Ruffer, Brown Advisory, HSBC, Rathbones), aligning the company with charities holding significant investment portfolios.

The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct e-commerce through the company website, subscriber discounts across publications, targeted forums, and in-person/online events. The audience is segmented by role: charity chief executives, finance professionals, fundraising practitioners, trustees and governance managers — all served horizontally by the same content, training and events portfolio. The company is founder/owner-controlled with no disclosed institutional investors, no parent company, and no M&A activity in the record, with Matthew Nolan serving as Chief Executive.

Name

Civil Society Media

Legal name

Civil Society Media Limited

Website

https://civilsociety.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Civil Society Media is an independent UK media company serving the charity sector with three specialist magazines (Charity Finance, Fundraising Magazine, Governance & Leadership), online training, data products, events and the Charity Awards, targeting charity chief executives, finance professionals, fundraisers, trustees and governance managers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Media and Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Charity sector media
• Trade publications
• Professional training
• Sector events
• Regulatory guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions to three specialist magazines: Charity Finance (10 issues/year), Fundraising Magazine (10 issues/year), and Governance & Leadership (6 issues/year), plus bundled Chief Executive Package offering all three publications with full website access.
2. Training Courses: Online training courses for charity professionals and trustees covering governance, finance, fraud prevention, data protection, and other charity management topics. Priced per delegate with subscriber discounts.
3. Events and Conferences: Charity Finance Investment Forum (invitation-only for charities with £5m+ investments), Winter Investment Forum & Dinner, and various sector conferences. Includes networking, workshops, and keynote sessions.
4. Products and Reports: Guidance documents, surveys, and reports including SORP Compliance Checklist, Charity Finance Yearbook, and Charity Shops Survey available for individual purchase.
5. Daily Newsletter: Free daily news bulletin covering charity sector news, with registration required for access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Civil Society Media is an independent B2B media company that publishes three specialist magazines — Charity Finance, Fundraising Magazine, and Governance & Leadership — for UK charity professionals, available individually or bundled as the Chief Executive Package. It complements these subscriptions with a free daily newsletter, online training courses delivered via Zoom, sector conferences and awards (including the Charity Finance Investment Forum and The Charity Awards), and reference publications such as the SORP Compliance Checklist, Charity Finance Yearbook, and Charity Shops Survey. All offerings are sold via its publishing platform at civilsociety.co.uk.

Product overview

Civil Society Media is the UK's only independent media company dedicated solely to supporting the charity sector. The company operates a multi-product portfolio consisting of three core magazine subscriptions (Charity Finance, Governance & Leadership, and Fundraising Magazine) available individually or bundled as The Chief Executive Package, supplemented by guidance publications (SORP Compliance Checklist, Charity Finance Yearbook), research reports (Charity Shops Survey), and an annual awards programme (The Charity Awards). Additional offerings include online training courses for charity professionals, a daily newsletter, and a comprehensive digital news platform at civilsociety.co.uk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charity Finance Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,592 articles on Finance topic
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 40 Survey RespondentsminorOthers · 1 January 2025Charity Shops Survey 2025 received responses from 40 charities of various income sizes for benchmarking data, including FORCE Cancer Charity (£1.62m) and Oxfam GB (£340m).
• CCLAcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Headline sponsor for Charity Finance Investment Forum & Winter Investment Forum events. CCLA (Churches, Charities and Local Authorities) Investment Management provides investment solutions for charities.
• Baillie GiffordminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Associate sponsor of Charity Finance Investment Forum events. Investment management firm.
• Barclays Private BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Associate sponsor providing investment advisory services for charity investors.
• Cazenove CapitalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Associate sponsor and session provider on charity investments and climate commitments.
• InvestecminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Associate sponsor covering ESG investing and economic uncertainty topics.
• LGTminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Associate sponsor focusing on spending decisions in high inflation era.
• Newton Investment ManagementminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Associate sponsor presenting on engagement and responsible investment.
• RufferminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Associate sponsor covering portfolio construction in volatile investment environments.
• Brown AdvisoryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Event supporter presenting on alternative investments and impact investing.
• HSBCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Event supporter focusing on private markets and impact investments.
• RathbonesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 December 2023Event supporter presenting on equity investments and societal impact.
• Professor Trevor WilliamsminorOthers · 4 December 2023Opening keynote speaker at Charity Finance Investment Forum - former chief economist at Lloyd's Bank.
• Dr Daniel HulmeminorOthers · 4 December 2023Closing keynote speaker on artificial intelligence and its impact on business and society.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/civilsocietyuk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Civil Society Media