Donations with a Difference

What Donations with a Difference does

Donations with a Difference is a charitable grant-making trust established in 2013 and registered in England and Wales. It serves individuals, families, registered charities and other eligible entities in Kent facing physical impairment, poor mental health or homelessness by reviewing grant applications monthly and funding mobility, sensory, medical, accessibility and essential-living needs.

The organization does not sell products or services and has no disclosed pricing or commercial contract model. It raises funds through donations, JustGiving, annual golf days and charity balls, with particularly strong reliance on the Kent construction industry and local corporate supporters; the 2025 Kent Construction Charity Ball raised £100,000 and the 2025 Golf Day raised £28,300. Its disclosed technology is limited to a website-based grant application process and a JustGiving donation portal, with no proprietary technology, application programming interface, software development kit or model context protocol reported.

Name

Donations with a Difference

Legal name

Donations With A Difference

Website

https://donationswithadifference.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Donations with a Difference is a Kent charitable grant-making trust funding individuals, families, charities and other eligible entities facing physical impairment, poor mental health or homelessness through donations, JustGiving and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Grant-Making Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Charitable grant-making
• Community fundraising
• Disability support services
• Mental health grants
• Homelessness charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Canterbury, Kent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising Events: Primary revenue comes from donations and hosting fundraising events including annual Golf Days and Charity Balls. Organises events throughout the year to respond to grant applications received.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Donations with a Difference is a charitable grant-making trust established in 2013 that funds grants to individuals and organisations in Kent, UK experiencing physical impairment, poor mental health, or homelessness. The trust raises money through fundraising events such as annual Golf Days and Charity Balls, plus direct donations, and disburses funds as grants for mobility equipment, sensory aids, and medical treatment support.

Product overview

Donations with a Difference is a charitable grant-making trust operating as a single, unified service focused on alleviating physical impairment, poor mental health, and homelessness in Kent. The core offering consists of a charitable grants program, which reviews applications monthly to provide equipment and financial assistance to those in need. Fundraising activities—including annual Construction Golf Days, Charity Balls, and Gala events—generate the funds disbursed through grants. The organisation connects to supporters via a JustGiving-powered donation portal and accepts grant applications through an online form. Community partnerships with Porchlight, Wildwood Trust, and Little Land extend the reach of funded equipment and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Charitable Grants Program Core grant-making service that provides financial assistance to individuals and families in Kent experiencing physical impairment, poor mental health, homelessness, or disability. Applications are reviewed monthly by the board of trustees and grants are awarded for equipment such as wheelchairs, sensory equipment, mobility aids, and adaptive devices.
• Fundraising Events (Kent Construction Charity Ball and Golf Day) Organisation and hosting of fundraising events including the annual Construction Charity Golf Day at The Cave Hotel and Golf Resort and the Kent Construction Charity Ball at Ashford International Hotel. These events generate the funds used for grant disbursements through ticket sales, auctions, raffles, and corporate sponsorship.
• Online Grant Application Web-based grant application form allowing individuals, registered charities, charitable organisations, and other entities to apply for financial assistance. Applications are reviewed monthly by the board of trustees and must align with the organisation's grant-making policy covering physical impairment, mental health, and homelessness.
• Donation Portal Online donation service enabling supporters to contribute to the organisation's grant fund via the JustGiving platform, facilitating direct financial support for beneficiaries. Supporters can also create personal fundraising pages through the platform.
• Community Support and Partnership Programmes Collaborative programmes partnering with organisations such as Porchlight to provide Christmas gift bags to vulnerable adults, Little Land for SEN and sensory equipment, Wildwood Trust for inclusive sensory boards, and Rockits inclusive play centre for sensory equipment grants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over £375,000 raised and distributed as grants since 2013
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, minor and core.

• Little Land in AshfordsupportingOthers · 1 January 2025Local charitable organisation selected as 'in-the-room' beneficiary at Kent Construction Charity Ball 2025. Received £13,000 gift to fund essential SEN and sensory equipment benefiting Kent families.
• The Brompton FountainsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023London-based charity supporting seriously ill babies and children at Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospitals. Partnered with DWAD for netball tournament at University of Kent in 2023, raising over £2,000 gifted wholly to The Brompton Fountain.
• University of KentminorOthers · 1 January 2023Venue host for inaugural netball tournament in conjunction with DWAD and The Brompton Fountain charity.
• Canterbury Rugby Football Club (CRFC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Charity of the Year partner for 2022/23 season elected by Chairman Giles Hilton MBE. Raised approximately £10,000 through match-day collections, beneficiary lunch, and business supporter donations. DWAD previously donated defibrillator to club. G4C Kent and Constructing Excellence Kent connections mentioned.
• PorchlightcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Charity supporting homeless and vulnerable adults in Kent. DWAD partnered for fourth consecutive year to provide 100 hand-filled gift bags for Porchlight's annual Christmas luncheon at Kent County Cricket Club. DWAD produces bags filled with toiletries, hats, gloves, socks, and treats.
• Jenner GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor corporate supporter and sponsor of Kent Construction Charity Ball and other events. Ella Brocklebank, Head of Communications & Business Development for Jenner Group, serves as Trustee. Active participant in fundraising activities.
• The Digital LookoutcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFull-service marketing agency dedicated to construction industry. Managing Director Connor Styche serves as Trustee. Provides technical expertise including website development and marketing support.
• GSE GroupsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerListed supporter of Donations With A Difference. Construction industry company providing corporate sponsorship and support for fundraising events.
• Hardwood Building ControlsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerListed supporter. Building control services company supporting DWAD through corporate sponsorship and event participation.
• HAWK SurveyingsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerListed supporter. Surveying company providing support for fundraising events and activities.
• Verum FinancialsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerListed supporter. Financial services company supporting DWAD events and fundraising activities.
• Morgan SindallsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerListed supporter. Major construction and regeneration group providing corporate support for fundraising.
• ECO-MEPsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerListed supporter. MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) services company supporting DWAD activities.
• Wildwood TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildlife park in Herne, Kent. DWAD provided two sensory boards for inclusive visitor experience, positioned at Otter and Bison enclosures. Boards designed for visitors needing sensory stimulation with moving parts, sound effects, and textures, accessible to wheelchair users.
• Rockits (Tenterden)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInclusive safe space for children with additional needs in Tenterden. DWAD provided interactive mobile floor projector for sensory sessions, stay and play, music classes, messy play, and SEN support activities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• JustGiving: Online donation platform used by DWAD to collect funds. Not a peer but an enabling platform/service provider that processes DWAD's online donations and supporter fundraising pages.

Broad incumbents

• Lloyds Bank Foundation: Corporate-affiliated UK grantmaking charity supporting disadvantaged communities. Comparable in grantmaking focus and corporate-backing structure, though serving a far broader geography.
• BBC Children in Need: Large UK grantmaking charity funding projects supporting disadvantaged children and young people. Comparable in mission and grantmaking structure, but operates nationally and at much greater scale.
• The Henry Smith Charity: Long-established UK grantmaking foundation providing grants to individuals and organisations facing disadvantage. Comparable in operating model (grantmaking-focused trust) and beneficiary focus, though at greater scale.
• Comic Relief: Nationally recognised UK charity that raises funds through high-profile events and grants them to organisations tackling poverty and disadvantage. Comparable event-driven fundraising and grantmaking model, but at massive national scale.

Direct peers

• Kent Community Foundation: Kent-based grantmaking charity that pools donations and distributes grants to local charities and community groups. Most direct comparable by geography, beneficiary profile, and grantmaking model.
• The Childhood Trust: UK grantmaking charity that channels donations to grassroots projects fighting child poverty. Closely comparable operating model: event-driven fundraising, grantmaking to vulnerable populations, small staff base.

Regional players

• The Disability Trust: UK charity providing services and grants for people with disabilities, including equipment provision. Comparable mission focus on disability and equipment provision, but operates in different regions than DWAD.

Emerging players

• Porchlight: Kent-based charity supporting homeless and vulnerable adults. A current DWAD partner and beneficiary; comparable regional focus and overlapping mission around homelessness in Kent.
• Disability Action (NI) / national disability charities: UK regional disability-focused charities that provide grants, equipment, or services to individuals with physical impairments. Comparable beneficiary focus on physical disability and equipment provision in the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donations-with-a-difference

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Donations with a Difference