For many charities, Charity of the Year (COY) reviews are key revenue drivers - often forming a large share of annual fundraising targets.

The challenge is knowing when those reviews are happening. Most partnerships run for 12 months, but public details are often limited or scattered.

That’s where Bernard comes in.

Bernard vs Charity of the Year Reviews

AI isn’t going to convince a marketing director at a blue-chip brand to partner with your charity - nor will it write your 2026 events calendar - but it can help you find key brands reviewing major giving programmes.

Bernard specialises in spotting signals most teams don’t have time to track.

He’s your smart corporate giving companion, capable of detecting a charity buying signal faster than you can say pedigree chum.

Step 1: Looking Back to See What’s Next

Let’s start by looking backwards.

Which companies announced new Charity of the Year partnerships just over a year ago? Because if they were announcing then, they’re almost certainly reviewing now.

We asked Bernard to:

“Find UK companies that publicly announced a Charity of the Year partnership between October 2024 and February 2025.”

In less than 30 seconds, he trawled through company sites, news updates, and social posts - and proudly returned 270 companies that fit the bill.

That means 270 potential partnerships are likely to be under review in the next 4–5 months.

Here are a few examples of what he found:

• TalkTalk - Opened applications for its 2025 Charity of the Year partnership in December 2024. Staff shortlisted charities including The National Literacy Trust and Smart Works Greater Manchester, with the final choice announced in early 2025.
• Surge Marketing Solutions - Announced Maxis Mates as its Charity of the Year from November 2024, with joint plans to boost awareness and fundraising activity through digital campaigns.
• Slater & Gordon - Selected The Wheelchair Football Association as their Charity of the Year for 2024, with the partnership formally revealed in January 2025.

Each represents an opportunity for charities preparing their 2026 partnerships strategy.

Step 2: Training Bernard on Your Charity

Before researching and contacting these companies, Bernard needs to learn about your charity — what makes you stand out, and who you help.

We provide him with:

• A clear overview of what you do and who benefits
• Examples of marketing collateral that capture your message
• Sample introduction emails to HR, Marketing, or CSR leads
• A few examples of existing partners or campaigns
• The key details that make your charity unique

That’s all he needs to start identifying high-fit opportunities.

For this example, we’ve used a charity called Archie’s Caravan, who we support at Honch.

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Step 3: Retrieve the List

Once trained, Bernard retrieves the 270 companies he identified earlier - complete with social and media context around each one.

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Step 4: Research and Create Tailored Outreach

Bernard then supports the research process, summarising each company’s charitable focus, themes, and past activity. This helps your team create targeted, relevant outreach that connects your mission with theirs.

The first company on my list is Checkatrade - I find the right contact and give Bernard this prompt:

This company launched a charity of the year almost 12 months ago that I believe is almost finished. Can you write me a detailed introduction, showing i've researched previous charitable giving initiatives, and explain why I think potentiall partnering with a smaller charity might be preferrable for staff as we move into 2026

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The result:

Step 5: Personalise at Scale

With the right prompt and tone, Bernard helps you personalise messages at scale - introducing your charity to hundreds of companies approaching their review period, with messaging that feels thoughtful and timely.

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What’s Next

Bernard will continue to track Charity of the Year announcements throughout the year, building an ongoing view of who’s giving, when, and where reviews are due.

Beyond Charity of the Year

His abilities don’t stop there. Here are just a few other ways Bernard helps transform corporate giving:

• Find aligned supporters - companies already donating in your space.
• Track decision-maker moves - new CSR and sustainability leads often reshape giving strategies.
• Spot emerging themes - from sustainability to gender equality or community investment.

Bernard makes it simple to replace guesswork with well-timed, data-led outreach - and to ensure you’re speaking to the right partners, at the right moment.

🐾 Bernard: making partnership prospecting a little easier.

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