National Literacy Trust: Driving powerful fundraising events to change children’s lives through literacy

‍Who is the National Literacy Trust?

The National Literacy Trust is an independence UK charity dedicated to improving the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills of children, young people, and adults. Working in communities, schools, and with businesses nationwide, the charity supports those from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop the literacy skills they need to succeed in education, employment, and life. Fundraising plays a vital role in enabling the National Literacy Trust to expand its reach and create brighter futures for children, young people, and adults across the UK.

The Partnership

Emma has partnered with the National Literacy Trust across a series of flagship annual gala fundraising events, since 2022, helping the charity deliver seamless guest experiences, increase supporter engagement, and maximise fundraising income. Through integrated event technology and expert support, Emma has helped transform the charity’s gala dinners into high-performing fundraising occasions year after year.

“It's great working with Emma Live, as always!”

The annual Gala Auction has become a standout event in the charity’s fundraising calendar, bringing together supporters, authors, publishers, and corporate partners for an evening of celebration, networking and charitable giving. Designed to raise funds for programmes tackling low literacy levels across the UK, each event has combined premium hospitality with multiple fundraising moments throughout the evening.

Emma has powered the Gala Auction with a tailored suite of tools, including ticketing and registration, live auctions, silent auctions, pledges, prize draws, sealed bids, donations, buy now items, and live leaderboards. With Emma, the National Literacy Trust has been able to streamline event delivery, create a smooth guest experience, and maximise participation before, during, and after the event.

Over the course of the partnership, the Gala Auction has continued to evolve and grow, with Emma supporting increased fundraising performance and supporter engagement each year.

Event Progression and Results

2022                  Raised £175,000 total

2023                  Raised £210,000 total

2024                  Raised £207,000 total

2025                  Raised £218,000 total

2026                  Raised £235,000 total

Across five consecutive gala events, the National Literacy Trust has demonstrated consistent fundraising success while refining and expanding the supporter experience with Emma’s platform.

The Results

Since partnering with Emma, the National Literacy Trust has generated over £670,000 through the Emma platform, while raising £1 million overall across its gala fundraising events.

By combining smart fundraising technology with premium event experiences, Emma has helped the National Literacy Trust to:

· Increase funding income through live auctions, silent auctions, pledges, prize draws, and direct donations.

· Boost supporter engagement with leaderboards, mobile bidding, and interactive giving moments.

· Streamline event delivery with integrated ticketing, registration, and guest management tools.

· Create memorable donor experiences through a flagship annual gala event.

· Build momentum year on year through repeat attendance, growing supporter confidence, and continued innovation.

From milestone anniversaries to continuously increasing fundraising totals, Emma has helped the National Literacy Trust turn its Gala auction into a powerful platform for impact.

Looking Ahead

As the National Literacy Trust continues its mission to give people the literacy skills the need to succeed, Emma is proud to support the charity with technology designed to raise more, engage supporters, and make every event easier to deliver.