This page was last updated on 16 December 2025.

Shakespeare’s Globe is a registered charity (No. 266916) and actively seeks philanthropic donations, gifts and sponsorship from Individuals, Trusts, Foundations, and Corporates (including sponsorship) within the UK and internationally. Donations and sponsorships help us to serve and further our charitable purposes through a diverse programme of work.

We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator and are committed to carrying out our fundraising in compliance with the Code of Fundraising Practice (including the Fundraising Promise to donors and the public), ensuring all activity is legal, open, honest and respectful. Our Fundraising and Donations Policy provides a comprehensive framework for accepting, refusing and returning donations and reflects the latest Charity Commission guidance. The Policy also includes due diligence procedures, a systematic approach to decision-making, and clear governance structures.

When making decisions on donations, we adhere to the overarching principle that donations should be accepted wherever possible, in line with Charity Commission guidance. There are some limited circumstances where we may need to refuse a donation. For example, we could not accept a donation if to do so would be unlawful, or we might need to refuse a donation where acceptance would be detrimental to the achievement of the Globe’s purposes. In our decision-making we consider a wide range of factors including conflicts of interest, reputational risks, any unusual aspects or complexities, and inclusion, transparency, and equity.

Shakespeare’s Globe operates a clear, tiered and proportionate decision-making procedure. Depending on an initial assessment, a decision may be escalated for more detailed consideration (for example where the donation exceeds a particular value threshold or has potential sensitivities). Major decisions will normally need to be reviewed by our Trustees, being the body ultimately responsible for the Globe’s affairs with a legal duty to act in its best interests at all times, in furtherance of its charitable purposes.

In relation to returning donations, other than where we have a legal obligation to do so, the instances in which the Globe is able to return a donation are very limited under charity law.  This is because, once the Globe receives a donation, it becomes part of our charitable assets, which can only be spent in furtherance of the Globe’s purposes.