Pivoting to private funding with Xapien

The funding gap

US and UK public funding cuts are leaving not-for-profits and universities facing billions in lost support. The result? Slowing research, reduced educational access, and weakened community services.

The Association of American Medical Colleges warns these cuts will lead to ‘slowing scientific progress and depriving patients, families, and communities across the country of new treatments, diagnostics, and preventative interventions’.

Faced with these realities, organisations are scrambling to fill the gap — increasingly applying for grants, seeking private funding, and feeling pressure to accept support from any available source. But the pivot brings new challenges.

The rise of private donors

With public funding drying up, many organisations are turning to private donors, corporate partnerships, and philanthropic foundations to stay afloat. High-profile philanthropists such as Bill Gates have reaffirmed their commitment to international aid and education, stepping in as public resources shrink.

But private funding brings complex risks. Fundraisers are now navigating unfamiliar territory — where misaligned values, reputational damage, and donor compliance issues can carry serious consequences.

For Xapien clients like ClientEarth, meeting this challenge with efficient, accurate and comprehensive due diligence is essential.

AI research, human-driven processes

ClientEarth, a global charity that litigates against environmental harm, transformed its fundraising approach with Xapien.

Xapien delivers fully sourced reports that instantly surface critical risks — including sanctions, political exposure, financial crime, adverse media, and governance concerns. Issues that might be buried on page 10 of a Google search appear at the top of a structured, easy-to-read report. All information is fully sourced, so users can dive deeper where needed and make informed decisions with confidence.

Using our AI-powered research and analysis platform, days of manual due diligence are completed in minutes — with no training required. Fundraisers can shift their focus to human-driven processes like building donor relationships and assessing alignment with organisational values.

How Xapien helps with uncompromised due diligence

The pivot to private funding forces not-for-profits and universities into a difficult trade-off:

• Conduct fast due diligence across many prospects and risk missing red flags.
• Conduct deep research on a few and risk missing out on key funding opportunities.

With Xapien, there’s no need to compromise. Our platform combines speed and depth, enabling fast, comprehensive donor research that empowers values-aligned fundraising — at scale.

Ready to xapien your fundraising?

Discover how Xapien enables not-for-profits and universities to pivot quickly to private funding — without compromising on risk or values.