How smarter property management is strengthening The Donkey Sanctuary’s global mission

“There’s one thing it all comes back to: it’s all about the donkeys,” says Howard Bridges, Director of Estates and Facilities at The Donkey Sanctuary. For more than 50 years, the charity has led the way in donkey welfare, challenging neglect and abuse while delivering meaningful, lasting impact. Its main site in Sidmouth, Devon, is not only a sanctuary and award-winning visitor attraction, it is also a global centre of excellence for donkey welfare that supports wider welfare initiatives. Its reach, however, extends far beyond the UK, with a global network spanning Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Such a broad footprint inevitably brings complex management and logistical challenges. And while The Donkey Sanctuary has been fortunate to receive generous public support, it has to remain increasingly strategic in its spending to maximise the impact of every donation. “At the end of the day we’re custodians of other people’s money, it belongs to those who left it in donations or legacies. So we have to be very careful how this is spent,” Bridges emphasises.

The charity’s current five-year plan, running to 2027, set out to improve the lives of five million donkeys worldwide - “I think we’ve already surpassed that,” Bridges notes. Looking ahead, his role, strengthened by extensive experience across animal welfare organisations, is to bring a more commercial mindset to operations to ensure the charity can optimise both its resources and its outcomes.

How smarter estate planning supports animal welfare

That task is far from simple. “I’m considering what we need now, what we’ll need in a year, and what we’ll need in ten,” he explains. With millions of donkeys in need of support around the world, and demand for sanctuary care in the UK increasing in line with cost of living and other pressures, planning is a constant balancing act. “We should aim for around 90–95% capacity to give us scope to house more donkeys when needed.”

To support this, The Donkey Sanctuary has brought in external expertise to help shape its long-term strategy. Since 2021, Knight Frank has acted as a key advisor across its farming and property portfolio, helping restructure assets to better suit current needs and elevate future care standards further still. “Like many charities, they achieve excellent social outcomes, but the property assets involved can be underutilised,” says John Williams of Knight Frank’s Rural Asset Management team. “There’s a lot of opportunity waiting to be unlocked.”

Knight Frank’s global reach and breadth of in-house expertise have already delivered good results building on the excellent work already being done. Following a first phase strategic review, its building surveying team conducted a full insurance valuation of The Donkey Sanctuary’s agricultural portfolio across the UK and Ireland. A Red Book valuation of the charity’s broader property portfolio provided a clearer understanding of asset value and potential areas for new focus. Through both private sales and auctions, Knight Frank has helped streamline its holdings, selling and acquiring land and properties to ensure the estate fully supports The Donkey Sanctuary’s mission.

The complex realities of housing and caring for donkeys

Ensuring high-quality care for donkeys on the ground presents its own set of challenges. “Donkeys have a much longer lifespan than, for example, many pets - often reaching 30 years or more,” Bridges explains. “And unlike cats and dogs, they can be much harder to rehome.” Their welfare needs are also highly specific, from facilities that help prevent the spread of disease to environments designed to support healthy social living and avoid behavioral issues that could lead to additional veterinary intervention.

Weather and geography add another layer of complexity. “In England, you contend with wet and cold conditions, which is why the South of England has been a priority and why quality buildings are so essential,” notes Williams. “There’s also the potential for new planning developments that could further improve welfare standards. Over the years, the charity has taken on farms that, for example, were former dairy units or not ideally located. Part of our role is to investigate how best to repurpose these assets or capital, whether that’s reworking facilities for modern needs or using the land for environmental schemes that support the local ecosystem.”

“One of the most refreshing things about working with The Donkey Sanctuary is how proactive and responsive they are - always forward-thinking, delivering results today while futureproofing the organisation for generations to come.”