We believe one size doesn't fit all.
96% of the UK's 163,000 charities are small* and yet so often training and consultancy support solutions are designed to meet the needs of larger organisations who operate in an entirely different way.
Small charities, (voluntary and community organisations with an annual income of less than £1m), are characterised by their energy, flexibility, and ability to respond. Their person-centred view of the world provides a strong and powerful voice which connects with the needs of the community around them.
However, small charities face many challenges which can destabilise them as they grow, finding the delicate balance between generating sustainable income and meeting the demand for services with limited time and resources to support an increasing workload.
Small Charity Support
Action Planning wants to support small charities to address the specific challenges they are facing to stabilise, build capacity and achieve sustainable growth. We are committed to offering affordable, accessible support, with over 80% of our Associate community having experience working both in and with small organisations.
Our new service has been designed specifically for small charities, to maximise the effectiveness, impact, and value we are able to deliver. The service provides an objective reflection of performance priorities and skills for your charity which can help to inform strategy, share a clear understanding of what’s important, provide reassurance regarding the direction for change and inform a case for support or funding application.
How you use the information is up to you! We start our journey together, from where ever you are now…
Small Charity Service from Action Planning
Over the years, many small charities have turned to Action Planning, and we have given what help we can.
But as a private company without the benefits of grant funding, we charge for our services –
and that can sometimes make us unaffordable for smaller charities operating on very tight budgets.
So, we have a solution.
A new service from Action Planning designed specifically to help small charities to build the right foundations for growth.
Firstly, the service includes the use of the new Action Planning small charity analysis tool - scAn -to explore competency, performance, and prioritisation in three core areas of growth: Income Generation, Organisational Governance and Audience Engagement.
Secondly, a bespoke detailed analysis report based on your responses, highlighting recommendations for priority action and planning.
Thirdly, a half day of Action Planning Associate Consultancy support, based upon priorities for your organisational growth and development, selected by you.
So, what does it cost?
Our price for small charities,
£295 (+VAT) includes the three elements above and is available to all small charities who book this service in 2024.
Are you ready to get started?
Don’t just take our word for it!
Our new, small charity support service has been piloted by a range of small charities
and here is some of the feedback they have provided as they went through the initial stages of the process.
"The Small Charity Analysis was generally very easy to use and straightforward... I felt there was a good mix of responses. It didn’t feel too long to complete and the questions themselves caused me to think about some aspects of our organisational health in new ways, so it was a helpful exercise. I am excited to see the outcomes!"
Lesley Gladwell – CEO Rebuild
"We found the Small Charity Analysis straightforward to use and worthwhile for our charity. The process of going through the questions provided reassurance that our approach was proportionate. It helped us to consolidate our thinking and raise awareness of the interdependencies between income generation, organisational governance and audience engagement."
Georgina Carr – CEO The Neurological Alliance
"Overall I found the Small Charity Analysis useful. It made me think a little about things that we need that have either slipped down the priority list or that we haven’t thought of before."
Kara Lee – CEO Bexley Mencap
The answer’s YES –
what’s the question?
How do we grow our small charity? How do I find the time to do everything?
Great questions!
Working in a small organisation can present both tough challenges and exciting opportunities.
Working together with small charities, we identified three key areas required for growth: Income Generation, Organisational Governance, and Audience Engagement.
It is in these areas that the Action Planning scAn tool is designed to provide support.
These are some of the most common questions from some of the amazing small charities we have worked with:
How do we diversify our income streams?
How do we make sure we are sustainable?
How do we raise more money?
How do we find new sources of income?
How do we create a sustainable funding model?
Do we have the right structure and systems?
How do we navigate the changes as we grow?
How do we create more capacity?
How do we manage risk better?
How do we do more with the resources we have?
How do we communicate our impact?
Where do we focus our impact?
How do we raise more awareness?
How do we work together better?
How do we build better partnerships?
Case Studies
Insights
With over 150 consultants in the Action Planning network, we’re confident that, whatever your need, we will have a charity consultant who can really help. All our people have recent, relevant experience of meeting specific needs in the third sector, and they all share our passion to help small charities succeed.
Many of our consultants work with small charities on a regular basis and are keen to share their expertise and valuable insights with the small charity community.
Here are some of the articles we have published, watch this space for more to come…
What's your question?
If you’ve been struggling to access the type of help you need, with people who understand your perspective as a small charity, to start a conversation with us
* Small Charities Data