The charity and not-for-profit landscape is constantly changing and we are always developing new thinking, picking up good ideas and coming across valuable information that we like to pass on, in our mission to help our clients achieve even greater success.
This blog is our platform for sharing these insights as they arise, and engaging with the whole sector in the spirit of collectively striving towards excellence.
Felicia Willow
Aug 28, 2020, 2:26 PM
Managing remotely with a team you’ve never met in an interim role
Felicia Willow is an experienced interim CEO but the lockdown has thrown up challenges that even she hasn’t had to deal with before. Watch Felicia’s short video highlighting five valuable tips for managing a team you’ve never met when you can’t get together in person.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Aug 27, 2020, 3:21 PM
Capital appeals – an online catalyst
Churches looking to rekindle a capital appeal project in the wake of lockdown can increase their chances of success with the help of Action Planning.
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Andrew Rainsford
Jul 30, 2020, 12:00 PM
10 Top Tips for remaining professional and sane in the post-COVID remote working world
With polls showing a general reluctance among UK workers to return to their old commute and office-based routines, online video calls are clearly here to stay.
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Andrew Rainsford
Jun 30, 2020, 1:00 PM
10 tips for a successful review of giving?
The lockdown and absence from buildings will have hit some churches harder than others. Yes, some will have included a "give now" link in Zoom and YouTube services but many will not have done, and of those that have, some will have gained a greater response than others.
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Andrew Barton
May 27, 2020, 3:00 PM
Fundraising Strategy during the twists and turns of the Coronavirus crisis – and beyond
There are many principles from the INGO world that can be helpful as you respond to coronavirus.
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David Green
May 27, 2020, 3:00 PM
Motivating your remote team
“Remember that not everyone is the same and that some team members may find remote working a challenge”... So, you have a very good team, all working from home. For much of the time, you can just let them get on with it. But there can be a fine balance between a hands-off approach and the very real risk that any one of them could feel left behind.
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Lucinda Shaw
May 27, 2020, 10:30 AM
Creating the space to open up – why it’s important to really ask
I’ve been reflecting a lot on all that’s hidden at the moment, when we’re dispersed and working from home. How important it is to check in regularly with people. Conversations can only happen on Zoom or the phone or Skype, and I’m wondering how much important stuff about ‘how we are’ – how people are actually experiencing this and managing to work – is being missed.
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Sean Tully
May 26, 2020, 10:00 AM
Church development project? Why it pays to call for help at the start.
Action Planning recently had the privilege of working with three churches across Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire. Each church will modernise their building to become more accessible for the congregation and the community that they serve.
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Michelle Lawrence
May 26, 2020, 10:00 AM
The Times They Are a-Changing, but will they change us?
The idea of the ‘impetus’ has been the elusive challenge that I have been grappling with. For some years now, my charity has been focusing on how we can change attitudes towards the ‘other’. How do we engage with those people and those views when there is nothing to persuade them to engage?
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Ruth Dwight
May 7, 2020, 9:30 AM
You're on mute, John...
I have picked up a few practical points from facilitating some Zoom-based workshops in the past few weeks, and I thought it might be useful to share them…
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Amy Shepherd
Apr 21, 2020, 11:00 AM
How are you feeling today? The choice is yours
I’d like to talk to you today about dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity in the current crisis. In a lot of leadership development programmes we talk about navigating through a VUCA world – Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous
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Ian O'Reilly
Apr 20, 2020, 11:00 AM
Impact of supporter experience on fundraising
Part 2: Why we should be focusing on supporter experience more than ever.
In the second of two articles, Action Planning Consultant Ian O’Reilly considers the importance of supporter experience in the light of COVID-19.
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Kate Nicholas
Apr 15, 2020, 10:15 AM
Communicating in a crisis: remember your ABCs
As a not for profit leader you probably feel under siege at the moment. Covid-19 may be impacting your income, operations and your staff, not to mention your family and friends. The world has turned upside down and – even when this is over – may never be the be the same again.
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David Kirby
Apr 15, 2020, 10:00 AM
Releasing funds in an emergency: what are your options?
I imagine one of the challenges which you might be facing at this time is managing the pressures on your cash flow and finances more generally. One of the ways in which this pressure can be mitigated is by reviewing the various funding pots that you hold, such as reserves, designated funds, restricted funds and endowment funds...
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Mark Goldring
Apr 8, 2020, 1:00 PM
Worried about long-term finances? Three actions you need to take
As we face up to the initial challenges – programme, people, financial – of the impact of the virus, we’ve also got to start looking at the longer-term financial implications and how we’re going to manage them.
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Emily Petty
Apr 6, 2020, 11:30 AM
Stay connected with your team – 3 simple tips
I’d like to talk to you about the importance of connection. So, now we’re all working in a virtual world and it’s really important to keep that connection with your team members when we’re working remotely...
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Mark Goldring
Apr 2, 2020, 11:00 AM
Leading through crisis: look at it through three lenses
Having led a number of large charities, most relevantly Oxfam, in responding to disasters around the world, as well as it’s own internal challenges, I want to offer an observation that might help those of us supporting others to rise to the challenge of leading their organisations in the current crisis.
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David Saint
Mar 31, 2020, 3:00 PM
Coronavirus - How can Boards best support their charities through this crisis?
Every charity situation is different; every individual responds to crisis in different ways; and every individual will be affected by the current crisis in different ways – personally and professionally.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Mar 27, 2020, 10:00 AM
Arts Council England funding for organisations and individuals
Arts Council England has set up a fund worth £160million to ensure the people and organisations that make up our arts, museums and libraries are protected during the coronavirus crisis.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Mar 27, 2020, 10:00 AM
London Funders set up Covid-19 fund
A new fund coordinated by London Funders has been set up to support London’s civil society groups affected by covid-19.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Mar 27, 2020, 10:00 AM
Calor puts up £85,000 for rural community projects
To celebrate its 85th birthday, gas company Calor has increased the value of its Rural Communities Fund to £85,000, which it will divide into 22 prizes.
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David Bull
Mar 25, 2020, 10:00 AM
Leadership in the time of corona – 5 things to think about
As a charity CEO for 32 years, I have been through crises before. Here are five things to think about.
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Claire Cardy
Mar 25, 2020, 10:00 AM
Feeling helpless? Time to dig into those creative reserves
I have just passed the one year anniversary of leaving a permanent role to become a freelance consultant in the charity sector. I didn’t celebrate it in the way I had perhaps expected, as it was the same day the UK went into ‘lockdown’ due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
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Mark Goldring
Mar 24, 2020, 10:05 AM
Leading in a crisis: some lessons from personal experience
We might never have seen anything like this; I’ve certainly never lived through anything quite like it. But others have those people hit by famine, earthquakes and tsunamis; those in Syria bombed and besieged by their own government...
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Andrew Middleton
Mar 3, 2020, 4:00 PM
How can virtual meetings help your charity remain effective?
We live in very challenging times. Right now, coronavirus is forcing individuals to self-isolate and organisations to reduce face-to-face contact, both of which could have a real impact on charity productivity and their ability to deliver outcomes.
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Ian O'Reilly
Feb 25, 2020, 10:00 AM
Impact of supporter experience on fundraising
What is supporter experience and why is it so important? Action Planning Consultant Ian O’Reilly explains what supporter experience is all about and why it matters
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Ruth Dwight
Feb 20, 2020, 10:00 AM
Growing a sales mindset in a not-for-profit organisation
Is your organisation looking for new funding streams but knocking up against a cultural resistance to selling? Action Planning Consultant and earned income specialist Ruth Dwight offers her tips for instilling a charitable sales mindset.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Feb 14, 2020, 12:00 PM
London Marathon fund for physical activity
Can you believe the London Marathon has been running for 40 years? Over that time it has raised millions for charitable causes.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Feb 14, 2020, 10:15 AM
Funding up to £250,000 for museums and galleries
The Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund is offering grants worth up to £250,000 to support the development of existing collections, held by an accredited museum or partnership.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jan 31, 2020, 12:08 PM
Ouseley Trust grants for choral music
If you’re a parish church, choir school, choral foundation or cathedral that maintains a high standard of choral services, you may be eligible for a grant of up to £5,000
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jan 24, 2020, 2:00 PM
£50k Aviva grants for small charity community projects
Charities with a turnover of under £1m are invited to apply for funding from the Aviva Community Fund
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jan 24, 2020, 10:00 AM
Co-op funding for youth peer-to-peer support
Co-op Foundation, the charity arm of the grocery chain, is partnering with the #iwill Fund to offer grants of up to £35,000 to support projects that enable young people to provide support for their peers making the transition from primary to secondary school.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jan 10, 2020, 10:37 AM
Heritage grants for historic buildings
Transforming Places Through Heritage is a £15million grant programme from the Architectural Heritage Fund, aimed at supporting charities and social enterprises to develop projects creating alternative uses for redundant or underused historic buildings in town centres.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Dec 20, 2019, 10:37 AM
NCT funding for church building projects
The National Churches Trust has three grant programmes currently inviting applications for funding. In each case, grants will be awarded for up to 50% of the project cost.
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Sean Tully
Dec 20, 2019, 9:00 AM
Big Society depending on church social action – but where will the money come from?
This past decade of austerity and cuts in publicly funded services has seen churches stepping in to fill the gaps
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Tracy Madgwick
Dec 19, 2019, 9:43 AM
It's all about the people! – How can you nurture your human resources in 2020?
Looking back over 2019 as an HR consultant working with a range of different clients, there have been a number of key themes that have driven the people management agenda in the last 12 months.
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Andrew Johnson
Dec 18, 2019, 1:00 PM
Has insight helped your decision-making this year?
Over the past year I’ve noticed that charities are starting to see the real value and importance of gathering insight and intelligence from their key audiences – whether they are beneficiaries, supporters or stakeholders.
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Andrew Middleton
Dec 17, 2019, 9:00 AM
Review is the word – how did your Governance look in 2019?
One of the great things about being an Action Planning consultant is that I get the chance to talk to many charities about how they operate and what is affecting them.
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Emily Petty
Dec 16, 2019, 10:18 AM
An exciting time but still big challenges ahead – so how was your fundraising year?
2019 has been a really exciting year for fundraising. Despite the challenges fundraisers face, I feel that they have shown incredible grit and resilience in 2019.
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David Saint
Dec 16, 2019, 10:18 AM
What chance of 2020 vision in 2020? And then what?
I like to think I was perhaps one of the first people to harness ‘2020 Vision’ as the title of their strategic plan, when I wrote Action Planning’s first strategy in 1996.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Dec 13, 2019, 11:32 AM
Grants of up to £30,000 for war memorial conservation
The War Memorials Trust is offering grants of up to £30,000 towards the protection and conservation of war memorials throughout the UK.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Dec 6, 2019, 10:06 AM
Veolia grants for environmental projects
Not-for-profit organisations in England raising funds for environmental or community-based projects can apply for a grant of between £10,000 and £75,000 from the Veolia Environmental Trust.
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Tracy Madgwick
Nov 29, 2019, 3:42 PM
How to overcome the recruitment challenge for faith-based organisations
Good directors are hard to find in any circumstances, but for a Christian charity that requires candidates to be practising Christians who accept the organisation’s faith statement, the field is narrowed drastically.
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Andrew Middleton
Nov 29, 2019, 2:26 PM
Reflections on Conference Season
November saw Action Planning set up its stand at both the NVCO Trustees Conference and the ACEVO Conference. Andrew Middleton was at both and has summed up the issues that were being discussed.
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Emily Petty
Nov 20, 2019, 9:14 AM
Week 4 - Re-energise: Sometimes we all need to switch off and start again
In the last of her four-part series on overcoming the cultural barriers to fundraising, Action Planning Consultant Emily Petty applies the jump leads.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Nov 15, 2019, 12:00 PM
New vision fund for London’s blind
The Vision Foundation has launched a new fund to address the most pressing issues affecting blind and partially sighted people in London today.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Nov 15, 2019, 11:40 AM
Toyota funding for disabled sport and activities
Organisations running clubs, activities or events for disabled people can apply for grants to pay for equipment and training from a new fund launched by Toyota, worth £250,000.
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Emily Petty
Nov 13, 2019, 9:20 AM
Week 3 - Grow: Give your team the confidence to tap into their talents
In the third of four articles on overcoming the cultural barriers to fundraising, Action Planning Consultant Emily Petty prepares the ground for growth.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Nov 8, 2019, 12:40 PM
Match funding for reviving green spaces
Community groups working to develop public green spaces in their local area are invited to apply for match funding from the Government ‘Pocket Parks’ scheme.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Nov 8, 2019, 12:25 PM
New funds for cultural protection in Libya, Syria and Yemen
New grants worth up to £100,000 are being made available to organisations planning to work with locally based partners in Libya, Syria or Yemen on projects of benefit to the local heritage, society and economy.
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Emily Petty
Nov 6, 2019, 12:28 PM
Week 2 - Reconnect: Overcoming cultural barriers to fundraising
In the second of four articles on overcoming the cultural barriers to fundraising, Action Planning Consultant Emily Petty explains the importance of human connection.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Nov 1, 2019, 10:06 AM
Grants of £50,000 available for church conservation projects
The National Churches Trust (NCT) Cornerstone Grants programme provides grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 to help fund urgent structural repairs and modernisation work.
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Emily Petty
Oct 30, 2019, 12:28 PM
Week 1 - Reboot: Overcoming cultural barriers to fundraising
In the first of four articles on overcoming the cultural barriers to fundraising, Action Planning Consultant Emily Petty starts with a clean slate.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Oct 25, 2019, 9:28 AM
Windrush Day grants of up to £25,000
The Government has set up a Windrush Day Grant Scheme, with a fund worth £500,000, to support organisations in celebrating and educating their community about the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush
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Felicia Willow
Oct 22, 2019, 9:28 AM
Is it worth investing in an interim CEO?
Interim CEO posts can be a high-impact and effective use of resources for charities of all sizes, but the opportunities are sometimes resisted due to the higher costs of skilled interim leaders.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Oct 18, 2019, 3:00 PM
£5.75m tech fund to tackle unemployment
A new fund has been launched to support charities that are helping to reskill people whose industries have been affected by automation.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Oct 18, 2019, 2:00 PM
£2m fund for organisations tackling loneliness
One year after the publication of the Government’s landmark Loneliness Strategy, which outlined almost 60 commitments to end loneliness, Minister for Civil Society Baroness Barran has announced a new £2million fund to help organisations.
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Sean Tully
Oct 10, 2019, 4:17 PM
Reflections from a church capital appeals workshop
Saturday 5th October saw Action Planning deliver the second of three workshops in partnership with the Diocese of Oxford.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Oct 4, 2019, 12:17 PM
Match Funding for outer London community projects
The second round of funding from Trust for London and Crowdfunder’s Connected Communities Match Fund is now open for applications.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Oct 4, 2019, 12:05 PM
Children in Need Small Grants round open for spring 2020
Charities and not-for-profit organisations that work with disadvantaged youngsters can now apply for grants of up to £10,000 per year for up to three years from the BBC Children in Need Small Grants programme.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Sep 27, 2019, 12:05 PM
£40,000 grants available for healthcare charities
Charities working to provide healthcare to disadvantaged adults and children in the UK can apply for one of a number of grants of £10,000 to £40,000 from health plan provider Simplyhealth.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Sep 27, 2019, 11:44 AM
Join us at NCVO/Bates Wells Trustee Conference 2019
NCVO/Bates Wells Trustee Conference 2019 is taking place on Monday 4th November in the City of London and we’ll be there, amongst around 400 trustees and executives from across the charity sector.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Sep 27, 2019, 11:38 AM
We’ve teamed up with Digi-Board™ to solve the governance review conundrum
Action Planning has developed an innovative and effective approach to governance reviews, in partnership with Digi-Board™, that is designed to help not-for-profits overcome the barriers of cost, time and convenience.
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Andrew Rainsford
Sep 27, 2019, 9:48 AM
Places of worship VAT grants extended to 2021
The recent Spending Review contained news that the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme will continue until 31st March 2021. This is an extension on the previous expiry date of 31st March 2020.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Sep 20, 2019, 10:00 AM
£120,000 in new funding for road safety initiatives
Charities working towards the reduction of casualties on the road can join police forces, fire and rescue services and local authorities in applying for funding from the Road Safety Trust.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Sep 20, 2019, 9:30 AM
High value prizes for healthy ageing projects
The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) is running a competition for collaborations, including charities, to develop products, services and business models which support people as they age, and demonstrate how they will be adopted at scale.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Sep 13, 2019, 9:30 AM
New funding for small international development charities
Small UK not-for-profit organisations working on international development projects can now ap-ply for a grant through the latest round of funding from the Department for International Devel-opment’s Small Charities Challenge Fund (SCCF).
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Sep 13, 2019, 9:30 AM
Leeds community fund invites applications
Charities in the North of England can apply for a share of a £100,000 fund pot from a partnership of Northern Gas Networks (NGN), Northern Powergrid and Leeds Community Foundation.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Sep 6, 2019, 9:30 AM
Applications for £3 million Dream Fund now open
Applications for the People’s Postcode Lottery Dream Fund opened this week.
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Ondine Upton
Aug 30, 2019, 9:30 AM
Whose eyes are we looking through? Top tips for developing organisational success with major donors
One of the most powerful game-changers for an organisation serious about major donor fundraising is to look at everything through their donors’ eyes
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Aug 30, 2019, 9:30 AM
Government puts up £30m for 5G projects
The Government’s pledge to roll out 5G to the UK’s rural communities has been backed up by a £30million prize fund. Up to 10 5g research and development projects will be chosen for funding over the next two years.
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David Saint
Aug 30, 2019, 9:30 AM
Christian distinctiveness: an aid to fundraising, or a hindrance?
Action Planning has worked with hundreds of Christian charities and churches over the years, and one of the themes that frequently emerges is that it is really hard to raise funds for Christian causes.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Aug 23, 2019, 9:30 AM
New round of community funding from Power to Change
A grant fund worth £60,000 has been made available to charities across the South of England to support community projects.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Aug 16, 2019, 11:00 AM
New grant fund for community projects across the South
A grant fund worth £60,000 has been made available to charities across the South of England to support community projects.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Aug 2, 2019, 9:29 AM
The Times 2019 Christmas Appeal opens for applications
Charities can now apply to be part of The Times’ 2019 Christmas Appeal. The successful appli-cants will be featured in articles running in the paper throughout the appeal, which runs over the Christmas period.
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David Loxton
Jul 25, 2019, 8:00 AM
New Fundraising Code of Practice – Good news, and a helpful reminder
The Fundraising Regulator has released a new Code of Practice that takes effect in October 2019. It is a big step forward in bringing together the existing Code and rule books into one, better written and better organised document.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jul 25, 2019, 8:00 AM
Climate change initiatives to receive £100m National Lottery funding
Organisations involved in tackling climate change will soon be able to apply for funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. The UK’s biggest funder of community activity has launched a new £100 million Climate Action Fund.
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Sean Tully
Jul 25, 2019, 8:00 AM
Church capital appeals - how to improve your chances
One of Action Planning’s regular training seminars, the event focussed on how churches can practically approach a capital fundraising appeal of any size. Here, Sean explains some of the main learning points that arose from the day.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jul 19, 2019, 9:30 AM
Extra time to apply for The Big Give Christmas Challenge
The UK’s biggest online match funding campaign, The Christmas Challenge from The Big Give, has extended its deadline for applications by a week to next Friday, 19th July.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jul 19, 2019, 8:00 AM
Connected Communities to match fund London projects
Local community projects in London are being offered the opportunity to apply for match funding of up to £10,000, thanks to a joint initiative between Crowdfunder and Trust for London.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jul 5, 2019, 8:00 AM
GSK IMPACT Awards supporting health and wellbeing charities in 2020
Nesta Challenges is inviting charities and social enterprises to bid for grants from a £1m fund, called the Tech to Connect Challenge, launched to help the development of tech-based solutions to social isolation.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jun 27, 2019, 8:00 AM
National Heritage fund to hand out £100m over three years
UK heritage organisations are being invited to apply for grants worth £5million and more, as part of a new awards programme from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jun 27, 2019, 8:00 AM
Nesta Challenges puts up £1m to tackle social isolation through technology
Nesta Challenges is inviting charities and social enterprises to bid for grants from a £1m fund, called the Tech to Connect Challenge, launched to help the development of tech-based solutions to social isolation.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jun 20, 2019, 8:00 AM
New funding available for community green energy projects
The Government’s Rural Community Energy Fund (RCEF) is inviting new community projects across England to apply for feasibility study grants of up to £40,000 to support renewable energy initiatives.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jun 20, 2019, 8:00 AM
Nationwide offers housing project grants in Northern Ireland
The Nationwide Building Society is awarding grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 to local housing projects that; prevent people from losing their home, help people into a home, and/or support people to thrive within the home environment.
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David Bull
Jun 18, 2019, 8:00 AM
Leadership teams: you can’t do it all by yourself!
If you are a charity CEO, you know you can’t do it all by yourself. Which is why the Leadership Team is so important. The most effective organisations are led by a committed, unified team sharing responsibility for the whole. Expert David Bull tells us why – and how to make your leadership team the best!
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jun 18, 2019, 8:00 AM
Futures for Women: The Next Episode
Back in January we published a case study on our work with Futures For Women, helping the 160-year-old charity to examine its relevance today and establish a vision and mission that would carry the charity forward with renewed vigour. Last week, we heard from FFW secretary Jane Hampson with some encouraging news.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jun 13, 2019, 8:00 AM
Discounted housing grant scheme unveiled
Getting together to give is not new. People have acted collectively to donate their money or time for generations. But over the last decade there has been renewed interest in “giving circles”. Philanthropy specialist Rob John discusses why this is important for the charity sector.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jun 13, 2019, 8:00 AM
Co-op Foundation invites funding applications from Welsh community groups
Community groups in Wales have two more weeks to apply for funding from the new £1million Co-Op Foundation fund.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jun 13, 2019, 8:00 AM
Government opens fund to reduce food waste
Organisations that help to cut food waste by redistributing surplus food to people in need are being invited to apply for grants from a new round of DEFRA funding.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jun 13, 2019, 8:00 AM
Lloyds open last round of Enable grants
Lloyds Bank Foundation has announced its last round of Enable grants, offering up to £15,000 to help charities develop or trial new approaches to service delivery.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Jun 13, 2019, 8:00 AM
£5 million fund launched for supporting unpaid carers
A new Carers Innovation Fund has been launched to help finance innovative ways of supporting unpaid carers.
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Rob John
May 24, 2019, 8:00 AM
Virtuous Circles: collective giving is a powerful way to develop better donors
Getting together to give is not new. People have acted collectively to donate their money or time for generations. But over the last decade there has been renewed interest in “giving circles”. Philanthropy specialist Rob John discusses why this is important for the charity sector.
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Layla Moosavi
May 24, 2019, 8:00 AM
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP: PREPARE TO SUCCEED
As fundraisers, we all know how difficult it is to get through the door of a corporate. So when we do, it’s crucial we use the opportunity effectively. Fundraising expert Layla Moosavi Rivers tells us how to prepare to succeed.
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Eleanor Mitchell
Apr 16, 2019, 8:00 AM
Management: what, why, and how to do it
While management is often described as the coordination and organisation of business activities to meet a defined purpose, the management of people is not always valued. Yet as Action Planning Consultant Eleanor Mitchell explains, it is the people within an organisation that create its success.
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David Saint
Apr 16, 2019, 8:00 AM
Action Planning Consultants: introducing Mark Goldring
Action Planning has an extensive team of outstanding and highly-experienced Consultants. This month we are delighted to introduce – and welcome - one of the newest members of our network, former Oxfam CEO Mark Goldring.
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Sally Denbigh
Mar 14, 2019, 8:00 AM
Why would anyone be a charity trustee?!
The role carries a lot of responsibility, has legal and financial liabilities, can be extremely hard work, is frequently stressful, often under-valued… and it’s unpaid… So why on earth would anyone be a charity Trustee?! For a number of (very good) reasons, in fact…
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Tracy Madgwick
Feb 14, 2019, 8:00 AM
Managing Underperformance
Managing people’s performance is one of the key issues facing any charity. After all, in most cases the people are the charity. If, however, your organisation is faced with underperformance issues, HR professional Tracy Madgwick advises on how to manage these effectively.
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Karen Morton
Jan 17, 2019, 8:00 AM
Awaydays: Holding the Space
New Year is the perfect time to ‘health check’ not just ourselves, but our charities too. And what better way than with an awayday? Action Planning Associate Karen Morton tells us how we can “hold the space”.
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David Kirby
Jan 17, 2019, 8:00 AM
Trading Subsidiaries: Using one, or think you should be?
Recent developments have affected the way in which payments from a trading subsidiary to its parent charity must be shown in the accounts. If your charity has a trading subsidiary – or you think perhaps it should have one – then you need to read this article by charity specialist lawyer David Kirby.
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David Saint
Dec 13, 2018, 8:00 AM
You Can't Tickle Yourself!
Interviewed at the recent Christian Resources Exhibition, Chairman David Saint speaks candidly about how Action Planning started almost 30 years ago (spoiler alert, he was fired!), and what the organisation can offer to help charities.
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Sally Denbigh
Dec 13, 2018, 8:00 AM
Charity at Christmas
Working in the voluntary sector, we spend most of our time thinking about and helping others - it’s in the job description, after all! Just occasionally however, maybe we should take a moment to really think about what we do and the good that we do for charity. And give ourselves a well-deserved pat on the back. Not often of course… maybe just once a year, at Christmas!
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David Bull
Nov 8, 2018, 8:00 AM
Protective Organisational Culture
In the wake of the recent crisis in the International Development sector following revelations of unacceptable behaviour by some staff, expert David Bull deliberates culture change to achieve safeguarding objectives, and advocates ten key elements to ensure a protective organisational culture.
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Fiona Lewis
Nov 8, 2018, 8:00 AM
What Is A Content Strategy, And Do You Need One?
Online content is the most cost-effective way to reach large numbers of people. But what is meant by ‘content’, what should it address, and what actually is a ‘content strategy’…and does your charity need one? Marketing professional Fiona Lewis helps explains!
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Felicia Willow
Oct 9, 2018, 8:00 AM
Employing Trustees: Navigating The Minefield
One of your charity Trustees (or ex-Trustees) may seem like the perfect candidate to join your staff team. However, as expert Felicia Willow explains as she ‘navigates the minefield’, employing Trustees is not straightforward, and in some cases not even possible.
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Sally Denbigh
Oct 9, 2018, 8:00 AM
Salaries and Benchmarking
Determining the appropriate salary for a job is not always easy, and also of course depends on what your organisation can afford to pay. Charity specialists action planning consider how to decide the right remuneration for a role, including salary benchmarking.
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Oct 9, 2018, 8:00 AM
Are you a Charity That Helps Women Enter the Workplace?
Are you a charity that helps women enter the workplace? If so, you may wish to join forces with Futures for Women to help disadvantaged women in the UK attain their career ambitions and become financially independent.
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Layla Moosavi
Sep 13, 2018, 8:00 AM
Marketing And Communications In Small Charities
Marketing and Communications in small charities has its own particular challenges and requirements. Expert Layla Moosavi advises that it’s about going back to basics, knowing your audience, reviewing your strengths and resources, focusing and prioritising, and planning, planning, planning.
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Sally Denbigh
Aug 9, 2018, 8:00 AM
Finding and Recruiting the Hottest New Candidates
It’s August, it’s Summer and it’s too hot to be thinking about recruitment. Right? Wrong! With one of the peak times of year for recruitment only a few weeks away, charities should already be starting to think about and getting ready to hire the best and hottest new candidates.
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Emily Petty
Aug 9, 2018, 8:00 AM
Building Meaningful Lifelong Relationships with Supporters
What does relationship fundraising look like in today’s world? And how should charities be balancing short-term need with lifetime value? By putting our supporters first, argues Emily Petty, valuing every way they engage with us and focusing on the experiences that they have.
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Sally Denbigh
Jul 5, 2018, 10:41 AM
Legacy fundraising: don’t leave it to luck!
Legacies are an important source of funding, yet more than half of charitable bequests are left by previously ‘unknown’ donors. Lucky? For the charity, yes. But effective legacy fundraising is about much more than luck. We look at the potential for your charity to develop a long-term, sustainable legacy fundraising strategy.
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David Saint
Mar 21, 2018, 10:41 AM
Where are the Visionaries?
Charities pride themselves on making a difference, yet so often we seem to get caught in the rut of doing the same old same old – usually with fewer resources! How can we lift our eyes from the treadmill, and scan distant horizons?
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Lucinda Shaw
Mar 14, 2018, 10:41 AM
Focussing on People rather than Performance will get you to Excellence
Almost every organisation will say that its people are its greatest asset. And yet far too many organisations pay lip service to ‘training and development’. Top athletes achieve astonishing feats – often more than they themselves believed possible, and often because of the support of their coach. How much more could your people achieve if properly coached? And what is coaching anyway?
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David Saint
Mar 14, 2018, 10:41 AM
The answer’s Yes. What’s the question?
Action Planning gets asked to help with an extraordinarily diverse range of issues, from an equally diverse range of organisations. Take a look through our recent caseload, and see whether any of these resonate with some of the challenges you are facing in your charity.
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David Saint
Feb 8, 2018, 10:41 AM
Procurement Obscurement?
Does your Procurement Department always get you the best deal? We share some experiences of disastrous procurement processes – and one excellent one!
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Felicia Willow
Feb 8, 2018, 10:41 AM
Five Indications of Failing Trustee Boards
Poor trustees – always being bashed these days! But these observations, from an experienced governance consultant, will help trustees and Chief Executives take an objective look at how they are doing, and take some simple steps today that will help avoid problems tomorrow.
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David Saint
Feb 8, 2018, 10:41 AM
Recruiting your first fundraiser
If your organisation is planning to employ a fundraiser for the first time, here are some essential things to do - and some things to avoid - to maximise the chances of success.
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Robin Hamilton
Feb 8, 2018, 10:41 AM
Learning lessons from Oxfam - To disclose or not to disclose? That is the question.
It is sad to see so many media outlets and commentators jumping on the Oxfam-bashing bandwagon – mostly with comment and posturing – so instead here is some practical advice about how to set up a framework for dealing with reputational risk – before disaster strikes.
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David Saint
Feb 8, 2018, 10:41 AM
How to diversify income
Any organisation that is dependent on one source for more than 30% of its income is at risk. Many charities are dependent on one source for 80% - 90% of their income! Diversification is the name of the game – but where to start? And how can we make sure it doesn’t all go horribly wrong? We explore some practical and pragmatic approaches.
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David Saint
Dec 5, 2017, 10:41 AM
Governance – what could possibly go wrong?
The Charity Commission recently reviewed their ‘problem cases’, and came up with a list of the nine things that trustees most commonly don’t do, that could have prevented most of those cases happening at all
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David Saint
Dec 5, 2017, 10:41 AM
How to recruit trustees
Perhaps we should start with ‘how not to recruit trustees’ – because frankly the wrong way is the most common way, yet there are some very good reasons why it’s the wrong way.
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David Saint
Dec 5, 2017, 10:41 AM
Simple Governance Review – here’s one I prepared earlier!
Andrew Betts, Director of Advantage Africa was very quick off the mark, by turning the piece in our last issue into a self-assessment questionnaire for his trustees.
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David Saint
Dec 5, 2017, 10:41 AM
How to Recruit a Chief Executive
We turn our attention to the recruitment of a Chief Executive. But surely recruitment is recruitment isn’t it? Well, yes and no. Some posts need to be handled in very particular ways – especially in the early stages.
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David Saint
Dec 5, 2017, 10:41 AM
'Preference Diversity' The Essential Team Ingredient
First, what is diversity? Diversity is ‘the fact of many different types of things or people being included in something’. So how do we apply this when looking to build a successful team, or board of trustees? How do we know who to include?
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David Saint
Dec 5, 2017, 10:41 AM
Downloadable policies – just papering over the cracks?
In our increasingly complex society, we now need an astonishing array of policies to cover every conceivable (and occasionally inconceivable!) eventuality.
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David Saint
Dec 5, 2017, 10:41 AM
How to recruit a Fundraising Director
In recent issues we have considered the best approach for recruiting trustees, and Chief Executives. Now it is the turn of the Fundraising Director.
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David Saint
Oct 3, 2017, 9:41 AM
The £1.19m answer: Einstein’s Theory of Happiness
I was fascinated to read recently that Einstein’s ‘Theory of Happiness’ had been sold at auction for £1.19m. Spoiler alert – at the end of this piece I’m going to tell you what it is!
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Kate Nicholas
Oct 3, 2017, 9:41 AM
Managing Reputation - Inoculating Against Crisis
It was Warren Buffet who once said “It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it” – a statement that resonates more today than ever before; except these days when a damaging social media post can travel the world in a click of a mouse, it can only take five seconds.
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Tim Glynne-Jones
Aug 30, 2017, 10:41 AM
Website woes? Here’s a solution
When it comes to publicising the work of your charity, a good website is essential. We hear from a lot of people who know this but feel hamstrung by cost, saying it will require £20k or more. Well, you might be encouraged to learn that our new website was designed, built and written for less than £10k.
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David Saint
Aug 30, 2017, 10:41 AM
When the problem is having too much money
This may seem an extraordinary topic to explore in a charity sector newsletter, but over the past 12 months Action Planning has worked with at least 6 organisations for whom this was a significant issue.
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Dave Tyler
Aug 30, 2017, 10:41 AM
Project management? Never heard of it…
I’ve been a professional project manager for over 20 years and freelance for about 10. Because of that, I take it for granted that ‘project management matters’ and assume that everyone feels the same way.
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Ian O'Reilly
Aug 30, 2017, 10:41 AM
The Value of a Mentor
The most honest feedback I receive in life is after the final whistle is blown and I’m sitting in the pub with my mates. For me, the feedback is often brutal as they take turns to analyse my football skills, detailing my ‘lack of pace’ in trying to keep up with the pacey 17-year-old...
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Gavin
Aug 30, 2017, 10:41 AM
Challenge Events – An Antidote to GDPR - The Great Depression of People Raising (money)
Over the last few years I feel we have been in a ‘great depression’ within the charity sector. This has been fuelled by numerous negative media stories and more recently the introduction of the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
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David Saint
Aug 30, 2017, 10:41 AM
CV Tips – From The Recruiter’s Perspective
Having recently read 79 applications for one role, and 6 for another, I have become a bit blasé about ‘passionate’, ‘committed’, ‘high achiever’, ‘driven’, ‘results orientated’ ….. you see the same words and phrases coming up again and again.
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David Saint
Jul 12, 2017, 10:41 AM
How To Plan A Capital Appeal
For most organisations, major capital projects are not common occurrences – they only come along perhaps once every five to ten years. From a fundraising perspective, what’s the best way to prepare for this, in particular to ensure that ongoing revenue...
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Felicia Willow
Jul 12, 2017, 10:41 AM
Trustee appraisals – have you got yours in place?
The Charity Governance Code recommends that the Boards of all charities – large and small – review their performance and effectiveness. Do you have a plan in place for doing that? And are you implementing the plan?! Felicia Willow discusses the many benefits of the process.
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Felicia Willow
Jul 12, 2017, 10:41 AM
Charity crisis: Do you know what to do when something goes wrong?
All of us, obviously, want things to go smoothly at our charity; but what to do when things go wrong? How we handle a crisis could well mean make or break. Expert Felicia Willow gives her ‘five priorities’ to best manage a crisis – and come out the other side!
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David Saint
Jul 12, 2017, 10:41 AM
When is it the right time to do a capital appeal feasibility study?
An appeal for a major capital project is not an everyday occurrence for most organisations, and if this is outside the experience of all the key people (eg trustees, senior management team) it can be very difficult to know where to start.
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