Categories :: Action Planning

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…

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…

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…

David Green

May 27, 2020, 3:00 PM

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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’…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

Tracy Madgwick

Feb 14, 2019, 8:00 AM

Managing Underperformance

Managing people’s performance is one of the key issues facing any charity. After…

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…

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…

David Saint

Dec 13, 2018, 8:00 AM

You Can't Tickle Yourself!

Interviewed at the recent Christian Resources Exhibition, Chairman David Saint…

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…

David Bull

Nov 8, 2018, 8:00 AM

Protective Organisational Culture

In the wake of the recent crisis in the International Development sector…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

Layla Moosavi

Sep 13, 2018, 8:00 AM

Marketing And Communications In Small Charities

Marketing and Communications in small charities has its own particular…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

David Saint

Feb 8, 2018, 10:41 AM

Procurement Obscurement?

Does your Procurement Department always get you the best deal? We share some…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

10 Top Tips for remaining professional and sane in the post-COVID remote working world

10 tips for a successful review of giving?

Fundraising Strategy during the twists and turns of the Coronavirus crisis – and beyond

Motivating your remote team

Creating the space to open up – why it’s important to really ask

Church development project? Why it pays to call for help at the start.

The Times They Are a-Changing, but will they change us?

You're on mute, John...

How are you feeling today? The choice is yours

Impact of supporter experience on fundraising

Communicating in a crisis: remember your ABCs

Releasing funds in an emergency: what are your options?

Worried about long-term finances? Three actions you need to take

Stay connected with your team – 3 simple tips

Leading through crisis: look at it through three lenses

Coronavirus - How can Boards best support their charities through this crisis?

Arts Council England funding for organisations and individuals

London Funders set up Covid-19 fund

Calor puts up £85,000 for rural community projects

Leadership in the time of corona – 5 things to think about

Feeling helpless? Time to dig into those creative reserves

Leading in a crisis: some lessons from personal experience

How can virtual meetings help your charity remain effective?

Impact of supporter experience on fundraising

Growing a sales mindset in a not-for-profit organisation

London Marathon fund for physical activity

Funding up to £250,000 for museums and galleries

Ouseley Trust grants for choral music

£50k Aviva grants for small charity community projects

Co-op funding for youth peer-to-peer support

Heritage grants for historic buildings

NCT funding for church building projects

Big Society depending on church social action – but where will the money come from?

It's all about the people! – How can you nurture your human resources in 2020?

Has insight helped your decision-making this year?

Review is the word – how did your Governance look in 2019?

An exciting time but still big challenges ahead – so how was your fundraising year?

What chance of 2020 vision in 2020? And then what?

Grants of up to £30,000 for war memorial conservation

Veolia grants for environmental projects

How to overcome the recruitment challenge for faith-based organisations

Reflections on Conference Season

Week 4 - Re-energise: Sometimes we all need to switch off and start again

New vision fund for London’s blind

Toyota funding for disabled sport and activities

Week 3 - Grow: Give your team the confidence to tap into their talents

Match funding for reviving green spaces

New funds for cultural protection in Libya, Syria and Yemen

Week 2 - Reconnect: Overcoming cultural barriers to fundraising

Grants of £50,000 available for church conservation projects

Week 1 - Reboot: Overcoming cultural barriers to fundraising

Windrush Day grants of up to £25,000

Is it worth investing in an interim CEO?

£5.75m tech fund to tackle unemployment

£2m fund for organisations tackling loneliness

Reflections from a church capital appeals workshop

Match Funding for outer London community projects

Children in Need Small Grants round open for spring 2020

£40,000 grants available for healthcare charities

Join us at NCVO/Bates Wells Trustee Conference 2019

We’ve teamed up with Digi-Board™ to solve the governance review conundrum

Places of worship VAT grants extended to 2021

£120,000 in new funding for road safety initiatives

High value prizes for healthy ageing projects

New funding for small international development charities

Leeds community fund invites applications

Applications for £3 million Dream Fund now open

Whose eyes are we looking through? Top tips for developing organisational success with major donors

Government puts up £30m for 5G projects

Christian distinctiveness: an aid to fundraising, or a hindrance?

New round of community funding from Power to Change

New grant fund for community projects across the South

The Times 2019 Christmas Appeal opens for applications

New Fundraising Code of Practice – Good news, and a helpful reminder

Climate change initiatives to receive £100m National Lottery funding

Church capital appeals - how to improve your chances

Extra time to apply for The Big Give Christmas Challenge

Connected Communities to match fund London projects

GSK IMPACT Awards supporting health and wellbeing charities in 2020

National Heritage fund to hand out £100m over three years