Elvira Morrison

Key points from IVAR's new publication ‘Batten down the hatches’; 💡 Fierce competition for funds, especially between larger organisations and smaller grassroots groups. 💡 Charities are struggling to keep up with shifting funder priorities, feeling pressured to demonstrate innovation at the expense of proven long-term work. 💡 Grant application processes have become increasingly onerous and opaque, with lengthy applications, reporting requirements, and delays in decision-making. 💡 Charities are calling for more long-term and unrestricted funding to reduce the burden of constant applications and enable the delivery of well-evidenced, effective services. 💡 There's a need for more flexible and human practices in grant-making, including reduced reporting requirements, increased transparency in decision-making, and more feedback on unsuccessful applications.

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This is important! Please read. The parties need to start talking about education, education, education!

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Only a few days left to apply for the role of Philanthropy Manager here at Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity To tell you a little bit more about us: We offer flexible working, with 2-3 days in the office (we are right opposite Russell Square tube station – so easy to reach). The Philanthropy team have a team day in the office every Monday, which I feel sets me up nicely for the week. We are a big team so it is nearly always someone’s birthday, anniversary, surprise wedding – you can usually find us in the kitchen about 3pm eating lots of cake (all dietary requirements catered for). We offer 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays. With the option to buy or sell holiday each year. This helps a huge amount if you are parent like me and have the juggle of school holidays to contend with. The charity offers a great pension scheme, I am getting on a bit now and have lots of pensions, but none have ever been as great as the one here. The charity’s auto-enrolment contribution is above the statutory minimum with an employee contribution of 3% of basic salary, and a charity contribution of 5%. If you then choose to increase your contribution to 5%, the charity will contribute 10%. The charity offers a Health Cash Plan which enables you to take advantage of health-related benefits via the scheme. The scheme is there to help access health services such as virtual doctors, second opinions, skin worries, eye care and dental care. In fact, they even offer prescription sunglasses, which I am off to purchase this week. We care about our mental health greatly – in our team you will spend a lot of time in the hospital itself, as we are so close by. This is both incredible, but hard at times. We want to ensure all our employees can have access to support if they need it. I recently did some bereavement training, which not only helped me professionally, but also helped my own mental health as I had been working on fundraising for a particular brain tumour research project, which was challenging to hear about at times. There is so much more that the charity offers, but these are just a few of the things I have used in my time here. Also don’t forget those lovely NHS discounts! So, if you think our charity might be for you, do apply and I am also very happy to answer any questions. #Philanthropy #Hiring #Fundraising

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Stewardship and Supporter journeys - Important but no substitute for Communications When I moved over from the dark side of high street legal practice to legacy fundraising, one of the first things I was introduced too, back in the early 2000's, was the donor pyramid. Supporters start off with the odd gift or bit of fundraising, go on to be a committed giver, and it's our job to convert them to legacy pledgers. Thankfully, we've moved on since then. We understand many pledgers don't support the charity during their lifetime, and don't want to. Prosperity modelling doesn't necessarily work, the £1m+ gifts I have secured are from those who live in modest houses with modest lifestyles. Many of the millionaires I have met have left gifts, but they have been modest. It's not a guarantee, but legacy fundraising is looking outside the box. I see so many jobs speaking about creating supporter journeys, mapping the route where a donor goes, and which communications should be sent to them. But those that are flying are those who treat a legacy prospect as a person- who speak with them and understand their motivations, their interest, their life, and why the charity matters to them. They must be treated as major donors. Everybody deserves the time to tell their story, and to consider including a gift. And everyone should be treated with their own merit, irrespective of their capacity to give. We must not shy away from be-spoking a journey through putting people into data sets and hoping for the best result on analytical results. And treat every donor as though they were your Grandparent. If you do, you'll have had a career like mine where you've enjoyed every second of speaking to some remarkable people, often with heart breaking stories. One supporter I spoke to recently has lost two of her three children, and will turn 100 next month, largely alone. She will get personalised greetings from World Cancer Research Fund - none of the wider staff team hesitated in posing for bespoke birthday card for her - because these are the people, sometimes lonely and isolated, sometimes fraught with personal grief, but who show forethought, generosity and care, who together make a difference for future generations by supporting charities fighting hard in this strange and sometimes difficult world we live in.

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Cranfield Trust mentoring is valued by over a hundred charity leaders every year, and supports them to reflect, challenge their perspectives, and develop their confidence. Emilia Ufir-Kaparaboina our Mentoring Co-ordinator, talks more about the value of mentoring in a new blog

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This is well worth a read if you are seeking grant funding. Some great tips here thank you Gill Pipkin. Writing bids is time consuming and so often pressured with short deadlines. So important to do the groundwork, be prepared, read the funding criteria carefully, write in simple terms and avoid jargon, tell your story of who you help, why and the difference you will make but make sure you are answering the question being asked! Take any opportunity to build a relationship with your funder. #charity #fundraising

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A simple tool to help charity trustees navigate the complex area of campaignjng. Aimed to build clarity and confidence so that charities feel able to campaign more, and more effectively. Know any charity trustees? If yes, please share. #sheilamckechniefoundation #charity #campaigning #voice

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With a new brand, a new addition to the team, and the launch of our four new philanthropy Funds, it was time to create a shiny new philanthropy brochure - and I love it! If you/your organisation are looking to understand how to involve the ocean in your #ESG strategy, or are looking to support #biodiversity 🐠 #bluecarbon 🌊 #oceanpollution ☠ projects, or promote #oceanliteracy 🌍 and #education 🗺 please do take a look and get in touch. Ocean research is the first step in understanding the best course of action in protecting and restoring our planet and climate, and educating the next generation of ocean scientists and engineers is key to everything that we do at NOC. Let me know what you think 😍 #oceanscience #ocean #oceanaction #climatechange #philanthropy #partnerships #corporatepartnerships #values #goals #NOC https://lnkd.in/eEpmfpNa

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At Pathfinders Ltd, we've been deeply committed to enhancing the well-being of children and young people in out-of-home care (OoHC) by investing in strong partnerships and cultural understanding.   Recently, at the Association of Children's Welfare Agencies conference, we presented on the importance of collaboration, trust-building, listening and capacity building with Aboriginal community-controlled OoHC organisations during transition periods. This aligns perfectly with the NSW Government's initiative to transfer case management responsibilities to these agencies, recognising their crucial role in nurturing cultural connections and providing essential support.   Our partnership with Armajun Aboriginal Health Services exemplifies this commitment. Armajun is the only Aboriginal organisation offering health care services in the northern New England area in NSW and is a recognised Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO).   CEO to CEO, we've built a relationship grounded in respect and shared goals, focusing on cultural continuity and healing for children affected by abuse and neglect. Together, we're overcoming challenges, fostering understanding, and promoting policies that empower Aboriginal communities.   Like all successful relationships it has taken time for each party to settle into a rhythm. We have given each other space and time to become comfortable with each other. Challenges such as organisational cultural differences, funding constraints, and power imbalances are acknowledged and the emphasis is on collaborative efforts to address these challenges together and to promote policies that support Aboriginal self-determination and sovereignty.   We are dedicated to sharing our expertise, resources, policies, and practices to ensure that every child in care receives the best possible support – regardless of provider - as we believe in the power of collaboration and knowledge sharing to elevate standards in out-of-home care.   Our work isn't just about transferring children in care—it's about creating safe, stable environments where every child can thrive. The outcomes we're seeing underscore the power of collaboration and genuine partnership in achieving positive social impact.   Thank you to our partners, stakeholders, and dedicated team at Pathfinders for their unwavering commitment to improving the lives of children in OoHC. Let's continue this journey of support, learning, and growth together!   #Pathfinders #ChildWelfare #AboriginalCommunity #PartnershipInAction #SocialImpact #CulturalContinuity #ACWA #OOHC #ABSEC #SNAICC

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Really important article from Becky Slack. Have you ever felt unsafe in your #fundraising job? I spoke about a few examples of this in my own session on using trauma-informed approaches in fundraising! I think if we start to see funders as a part of our team and hold them to the same values and culture we practice internally then we could have very different outcomes. If the values and culture internally aren’t being lived in practice then that’s another piece of the puzzle that needs addressing.

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Some very interesting (and challenging) options here. Should there be a reference to building more homes too? Many tenants live in overcrowded homes and the lack of more affordable housing affects them as much as those on housing waiting lists.

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Really enjoyed presenting to over 150 fundraisers with the fabulous Sarah Smith on being an undercover grantmaker, and what we've learnt from our experience. Here's some key takeaways we have if you're applying to trusts for funding, from our experience of being trustees of charitable trusts - Context matters. Leverage the key issues of the day and what's in the news to show you're relevant and can help the Trust tackle problems in the world - Your brand, your website, your charity accounts all form part of your application, whether you like it or not - Don't sweat the small stuff - typos are not as big a deal as you.think they are. More important is to be jargon free, and make it easy for the Trust to see what it is you do - Funders love to see collaboration. So if you're working with others, show it! - Grantmaking trustees don't have much time, so make your application easy to skim read. You're not just competing with other charities, you're competing with the Euros on the telly! Anything you'd add?

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Important points for anyone in IG. This is what we look at when considering what actually works in the sector. 

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This won’t be a popular post, but it is an important one. Small Charity Week this year needs support from more than just small charities. A key audience to propel our messages is larger charities. Significant outreach has been done and now many large charities are on board. Another key audience who could really shift the dial are charity agencies. We need charity agencies to get involved and promote our public pledge. To champion small charities and creatively inspire more people to care, and to get involved in their local communities. Here are some ways you can help. 1) Promote the pledge 2) Share the pledge with your mailing lists 3) ask your contacts to celebrate and share the pledge during Small Charity Week 4) If you are a charity that works with an agency, ask them to get involved More graphic collateral to come in the next day or so. Time to put those expertly crafted values into action. We pledge to #LoveYourSmallCharity Do you? Like, share and comment below if you are onboard.

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Smallwood Trust's Round 2 of the Women’s Urgent Support Fund is now receiving Expression of Interest forms. Funding for organisations delivering frontline services that are led by, for and/or serving women with an income of £1,000,000 or less. Grants are between £15,000 and £60,000 to be phased over 3 years (maximum of £20,000 pa). The core objectives of the fund are: Frontline organisations led by and/or supporting women can respond to an identified increase in demand, brought on by the cost-of-living crisis Frontline organisations can meet the basic priority needs of women at most risk of poverty, because of the cost-of-living crisis Frontline organisations led by and/or supporting women will be strengthened during the cost-of-living crisis You can view the full guidance notes and Expression of Interest form here. https://lnkd.in/gQqV4Pdx Forms must be submitted by 5pm on 21st June 2024. Charities based in England

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National and local funding opportunities for charities available now. Here are a few to paint a picture of what is on offer: - Octopus Giving seeks charities for three-year partnership including annual unrestricted grant of £45k. Octopus Giving is looking for two charities tackling pressing issues to partner with for the next three years. The partnership will commence in July, and Octopus Giving is looking for charities working in one of two key areas: addressing climate challenges and supporting overlooked communities. - National Lottery Community Fund makes £20mn available for projects inspiring people to take climate action. The National Lottery Community Fund is making £20 million available for partnership projects linking climate action to the everyday lives and interests of local communities and inspiring more people to take action. - Capital grants of up to £250k available to extend capacity of UK charities working to improve quality of life for people in need. The funding is available from The Edward Gosling Foundation’s Capital Grant Programme, and is to expand the capacity of UK registered charities and CIOs working to improve the quality of life for people in need, particularly those living on very low incomes who have a disability or long-term illness. If you want to find out more about what funding opportunities are available, this is the article for you.

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Super useful for charity Chairs too! If your CEO fills it in you will get a free copy of the report, and it is the very best and richest benchmarking data for third sector/charity CEO salaries, in my opinion! Association of Chairs

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*** 2024 GRANT FUNDING NOW OPEN *** Cornwall Women's Fund is now accepting applications for our 2024 grant funding! We aim to support community projects in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly supporting women’s mental health. For this round of funding projects with a focus on perinatal mental health will be given preferential consideration. In 2021, we worked with a team from Oxford University that undertook in-depth research into the needs of women and girls across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. They considered existing research where it was available and interviewed charity and community leaders, and women from across the county to get a true picture of what really mattered to them and which areas it was difficult to find funding for. One of the 4 key areas in their report “Understanding what matters to women and girls in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly” was women and girls mental health, identifying a particular lack of support for those accessing perinatal mental health services. Our Members have voted the area of Women and Girls Mental Health for our 2024 grant funding and we are now accepting applications. Grants range from £500 to a maximum of £1,000 Our grants are administered by Cornwall Community Foundation and you can find more information and details of how to apply here: https://lnkd.in/e_ECFKh4 #funding #grant #cornwall #womenandgirls #mentalhealth #givingcircle

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A perfect example. 👀 For funders to show fundraisers a little insight into their grant making. Well done to The Robertson Trust who today told us: ❓How many grants they had made. 🕣 The timeframe in which they were awarded. 💫 The success rate. 🏆 And a breakdown of how the money was awarded by theme, type and location. Here's the link - https://lnkd.in/en9qpFxe If you have any similar examples you would like to share, comment below.👇🏻 ♻️ And if you want other Funders to see this post for inspiration, hit the repost button. #philanthropy #funders #fundraisers

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