Stacey Lavery (MCIOF)

𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 - 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 Top line findings from The Foundation Practice Report as shared in today's Third  Sector article. 🔍 Sample of 100 Foundations 📊 More are reporting diversity (18 this year v 11 last year) but the findings show the stark reality of how much more has to be done. 👭🏻  Indigo Trust reported 100% non male paid staff (I like their page on EDI by the way) 👩🏽  Esmeé Fairburn Foundation still leads the way with diversity of race (non white) at 23% 🙎🏿 Friends Provident Foundation scores well on gender (non male) at 71% 👨🏽‍🦯 Only 4 Foundations reported more than 17% of staff as disabled, this is the % given in the UK census. 8 reported fewer than 17% .  We know that some don't disclose disability for fear of career limiting bias - that's for another post though... So the question is how do we speed up this process? Because we all know that 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀. ❓ 𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆? 𝗕𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻, 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 ), 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 / 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. I am Indian, female, partially sighted with 16 years in the NFP sector.... how would you attract me? Lets use me as a case study 🧐 ...A few years back I was approached to work for a charity in the diversity space. At the last interview I asked the question ' what are your plans to get ANY non white trustees on board given your core purpose'  It didn't go down well at all, I saw the temperature in the room drop to freezing 🥶. They felt that question was not appropriate 😲. I thought it was THE most appropriate question to ask! Obviously, I didn't pursue that role, as they were not ready to reach that tipping point needed to be at the forefront of living and breathing their core purpose. Much to do, not just in Foundations but across the whole sector. Welcome your comments.

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What initiatives are currently available for families to improve digital media literacy for under-5s? What evidence is available on the effectiveness of these initiatives? NEW - Early years digital media literacy review https://lnkd.in/eXaQV3Ef #medialiteracy #earlyyears

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Some great practical advice here from Gill Pipkin about bid writing. Well worth a read!

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About to develop a heritage project? Considering working with a consultant to secure NLHF funding? The last blog in our #CraigmyleNLHFweek series shares a client perspective and is well worth a read.

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Local authorities up and down the country have not been paying women equally for decades. As I shared with the Local Government Chronicle, female Council employees in Birmingham were asked what would it mean to be paid an equal wage. Answers included ‘I'd be able to afford two hot meals a day’. These are women delivering vital public services that we rely on, living on poverty wages. Young Women's Trust's research has shown that discrimination in the workplace is rife. And it's financial consequences don't just show up in hourly pay, it’s also about bonuses, pensions and working practices such as ‘task and finish’ or overtime payments. Sterling work being done by GMB union to shine a spotlight on these outrageous pay injustices. As GMB's Rhea Wolfson rightly says “we can’t except our public services to be run on the back of stolen wages from women”. https://lnkd.in/e7q9jbG3

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EFC offers a range of consultancy services around fundraising strategy, operations and analysis. One of the services we offer is CRM health checks and improvement plans. We can help you implement a new CRM, build dashboards for reporting and insights and review your institution’s operation. Is your CRM well-structured, maintained and integrated with the tools you need? As experienced managers of fundraising CRM systems, EFC knows how to optimise your CRM ecosystem and make it work for you. We assess your set-up, data quality, process efficiency and information management and provide you with a detailed plan for improvement. When the time is right for a change, we help you plan, manage and implement a seamless transition. With our project management and subject matter expertise, we'll guide you through procurement, configuration and business change to ensure a successful migration and launch. EFC is a Beacon CRM certified partner and has assisted with a number of Beacon implementations, including for the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. In 2020, the school appointed its first Director of Development to establish a new team to support the school, its education programmes and students through philanthropy. One of the early requirements was to establish an appropriate CRM to support the work of the new team. After developing the school's requirements, EFC reviewed the available systems and the top six fundraising CRMs on the market. We identified Beacon CRM as the product that best fitted the school's needs. EFC configured Beacon CRM, adding custom fields in both English and German. We compiled data from a series of spreadsheets and imported all data to establish a new database of alumni and contacts, fundraising pipeline and processes. We provided a handover and support for new staff when they joined. EFC remains a partner of Frankfurt School, helping it establish a solid base of philanthropic support through a good use of systems. Carsten Vogel, Director of Development said: "Alex and the team were a tremendous resource in a difficult process: how do you organise all your fundraising information and how do you go about working with a multitude of historic data in a new (and shiny) fundraising CRM. EFC was an efficient and friendly partner on our journey. Easy. Constructive. Effective." “Implementing a first CRM for an organisation is a significant moment. While new, the team at Frankfurt had great experience in fundraising, but needed help to find and put in place the right solution to help them work effectively, plan and to be able to report and understand their progress. We worked together to deliver the best outcomes” said EFC’s Alex Hyde-Parker. “The school can now manage its valuable relationships in a secure, accessible, systematic way to ensure efficient fundraising. The new approach also provides valuable certainty and control as the team grows.” Want to find out more? Email us at info@efficient-fundraising.org.

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Really proud of this one. Today, UK Youth is publishing a new report with Institute for Government that sets out a clear path for government to unlock the power of preventative services, including youth work. https://lnkd.in/e8vEYwDf Preventative local authority spending on services like youth clubs and children’s centres was cut by more than three-quarters (77.9%) between 2009/10 and 2022/23, while acute spending on looked after children and safeguarding services rose by more than half (58.1%) over the same period. This is bad economics and it is hurting young people. Rather than just point out the problem, this report sets out a clear roadmap for the next government to transform millions of lives and save billions of pounds. The rapidly rising needs of young people – with threats to their mental health, employment, and even physical safety – are not inevitable. We have clear evidence of what works to change this trend. Now we need policymakers to play their part and make the long-term commitment required.

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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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An important update on charity campaigning from the CharityCommission. To find out about other guidance and legislation governing charity campaigning during General Elections then just sign up for my webinar next week!  https://lnkd.in/dr6Nwvyx #GeneralElection #CharityCampaigning 

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Cllr Bailes said the Ofsted report showed the Merchant Venturers have ‘failed to deliver a better future for young people in these areas’. “The recent Ofsted report on Merchant's Academy, a dismal reflection of 15 years of poor leadership by the Merchant Ventures, comes as no surprise,” she said. “A generation of pupils has been left behind, their potential stifled by a system that failed to provide them with the education they deserved. While apologies may be offered, they cannot erase the damage inflicted. “The high levels of exclusions, particularly permanent ones, are a mere band-aid, masking the school's failings. Excluded children often find themselves entangled in the criminal justice system, a cycle that exacerbates rather than solves the problem,” she added. “The arrival of E-ACT brings a glimmer of hope, a chance for a fresh start. The hope is that under their leadership, the school will see vast improvements in the quality of education and the safety of all pupils, parents, and staff. While 14 years of austerity have undoubtedly contributed to the poor outcomes of many pupils from marginalized communities like Hartcliffe and Withywood, the Merchant Ventures should have been the beacon of positive school reform that the academy system promised. “Instead, it has failed to deliver a better future for young people in these areas. Change won't happen overnight, but the new head teacher, Guy Swallow, has shown a willingness to listen to pupils and parents, relaxing the overly strict uniform policy and punitive punishment system. The implementation of rewards for good behavior has been well received, a much-needed shift in the school's culture. “With aspirations for the school running high, the return of A-Levels next year, as promised by Mr. Swallow, is a positive step towards a brighter future. This will allow pupils to achieve more than they currently can, giving them the tools they need to succeed in life,” she added. https://lnkd.in/e4wQWVQ6

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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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NEW EPISODE - In the latest episode of the ‘This Is The North’ Podcast, and the second episode in our mini mayoral series, join me in a thought-provoking conversation with Guy Renner-Thompson, Northumberland County Councillor and Conservative Party Candidate for the upcoming North East Mayoral Elections. In this episode, Guy discusses his deep-rooted connection to the North East and shares his vision for a vibrant and prosperous future. Learn about his strategic plans to leverage the new Devolution Deal, aiming to bring more power and resources closer to our communities. Episode Highlights: Background & Roots: Discover Guy's personal and professional journey in the North East. Vision for Mayor: What drives Guy’s candidacy and his key pledges to remove systemic barriers. Industrial Revival: Strategies for reenergising the North East’s historic industrial sectors. Educational Enhancement: Guy's initiatives in improving education as a cornerstone for regional growth. Green Energy & Economic Zones: Exploring the impact and opportunities of new economic policies. To 🎧 listen check out the links to the episode in the comments box 👇 🗳️ Election Day Reminder: Mark your calendars for 2 May 2024. Ensure you're registered to vote by 16 April 2024 at 11:59 pm to have your say in shaping the future of the North East.   If you're passionate about societal change, politics and regional development, this is a must-listen! 🌍   👉 Subscribe now and be part of our journey to empower our communities for a brighter, more equitable future.   🎧 Listen, engage, and connect.   👤 Host: Alison Dunn 👤 Guest: Guy Renner-Thompson   This podcast was recorded and produced by Purpose Made, dedicated to powering societal change through knowledge sharing.   #ThisIsTheNorth #NorthEast #MayoralElections #Politics #Podcast #Devolution 

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'The launch of the Centre for Young Lives #RaisingTheNation Play Commission' - Paul Lindley OBE ⤵️ We launch our Commission in the middle of an election campaign and with huge political decisions ahead, first for voters and then for a new Parliament. As those decisions are made, the future of our children must be at the centre of the debate. Politicians should ask how our children can thrive: how they can feel significant, be confident, have life affirming childhoods and become the people that they each have the potential to be. Because thriving childhoods reflect thriving societies, and as play is central to thriving childhoods, it should be central to political decision-making. The way children explore, experiment and build an understanding of the world really matters. That is why, we have created the Raising the Nation Play Commission: to stimulate a conversation, gather evidence, demand barriers to play are broken down and to offer a framework for government to create an environment, facilities, time and a culture for children to do their work – and play. We will deliver our findings, and a plan for the Government to consider, on 11 June 2025 – the second International Day of Play.  As we begin our journey, we invite your contributions, ideas, energy and support! #Play #FreePlay #PlaySufficiency #PhysicalActivity #PhysicalLiteracy #Recreation #ActiveTravel #PlayStreet #StreetPlay #HomeZones #Playces #Splace #FreerangeUrbanNeighbourhoods #FUN #KnowBallGames #Parks #Playgrounds #UNCRC #Article31

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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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Request for Proposals -York Weston Pelham Community Cluster Enhancing Mental Health and Crisis Supports Project Background The York Weston Pelham Community Cluster, which was established in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, collaborates on real-time issues management, identifying and addressing emerging needs, supporting access to resources, and escalating systemic challenges. Facilitated by City of Toronto staff and United Way Greater Toronto staff, it convenes community organization leadership in meetings regularly. The YWP CC has approximately 30 active members, who are community and social service organizations providing direct services in the YWP neighbourhoods. As the pandemic has waned, members of the cluster have reported that mental health challenges among the populations in the neighbourhoods are high. Several cluster organizations have experienced increased incidents of clients in crisis, including substance use emergencies, intimate partner violence, post-partum depression, homelessness and/or hunger, with increased rates of individuals venting their frustration and anger at staff, physical property, and each other. Meanwhile, waiting lists for accessing mental health supports within and beyond the cluster (i.e. counselling) are lengthy. New funding for mental health is frequently project-based and target-driven. Also, staff at organizations within the YWP CC are less accustomed to dealing with people in crisis compared to downtown Toronto. The YWP CC is seeking consultants/contractors to support the Enhancing Mental Health and Crisis Supports Project in the coming year (to March 2025).   Project Goal: The goal of this project is to ensure that programs and services offered in the area are effectively shared, known and referred to. A further goal is to give the YWP CC a sense of service gaps (and potential ways that these might be addressed). It is also hoped that, by the end of the project, the Cluster partners will better be able to answer the following: Are the right referrals being made for clients and community members (including post-crisis)? Where are clients and community members successfully obtaining services and supports to which they are referred? What is the experience of clients and community members in accessing supports and services (for example the length of time clients have to wait for access)? Where are the opportunities for sharing, collaboration and growth to address identified gaps in mental health supports for crisis response and follow-up? Additional information about this proposal is in the attached document. Submit your proposal by May 15, 2024, at 5 p.m. to: hirings@unisonhcs.org, citing ‘RFP MH/CS’ in the subject line of your email. #RFP #mentalhealth #hiring #consultant

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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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🌟 Exciting Opportunity for Young Entrepreneurs in Wales! 🌟 Are you a budding entrepreneur aged 18-30 in Wales? Community Foundation Wales has a grant for you! 🚀 🔍 What is SWEF? Our SWEF Fund provides business grants of up to £2,000 to young entrepreneurs who meet the following criteria: - Aged between 18 and 30 - Living in Wales - Operating their business for no more than 2 years OR in the development/pilot stage, having conducted market research and expecting to start trading soon - Lacking easy access to other sources of finance 💡 How Can You Use the Grant? The SWEF grant can be used for various purposes, including: - Investing in equipment to boost revenues - Enhancing production capabilities based on proven demand - Purchasing materials or stock for a new product line - Creating prototypes (excluding app development costs) - Building a website or booking system - Funding training opportunities - Supporting product development Richard Selby MBE DL, Business Insider, Business in Focus, Michael O'Toole, The Prince's Trust, Philip Jones - please share this opportunity with your network. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity! Apply now and take your business to new heights. 📈💼 #SWEF #BusinessGrants #Entrepreneurship #Wales #YoungPeople #Funding # Grants

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