Association of Charitable Foundations’ Post

Essential reading for anyone interested in understanding how UK charitable trusts and foundations fared in 2022-23, the challenges they faced and how they are worked to navigate those challenges.

👏 I welcome the fact that the Association of Charitable Foundations does such hard work to inform the public about the world of grantmaking foundations. 👏 The work they do is a powerful tool to address the imbalance between funders and grantees. The need for support in 2022-23 increased more than ever and saw the term 'polycrisis' become a commonly used description for the interconnected and overlapping crises affecting climate, global health, economies and social systems'. 🤔 This report shows how grantmaking foundations did an immense amount of self-reflection, and adopted a more strategic approach, for what they could do to address this - and it provides a number of examples about who did what. The overall public view of funders (and philanthropists in general) is often that they are in their own little bubble, and do what they assume needs to be done, rather than what actually does need to be done. 🤞 But I hope this report is seen as a demonstration that is old-school thinking. Things have changed. Those with excess capital have begun to reach out to those with lived experiences, getting more informed, and becoming more transparent about their activities. In every day life, criticism that is badly delivered often backfires. I put forward the same could be true for foundations. A critique of their work is not a bad thing... but they should be welcomed, educated and encouraged - that is the only way we will be able to find more synergies between all of the stakeholders in this sector 👍. 🙏 Many thanks to Carol Mack and her team for all of their hard work to make this happen. #grantmaking #foundations #donors #grants #philanthropy

How do small charities make a difference? I’ve just finished up six months of working with a brilliant charity, The Difference. Their mission is to improve the life outcomes of children least likely to achieve at school, by building the expertise of those who educate them. I’ve loved working with Founder and CEO Kiran Gill and her team, and their stellar Development Board, ably chaired by Sir Anthony Salz. It’s made me think about what makes a small charity so successful, where so many others don’t survive or thrive. Some of the key factors I see are: ✅ A Founder/CEO who is the charismatic face of the organisation and takes full responsibility for fundraising ✅ Having the confidence to ask individuals and foundations to make a significant investment in your work ✅ Building relationships over time with those donor investors and asking them to help you find others to join you ✅ Focus on building multi-year partnerships as early as possible, so that you can build the foundations to deliver over time The Difference has understood all these things and so I know they will continue to thrive. It’s an exciting time for the organisation as they grow to scale their support for the children and young people most likely to be excluded from school. ..... #TheDifference #InterimFundraising #Philanthropy

We need to see a transition from competition to synergy across the charity and philanthropy sector in 2024. Through collaboration, non-profits and donors can greatly enhance their impact. By sharing internal research, successes, and failures with each other, charities working to solve the same or overlapping issues can reduce replication, freeing up time and resources. By pooling funds, philanthropists can contribute to larger projects that they couldn't fund alone and, more importantly, combine their expertise to provide more valuable support to the charities they work with. Together, we can create sustainable solutions, tackle inequality, and build a more resilient future. #collaboration #philanthropy #charity #nonprofit #globalimpact

365 Fundraising Truisms #265 It’s often best to visit a donor in pairs. Think CEO and CDO or CEO and volunteer sitting down with a prospective donor. The combination allows one to listen and pick up on cues while the other talks. And while one person talks, the other can identify the high points that haven’t yet been shared. It’s a powerful combination. Want more fundraising insights? Visit https://lnkd.in/dhEub4EE #fundraising #fivetoolfundraiser #fundraiser #philanthropy

As advocates for social change, it's crucial to understand the hurdles faced by nonprofit organizations. The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle is a concerning phenomenon where funding restrictions and overhead constraints leave charities struggling to cover essential operational costs. This limits their ability to expand services and hinders long-term sustainability. By advocating for unrestricted funding, covering core operational expenses, and providing capacity-building support, we can help charities focus on their vital work and create lasting change. The article provides practical tips and solutions on how we can support charities better, allowing them to focus on their missions without compromising on essential resources. Check out the article here 🔗https://buff.ly/3DBolW6 #NonprofitStarvationCycle #SupportCharities #SocialImpact #Philanthropy #Sustainability #CreatingLastingChange #Advocates #Generosity #Charities #NonprofitOrganizations

Depending on your philanthropic goals, some giving vehicles may be better suited to help you achieve them. For instance, #DonorAdvisedFunds offer more granting flexibility compared to private foundations. This enables donors to advise and recommend which charities receive grants. Meanwhile, giving with a private foundation typically means the foundation's board must approve grant allocation. As our recent Kiplinger article mentions, some donors use these giving vehicles together to support their broad charitable efforts. Each one provides a different opportunity to further increase philanthropic impact. https://lnkd.in/edNgq72Z #DAF #PrivateFoundation #GivingVehicles #Philanthropy #Impact #CharitableGiving #Charity

An incredible 75% of adults supported charities in 2023, translating to more than 40 million people making a difference across the UK. From donating money and goods to sponsoring, volunteering, and fundraising, our #UKGivingReport highlights how, even in challenging times, we come together to support causes we care about. For more insights on giving trends in the UK, read the full UK Giving report: https://brnw.ch/21wJ7AS #UKGiving #Philanthropy #Charity

In this Advancing Philanthropy article, we explore the benefits of collaboration for nonprofits, using faith-based organizations as a prime example of how organizations can come together in support of common values. https://ow.ly/r32J50SjWSy (Available Exclusively to AFP Members) #fundraising #nonprofit

One of the most important reasons to choose an AFC member is the wide range of knowledge and experience they share when it comes to all fundraising matters. This, in turn, inspires confidence in your organisation’s leaders and potential donors – a key component in successful fundraising. Find out more at https://ow.ly/RvEo50QqIZy #afc #fundraising #fundraisingconsultants #philanthropy #helpingothers