Has your search for a Trust and Grants fundraiser been unsuccessful? It would seem you are not alone….

Increasingly we are approached by charities who have recently attempted to recruit a Trust and Grants fundraiser but who have found their search to be fruitless, they come to us looking for short-medium term support to help them achieve their funding requirements. They tell us they were overwhelmed with the number of applications but received very few of the quality they were looking for. Upon interview things seem to get worse. One of our Birmingham based clients was looking for a part time Trust and Grants fundraiser and received over 60 applications, only 4 of whom had any relevant experience!

Over the years we have worked with some fantastic fundraisers so why is there such a dearth of good applicants? We initially thought the problem was regional as we had heard from charities in Nottingham, Leicester and Derby who told us of their difficulties with recruitment but we spoke with a number of Fundraising Directors working for London based National charities who told us the same – they are struggling to find good Trust and Grants fundraisers. We’ve pondered long and hard about why this might be and come up with a number of reasons:

• Fundraising is not viewed as a profession – very often when we tell people we are fundraisers they think we knock doors or rattle tins for a living.  Because of this perception and a lack of formal training for those interested in the field, there aren’t many professionally trained fundraisers in the market and the demand for such employees greatly outstrips the supply.
• While there is a great need for skilled staff in non-profits, […]
  

Yesterday the BBC aired a Panorama documentary revealing  that Comic Relief invested £630,000 in shares in BAE Systems, a leading weapons manufacturer, despite the charity’s commitment to help ‘people affected by conflict’. The charity has also given money to help the fight against tuberculosis but had £3million of its money wrapped up in tobacco companies, despite smoking being a major contributory factor in many TB cases. And although it aims to reduce alcohol misuse and its spin-off effects, it also had £300,000 invested in the drinks industry in 2009.

It’s not unusual for a charity to try and generate more funding for it’s activities though investment. In fact, it’s common practice. The potential for a return on investment shouldn’t be the sole factor determining where money is invested, especially when donors (quite rightly) assume a level of ethical integrity on the part of the trustees. It’s important also to remember that there is a distinction between those working for charities and those who run them. We can’t help but feel that Comic Relief are being made an example of but there are others also operating in the same way. What this highlights is the need for an Ethical Investment Policy in every charity that fits comfortably with their charitable objectives. The comments below this Guardian article are worth a read, and may signal a change in donors giving directly to local charities rather than to larger funders who distribute money on their behalf.

This month the Charity Commission, in partnership with a number of trustee groups and charities organised the fourth annual Trustee week.  Trustees Week is a celebration of trusteeship, to highlight the great work that trustees do, and to draw attention to the opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a real difference.

Here’s our round up of some of the best bits of information and some practical advice for boards of any size:

In 2013 there are just over 180,000 charities in England and Wales registered with the Charity Commission, represented by around 1,000,000 trustees. Estimates suggest that almost half of charities have at least one vacancy on their board.

When bringing a new person onto the board, have an induction – make sure that your new trustee understands their role and its responsibilities right from the very beginning. This doesn’t need to be overly complex; on the contrary a straight forward set of guidelines that everyone follows helps to unify the board and ensure everyone is making decisions for the right reasons and pulling in the same direction.

The Government has set itself the goal that women will make up 50% of all new appointments to public boards by the end of the current Parliament (2015). Women make up over two thirds of the workforce in UK Charities but are represented at board level in 1 in 3 trustee roles.  There is a way to go but we’re really pleased at this effort to encourage more equal representation at board level. The Charity Commission will be monitoring the recruitment of new trustees to help make sure this happens.

Finally, it is really important in developing your charity to regularly assess the effectiveness of trustees. […]

The highlight of this week was a visit to Standon Hall in Staffordshire to see the team at Make Some Noise (MSN) in action.

MSN deliver music making sessions for young people across Staffordshire.  Since 2001 over 15,000 children & young people have accessed their music opportunities. I have worked with them for just over a year so while I know a lot about what they do, I had never seen them in action!

The event was a fun day for Young Carers from the South Staffordshire Carers Association and was attended by over 80 children and young people.

MSN attended the event with a small group of their young volunteers who co-lead the workshops which allowed young people to have a go on guitars, drums, i-Pads, Keyboards and vocals. In each 20 minute session the groups put together a song which played out across the grounds and drew in groups of others keen to have a go!

What really surprised me about the session was how quickly children and young people warmed to the task, and even the shyest were able to join in and feel part of the group. The effects of this on their confidence was evident almost instantly. In the act of getting lost in the music the young carers were able to relax, have fun and forget their worries. They quickly came together as a team and worked out roles and supported each other. I was very aware of how amplified this effect could be over a longer period of time and with regular engagement with MSN. The young volunteers are people who have already been involved with MSN and who want to help others, often they are on the pathway to achieving […]

We often get asked what funders are looking for, especially when there is no application form and limited guidelines. The answer, unfortunately is that there is no one answer. However, don’t despair! A strong case for support is the basis of all good trust and grant fundraising applications and should incorporate all of the information we’ve outlined below in our top ten of things funders want to know about your project:

1. Why is your project needed or, what’s the problem?
   Facts and figures are important here and we can find the information needed to explain how your project fits in with local strategic plans, national policy and also look into any research which backs up your idea. What we need is detail of how this need affects your service users – what are the problems and barriers they face? Do you have any quotes or ‘case studies’ which demonstrate the need?
2. What difference will the project make?
   Your project should provide a solution to the problem you have outlined above. Funders want to know what will change as a result of the project. Can you summarise this as an overall aim of the project? Do you have specific objectives or desired outcomes?
3. Who will benefit?
   Think about the difference the project will make not only to your service users but also to staff and volunteers, to the way your organisation works. Then think about the local community, will they benefit? Will you share your learning with other organisations so they can benefit?
4. When and where will your project happen?
   Funders want to know that you have given consideration to when and where your activities take place – they are seeking reassurance that you have properly planned the project. If you have […]