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Reflecting on the Essential Role and Challenges of Charities: Insights from the Recent Charities Conference
Introduction
The recent Charities Conference offered a wealth of insights and provoked deep reflection on the vital role that charities play in our society, their operational challenges, and their financial models. As a dedicated supporter and participant in various charitable organizations, I am constantly evaluating the necessity of these entities and their impact on the communities they serve.
The Necessity of Charities
Charities exist because they fulfill needs that are not adequately addressed by public sector mechanisms. In the UK, this is particularly evident as the welfare state often lacks the resources to reach everyone in dire need. This contrasts with some European countries where the public sector plays a more robust role in social welfare, reducing the reliance on the charitable sector.
Leadership in Charities
A significant observation from the conference is the caliber of individuals who lead many charities. Often, these leaders are highly successful professionals who choose to contribute to society after achieving their career goals. This trend is commendable as it leverages their skills, network, and financial resources for societal benefit. However, a crucial concern is whether the strong governance, strategic planning, and operational efficiencies that marked their professional successes are being effectively translated into their charitable endeavors.
Governance Challenges
The conference highlighted a recurring theme: many charities struggle with governance and operational efficiencies. Despite the vast experience of their leaders in the corporate world, charities often lack rigorous financial controls, clear job descriptions, data protection measures, and effective marketing strategies. This irony suggests a gap in transferring corporate best practices to the nonprofit sector.
Over the last 5 months I have worked with many charities as well as attend Vibert’s excellent Chartity Conference. Some feedback to me was that some of the challenges charity leaders face when adopting or trying to introduce more efficient/effective processes and practices around governance etc are placed by boards/governors and committees. The old adage ‘we have always done it this way’ or the aforementioned work full time and do not have time, or they are very out of touch of good governance in practice.
The Value of Charitable Work
A persistent challenge for charities is the expectation to deliver services at minimal or no cost. This undervaluation can impede their ability to attract talent and invest in quality services. In a society where financial transactions denote value, the perception that services provided for free are of lower quality can undermine the efficacy and reputation of charitable organizations.
The famous TED talk by Dan Pallota The way we think about charity is dead wrong | Dan Pallotta (youtube.com) really sums up the fundamentally flawed difference between public and charity sector attitudes relating to spend on investment and salaries for CEO’s.
Conclusion
Charities are not just supplementary entities; they are integral to the fabric of our society, contributing significantly to GDP and embodying leadership, management, and innovation. It’s crucial that we recognize and invest in them as we would in any other vital industry. Charities deserve robust investment in their missions, visions, and operational capacities to ensure they can continue to serve the community effectively and sustainably.
Opportunity
Over the last five months, I have been working with the Association of Jersey Charities, Jersey Cancer Relief, and Simon Nash of Insight Group to develop a program which we are calling Building Values. This program aims to support charities through these challenging times and is a learning and development program that is very practically based and charitably priced.
At the end of each workshop, the charity should leave the room with an artifact they can immediately use the next day, whether that’s to support them with their governance, fundraising, policies, processes, or compliance. It is an intensely practical course at an affordable price for those organizations that would really benefit from being more efficient, effective, and productive, not just within themselves, but also for the benefit of the products and services they provide to the community.
We are incredibly grateful for the collaboration, co-production, co-delivery, and support from the Association of Jersey Charities, as well as their sponsorship and promotion of an initial pilot to test the proof of concept.
Pilot 1 Workshop on FundraisingDonor Engagement And Stewardship Friday 24th May 2024
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelN9qwnwNx5NpkbdcSLEyZzgfQEgxF7ELIZLeYQQRsP3ZmyA/viewform
Pilot 2 Workshop on MarketingMarketing And CommunicationFriday 31st May 2024
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfImHxuTBkgGzpoMWt1JPVRWhxeGLDwmlNpfQbPXP7589iAAg/viewform
Subject to the success of the pilot and being able to demonstrate clear metrics to show the benefits to the community in terms of GDP, leadership and management training, product and service delivery, and productivity—all those key metrics that government and potential sponsors are really keen on—subject to proving the efficacy and value of the program, we’re hoping to roll this out as ten half-day workshops.
Charities Building Value Programme
1. Workshop One: Charity Excellence Overview
2. Workshop Two: Strategic Thinking and Planning
3. Workshop Three: Purpose-Led Leadership
4. Workshop Four: Financial Management
5. Workshop Five: Marketing and Communications
6. Workshop Six: Project Management
7. Workshop Seven: Building Teams
8. Workshop Eight: Effective Decision Making
9. Workshop Nine: Donor and Supporter Engagement
10. Workshop Ten: Sustainability and Growth
Take Action
As stakeholders in a global community, we must rethink our approach to supporting charities. It’s essential to value their contributions appropriately and ensure they have the resources to operate effectively. By fostering better governance, ensuring adequate funding, and valuing their services rightly, we can enhance their capacity to make a lasting impact. Let’s commit to supporting these organizations in a way that acknowledges their critical role and promotes their sustained success.
