AAW Focus on Fundraising in 2023 - Opportunities in Interesting Times (Part 2)

30th January by Imogen Ward

Earlier in January, I reflected on three key opportunities that I felt NFPs should consider adopting in 2023. Nothing I explored and advocated for was new – all three areas have been tried and tested by other sectors.

Oh my! It is so frustrating that as we race through this millennium, charities lag behind with frankly the basics. 

The three areas that I explore today continue the theme ‘of anyone can do this’. And I really believe that any charity regardless of age, cause or turnover really can.

Opportunity 1: Digital

Even as I write the word DIGITAL in the context of the not-for-profit sector my heart breaks that little bit more.

My colleague Deniz Hassan has talked about how our sector isn’t just behind but in dire straits. Change or die is his cry. And I feel his pain.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. The not-for-profit sector needs to rub its eyes and start to visualise what great looks like in terms of impact, income and reputation and then think about how digital can power the journey.

Stop thinking about where it sits and who it sits with. Stop agonising over technology and systems and state of the art solutions that you can ill afford and actually aren’t what you need anyway.  Stop thinking that the digital transformation project that was kickstarted by the Pandemic in 2020 will solve everything. Stop. It really won’t.

Start with the truth. Where are you. Where do you want to be. What are the first easy steps you can take to get there. Take those steps. And involve everyone. Don’t lock digital in a room with a big sign saying ‘Geeks Only’. Put it at the heart of your company and thinking.

Opportunity 2: Philanthropy

I know. We’ve been here before with our expensive consultants, development boards, gift tables…

Since god knows when, great hopes have been placed in an expansion of individual philanthropy in the UK and your Board of Trustees have probably been bitten by the bug at some point. Alas, there are only a handful of organisations in the UK  that have really been successful.  Despite all that money and effort.

So why am I advocating for it in 2023? Because we deserve so much more.

Let’s be clear here – you are not going to raise millions overnight and it’s going to be hard but I still think charities, particularly the smaller, niche causes are missing out on opportunities.

As with digital, it starts from thinking about what good looks like and once you’ve landed on a broad picture of good, develop relationships to help you get to your goals.

Start with who is closest to you and then map out how you can expand your network. If A knows B they will both probably know C. Don’t limit the exercise to just the fundraising team, bring in your Trustees, Services teams, volunteers, current donors – in fact everyone. Make the exercise fun and interactive. Think about how tools such as Miro can help.

Think outside of the box of the usual UK Philanthropy suspects, think about how you can reach the newer, younger breed of major donors. Those who are perhaps in their late 30s or early 40s and are committed to giving away the bulk of their wealth in their lifetime. They are out there and are actively looking to become involved in causes close to their heart (trust me I met one or two last year!). Open your doors, minds and (that word again) your sense of CURIOSITY and you will be rewarded.

Opportunity 3: The Partnership between Exec and Trustees

I’ve often witnessed some pretty odd relationships between executive boards and trustees. This came to a head during the pandemic. With stress levels at their peak, some Boards and Executive Teams quite literally fell apart.

Poor communication, creepy hierarchical structures, lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities and ultimately a misunderstanding over the purpose of reserves (SPOILER ALERT – TO BE USED IN AN EMERGENCY) have meant that some organisations have never really recovered.

In my experience the best Trustees and Executive Structures are when they genuinely work as… well… a Board. Joined up, not as separate entities role playing a strange ‘Master - Servant’ scenario every three months.

Purpose is shared. Teamwork is encouraged. And crucially there isn’t this odd status thing at play. There is mutual respect. Big decisions are made as a collective, recognising individuals’ technical strengths and experiences, not behind a closed door with just the Chair and an ashen-faced CEO.

All of this means that both the Trustees and the Executive have to be at the top of their game. There must be rigour to who joins the Board and who is let go. The Board should be regularly appraised, and dynamics adjusted if things aren’t working. 

Terms of reference and roles have to be super, super clear. Projects have to be governed in a way that’s tight but transparent. And everyone needs to feel that there is momentum.

Let’s make 2023 the year when we make a couple of breakthroughs.

The protest from our sector is often ‘it costs so much’ or ‘we don’t have the time or resource’ but nothing I have suggested needs to be expensive or resource heavy.

Adoption and successful implementation are less about huge resources or big budgets and more about a mindset of leading teams to be united. We’ve got this folks, we really have.

If you’d like to find out about how AAW can help you in 2023, drop Imogen a line at imogen@aawpartnership.com.