Small charity week gives us an opportunity to take a moment to celebrate the big impact small charities have on society and to recognise the vital support and services they provide to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
We strongly believe in the power of small charities and we are proud to support thousands of charities every year with pro bono management advice, training and support, helping them to build their confidence and capabilities to thrive.
We’re all feeling the effects of the challenges of the last few years and with the sad demise of the FSI, we’ve lost vital infrastructure support for small charities.
Through our work with small charities we are seeing that the current challenges are forcing them to focus on the short term and it’s really hard for already stretched charity leaders to lift their heads up enough to plan further ahead.
That’s why it feels more important than ever to be able to come together to celebrate the impact of small charities, despite the challenging environment, and to collaborate to provide support this Small Charity Week, and into the future.
Cranfield Trust's FREE Small Charity Week On Call service
To provide specific guidance and support to charities with pressing management concerns, Cranfield Trust is pleased to be offering direct access to our On Call service during Small Charity Week.
Our On Call gives charity leaders the opportunity to talk to one of our experienced volunteers with skills matched specifically to help them address their immediate challenges.
We know that the issues and challenges facing small charities are broad and the support required will be varied, so during the Charity Contact Days on 20 and 21 June, our expert volunteers will be on hand and matched to whatever immediate challenge the charity is facing.
Generally, through our On Call service the majority of calls are in relation to finance, strategy and governance. Topics can include financial performance and reporting, forecasting, understanding costs, engaging the board in strategy, building better relationships between the chair and CEO, and building a strong board.
Other calls and challenges covered include leadership, change management, digital strategy and signposting, or we can simply provide a much-needed sounding board.
Our Contact Days can help to address immediate concerns and tackle barriers charity leaders may be having right now that are holding them back from longer term planning.
What about long term plans for my small charity?
We can also support charities to think longer term through our pro bono management consultancy, as well as support leaders through our mentoring and Peer to Peer Exchange groups.
We’re pleased to work with charities on their business plans, which supports them in looking forward, planning ahead, and thinking longer term.
At Cranfield Trust we would encourage charities to take time to focus on their ambitions, to remind themselves of their purpose, and to set their own agenda. This is really important when we’re all having to react to short-term challenges, but we can help.
Our Regional Managers take time and care to match our volunteers to work alongside charity leaders, providing tailored support and guidance to assist right now and into the future.
To book an appointment for our Charity Contact Days during Small Charity Week please visit https://www.cranfieldtrust.org/pages/cranfield-charity-contact-day.
Information on our other pro bono support can be found on our website: https://www.cranfieldtrust.org/pages/pro-bono-charity-support