It’s a critical time for small charities. We’re living in a scary and volatile world and the odds are stacked against small charities more than for many others.
Much research points towards the fact that big charities are getting bigger, and small charities are getting smaller. In fact, many small charities are closing up shop completely.
Small charities are the lifeblood of local communities, and collectively create a much needed patchwork of support for wider society. They are the life-blood of our sector, driven by need and powered by lived experience. They are vital, more so now than ever.
Whatever your role in the sector, you can help. Now’s the time.
This year we can all make a difference
Small Charity Week is back. To support. To amplify. To create connections. To push for change. It will centre lived experience, focus on peer-to-peer learning, and champion co-creation at every level. Which is why we need you.
We have a very short time scale (7 weeks!) until Small Charity Week which is 19th - 23rd June. We can’t do everything this year, but we can do a lot. So together we plan to optimise all the good things that have happened in previous years, whilst at the same time planting the seeds for what Small Charity Week could become in the future, all powered by the collective voice and needs of small charities.
4 key things for Small Charity Week
Our initial scoping, listening and learning has shown that broadly, small charities want 4 key things. These themes will shape how Small Charity Week looks, but not the content. That will be created by small charities themselves. The 4 key things are:
1. Help, information and training on things they don’t know
2. A space to come together and share things they have learned
3. Championing, and amplifying their amazing work to build strength and resilience
4. Collective work on policy and campaigning for wider change
How to get involved in Small Charity Week
So, there are 3 things you can do to help:
If you are a small charity that needs help and support, let us know what you need by filling in this form and collectively we can shape and co-create the right content.
Small charity help and support form - submissions now closed
Or, if you're a small charity that has done brilliant things that you want to share with your peers or if you are a larger charity, a consultant, or an agency that feel you can help this year, let us know how on the below form.
Importantly, if you’ve helped before, and are planning on being awesome and helping again, we want to hear from you too.
Share your learnings form - submissions now closed
Finally, if you have an event planned already, post it on the form below and we will amplify and celebrate it.
*EDIT*
Due to the timelines for Small Charity Week, the forms for both 'what you would like to see' and 'share your learnings' are now closed.
But we'd really like as many people/orgs as possible to register their events and webinars so we can share, amplify and promote them.
You don't need approval from us (though we will sense check all events before uploading). So, register your event today and be a vital part of Small Charity Week 2023. The event page will be open right up until 18th June.
Small Charity Week is for small charities, but it’s the responsibility of all of us to champion and support it.
Without small charities, there is no sector, so we all have a role to play.
Get involved and help at this incredibly critical time. Please also share this call to action with everyone you know in the sector. Now’s the time to step up.
Timings are TIGHT, so if you could respond within the next 7 days it’ll mean your thoughts are baked into our thinking going forward.
Looking forward to working with you.
Vic, Wayne and the SCW team