In the current economic climate, the cornerstone of our work is helping charities to raise the funds needed to deliver an effective service. Our strategy is to work closely with individual clients as “one of the team”. We only take on a limited number of clients, perhaps 5 or 6 per year, always placing quality above quantity. We look to work with organisations doing great things that we too believe in. Above all, we believe in creating a bespoke solution for each client – we do not impose “a one size fits all” fundraising package.
As a result, clients often ask us to work with them for the long haul which enables us to build trust, understanding and on-going advocacy. It also allows us to work more flexibly with each client to reflect their needs at any given time. This may mean periods of intense collaboration to solve problems or meet deadlines or periods of relative calm sharing in the pleasure of the benefits derived for the beneficiaries of a service – after all fundraising is a means to an end, not the end itself!
There is more to running a successful charitable organisation than simply raising enough cash. While much of our work is centred on fundraising, our solutions will always be placed in the wider context.
- What is realistic for your organisation?
- What can you really achieve with the resources at your disposal?
- Do you have a settled team?
- Are you utilising the skills and experience of volunteers?
- Is one of your main funding sources about to run out?
- What commercial potential is there to support your work?
- What does the future look like and how will you get there?
- Are your goals realistic or over-ambitious?
- What support do you get from your Board and does their collective vision fit with your own?
These are just some of the many factors that will have a bearing on how you work and therefore how we work with you.
What can you expect?
Typically, we invest time at the outset simply listening. We will need to build a picture about your organisation: its origins, the nature of work, why is your work important, what defines your organisation, strengths and weaknesses, success stories, who supports you, your current work programme and future aspirations. This “listening period” will involve one-to-one meetings with key staff, trustees, volunteers, funders and beneficiaries (if appropriate) as well as attendance at staff and trustee meetings.
Our response
Having listened, we will assemble our feedback and present our initial thoughts on how best we can work together. The challenges, research required, working methods, time commitment from all concerned, immediate and longer term opportunities, a likely funding mix and the time scale required to make a difference.
