P4S-Dasha

6 essential tips when thinking about charity monitoring and evaluation

November 3, 2022 by P4S-Dasha

No one (or at least almost no one) goes into working or volunteering for a charity or community group to do evaluation, because they love data, or they like filling in forms.

But the reality is that as soon as you start delivering a service or an activity you should be thinking about how you will understand the difference it is making and how successful it is.

The chances are that if you are receiving funding it is likely that whoever gave you the money will ask for a report.

If you have trustees or a committee they need to know you are doing what you are supposed to be doing and will need to see the ‘proof’.

Monitoring and evaluation should not just be a chore that you have to do to get funding, it should be something built into the very bones of your organisation or group.

This blog gives our 6 essential tips, but if you want to know more check out the CCVS training or that offered by other local and national support bodies.

1. It has to be useful to you, not just a chore imposed by others

If monitoring and evaluation is simply something you do because others have ‘forced’ you then it is only ever going to be a chore and you will have missed out on important learning.

Look for ways that allow you to meet the needs of lots of different stakeholders at the same time. But also make sure the process is working for the organisation.

It is your opportunity to get information that helps tell your story and to promote your successes.

How much better to say that we helped groups gain £10 million in income rather than that 50 people came to our fundraising training?

2. You have to think about this at the start of a project

If you get to the end of a project and only then think about the evaluation and monitoring it will be much harder or impossible to do.

You need to start thinking about this aspect of the project as you are planning the project.

Start thinking about what you are trying to change, how you might measure this and how you will capture the data you need.

If the monitoring and evaluation takes place throughout the project then there are opportunities to change how you do things to improve what you offer.

Also by making sure you are taking the time to collect data as you go, it will give you more to work with when you have to report.

There is also a chance that collecting feedback and data as you go will give you useful quotes etc to help tell your story, and also help you to raise additional funding by helping to answer those questions about need, about clients informing your work as well as about the difference you make.

Never underestimate the value of a good quote from someone who has used your services, and more importantly, never feel shy about using it at every possible opportunity.

3. It does not have to be complicated – but there is some jargon

There are some common words that you will need to get your head around so that you can be sure you are doing what will be most useful and informative for you and other stakeholders.

You will need to get your head around the inputs and outputs, the outcomes and impacts, qualitative and quantitative.

A good place to start is the NCVO website or the NPC website or sign up for one of our training sessions.

Once you have mastered some of the language, what you are monitoring and how you evaluate it does not have to be complicated.

It is important that what you do reflects the size of the project you are doing, and that it enables you to answer the questions you need answering and show the difference you are making.

For a small project, it may simply be about collecting numbers of attendees and where they are from, but if you can add some feedback in the form of quotes or produce a case study this will help add depth to your report.

4. There are lots of ways to collect data – be creative

Sometimes it will not be possible to measure what you want to know about. Sometimes there will not be an obvious way to look at the difference you make. This does not mean you can’t evaluate your work and monitor things.

You may have to think about proxy indicators that allow you to show your difference in your time scale and budget.

If you work with young people you can’t tell if your project has kept them out of prison, but you may be able to get feedback about how positive they are about their life following your activity.

Also, think about how you can be creative in getting feedback in a way that is suitable for your audience.

This could involve using technology or art but it does not always have to be a happy sheet or an interview.

There are loads of resources on this as well as how to be more creative about how you use data:

Top tips for recruiting staff in difficult times

May 5, 2023 by P4S-Dasha

Introduction

This blog is to share our experience of recruiting staff. We definitely have not got all the answers, but we had a very successful recruitment round, and this was based on a new recruitment process. As such we want to share our thoughts in case they are of interest to others.

The statistics tell us that it is getting harder to recruit staff as vacancies rise and unemployment lowers. This blog explores what we did to successfully recruit to our development worker role and looks at what we got right and wrong, as well as what we might do to recruit and retain paid staff in the future.

Our top four tips

1. How and where you advertise is important

We kept the applications open for a long time, including for the period over Christmas and the New Year. This worked well but it does prolong the application process.

In future, we will always look to have at least a 5 or 6-week application period if possible. This allows us to cover two of our newsletter cycles and to make sure we get our message shared widely.

We know that it is unlikely that someone will want to move to Cambridge for the salaries we offer. We also know we want people who understand the local area and live close enough to come into the office occasionally.

As such we do not advertise in any of the paid national publications or websites. We make the most of our networks and contacts to share our adverts to as wide a community as possible.

This includes working with statutory partners as well as with other local charities.

We treat recruitment like a campaign so that we are constantly sharing across all our communication channels, and always looking at how we can reach a wider audience.

2. Be clear about what you ask for, and make sure adverts and job descriptions reflect that

We want to ensure that we are getting the right person for the job, but at the same time, we have to realise that the perfect experience and skills might not exist in anyone.

We work to distil out what we need in a person and try to limit the skills and experience and recruit someone with the right beliefs and values as it is easy to train someone to gain skills, but less easy to get them to alter beliefs etc.

We work to ensure that the advert as well as the job description and person specification does not exclude people who may be good candidates and we are explicit about what we want.

We write the advert and the job description to concentrate on the type of person and the attitude rather than a long list of experience. As the advert says:

We are looking for someone who cares about the voluntary sector and supporting people and who is conscientious, passionate, positive and ready to learn.

We are looking for someone who will thrive in a changing environment and will be willing to ‘muck in’ in order to ensure we are delivering a responsive service.

We also stress in the advert that there will be training and support and that the person will work as part of a team.

We believe that we have the capacity and skills within the team to teach the skills and build the knowledge of someone who is passionate about the sector, eager to learn, and willing to muck in.

These qualities are harder to develop than the skills, so we try and stress their importance.

3. Do your best to offer a benefits package that will make you stand out

We know that we are not able to offer high salaries and lots of perks as we do not have the money. We try and ensure our salaries are comparable to (or better) than similar roles in charities but we have to look at what else we can do to ensure we are a place people want to work.

We try to ensure that we are flexible about the hours we want someone to work and put this prominently in the advert.

This may mean we end up with less capacity than we would like, but it may well mean that an applicant who is brilliant may apply as they can see how the role fits around their lives or caring responsibilities.

Trying to offer flexible options can be difficult, but it is a great way to broaden the appeal of the role.

How we would like to improve

In future, we need to look at how we treat job share requests and how we make that level of flexibility work. This may increase some costs, but we were asked about this and were not able to accommodate it for a recent role.

Whatever people think about working in the sector salary and benefits are important. We still see too many adverts that don’t include the salary, and this can cause issues.

The show the Salary campaign  (which we are signed up for) explains why it is important.

We have tried to ensure that we offer other benefits and have a better-than-average holiday entitlement and a better-than-average pension contribution.

We would like to explore how we can offer childcare vouchers and we are exploring the cycle-to-work scheme. These initiatives do cost us in terms of time but it is about helping us to stand out.

Hybrid working and four-day week

For a number of years now we put all staff on hybrid working contracts and we are working on a trial to see how we can move to a four-day week.

Our hybrid working does not mandate a minimum number of days in the office, but we do encourage staff to get together when they can, and when they need to, and we have a hot desk system in our office.

We also organise in-person staff socials every couple of months and have a weekly online coffee meeting as well as conventional team meetings.

We are starting to work towards a four-day week and have agreed to trial the 4 Day Week Campaign silver standard for a year with a view to moving to the gold standard after that.

This has involved us reducing the working week from 37 hours to 35 hours. We will be testing this out. More information about the benefits and how the 4-day week can work.

We know that we can’t dictate how staff use their hours but we will be encouraging those who are full-time to look at having an extra day off if possible.

4. Look at how you can improve the appointment process

We want to make applying for the job and the interview as stress-free as possible whilst at the same time giving us the opportunity to appoint the best candidate.

As part of our recruitment procedure, we have altered the application form so that we only ask the essential questions.

We also limit the number of previous jobs people need to include so we don’t get pages of useless information that will not help us identify good candidates.

We have put in maximum word counts for some questions as we want people who are succinct and precise in how they write and who can pick out the important details, and (if we are honest) we want to make our job shortlisting easier by reducing what we have to read.

As highlighted above we have designed our JD and person specs to reflect the idea of selecting candidates as much on attitude as experience and this carries over into what we ask on the forms and into what we are asking or testing at the interview.

We use tests as part of the interview process (generally is a presentation on a topic we choose). This helps us understand the candidate’s ability to deliver information in an engaging way as well as their ability to research a subject.

The task is less about them getting the right answer and more about their presentation skills and how engaging they are.

We recognise that some people struggle with time to do this preparation, so we ask them to keep things short and we try to give them at least two weeks between telling them they have an interview and the date so they have time to prepare.

We are not testing people on their ability to think fast but want people who will be measured and take their time to answer if they don’t have all the information at their fingertips. As such we send out the interview questions around 24 hours before the interview.

This allows people to think about what they want to say.We stress to them that they should not read out answers but we do realise that some people, especially those with dyslexia etc. can find this easier as it gives them time to think about their answers beforehand.

How we would like to improve

We are thinking about whether 24 hours is enough time. We will probably extend it to ensure that all candidates have enough time to prepare.

At the moment we ask all candidates set questions and do not do a lot of follow-up questions.

Having looked into this we need to develop our skills to improve our interview skills in this area, this is not about looking to trip candidates up but about how we get the most from candidates and have a better ability to judge their merits.

Conclusion

Whilst the voluntary sector offers much in the way of job satisfaction and interest, we will not be able to match pay and pensions from other sectors. In the past, we tried to offer more flexible working, but this is now a universal offer.

We need to look at what helps us stand out against other charities and other sectors. This may be a four-day week, it may be greater emphasis on job satisfaction, or it may involve better coffee.

Those of us working in the sector know how fantastic it can be, but we do need to ensure that we are better at convincing others of this, or recruitment will only get harder.

Volunteering – 6 points you need to think about

August 1, 2024 by P4S-Dasha

A lot has been written about volunteering over the past few months, but we know that the big question in the voluntary sector is, how can we get more people to volunteer?

What has been written?

We have seen the results of the Community Life Survey published in February and now NCVO has released this year’s report on the Time Well Spent survey.

Findings from this research have been echoed at the national level through the Vision for Volunteering in England and Scotland’s Volunteering Action Plan.

For those of us working in the voluntary sector, these reports do not make great reading, but at the same time, they are not really telling us much that we didn’t already know.

If we want to get more people into volunteering, opportunities must match what people are looking for and we, as a sector, need to get better at assuring people that volunteering is for all.

This blog sets out 6 key points you need to think about when trying to answer this big question, with our own views and take on the situation, added in.

The pain you are feeling is real

We have heard from many local groups that volunteer recruitment and retention is an issue.

This is reflected in the findings from our research (full report to come soon). But a sneak peek shows that 73% of respondents have issues recruiting volunteers, which is slightly up from 2019. One comment included:

People who have returned to work post-pandemic are time-poor, reducing the amount of time they are able to spend volunteering or caring for their elderly relatives. This has an impact on the group who are fewer in number whilst being asked to help more frequently.

Supporting this is the Community Life Survey results, which show volunteering levels at the lowest rate since records began.

The issues are not impacting all organisations the same way but there is no doubt that who and how people volunteer has been impacted by the pandemic.

It really is about local

The time well-spent results show that people want to volunteer at a local level. Again, we are seeing this locally.

We have to ensure that the local focus is recognised by funders and policymakers at all levels. Big national schemes actually make things worse in many ways, so we need less involvement in expanding the volunteer schemes from RVS, and less Big Volunteering things, and more local support and support for local campaigns.

We have to be aware of the reasons that people don’t volunteer

A lot of the Time Well Spent survey looks at why volunteers might not continue or why non-volunteers don’t volunteer. We ignore these findings at our peril!

Getting a wider perspective on fundraising: feedback from the Third Sector Fundraising Summit

August 14, 2023 by P4S-Dasha

Earlier this month I attended the Fundraising Summit hosted by the Third Sector, which was a great opportunity to get a wider perspective on what is happening in the fundraising world for big and small VCSE groups. Here are some of my takeaways from the sessions:

Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Larger Charities

One of the interesting observations, made by several contributors, was around larger charities working in more interdisciplinary teams with fundraisers working more closely with marketing teams. There is also a move for an even greater focus on supporter engagement and participation.

Public Interest in Fundraising Events

44% of the public are interested in fundraising events with young people showing particular interest. Research indicates that people who may not be able to donate still want to “give” through participating.

Wellbeing and long-distance running events are particularly popular. To maximise the impact of these fundraising events, groups need to ensure that both branding and information about the difference the group makes is available and accessible at events.

Impact of the Cost of Giving Crisis

Linked to the cost of giving crisis – the number of people donating has dropped (particularly those on lower incomes) but higher earners have continued to give. People are donating to fewer charities.

In the last 3 months, there has been a slight drop in donation rates to children’s and to medical charities with an improvement in donations to animal charities. But the only real growth area is in overseas aid, almost certainly in response to disaster relief campaigns.

Translating Social Media Engagement into Donations

Contributors also looked at how groups can translate good social media engagement into actual donations. Both individual donors and grant providers like to see the difference their donations will make.

So just as we are now all being asked to provide photographs and case studies in our grant reports, we can also use these in our social media posts to harness greater social media engagement. For example, give tangible evidence e.g.: “your £10 provides….” And try to make the donation process as smooth as possible.

Targeting the Next Generation of Donors

Another topic exercising the conference contributors was how to target your next generation of donors. The Brain Tumour Charity has been looking at the next generation of philanthropists (Millennials and Gen Z – those born between 1981 and 2012).

One fundraising trend they are looking at is the concept of the Donor Advised Fund; (DAF) – these products are popular in the USA and are now appearing in the UK aimed at time-poor but high-net-worth individuals.

DAFs have the potential to alter the traditional relationship-building model of fundraising philanthropy as giving decisions are made by an algorithm based on the individual’s interests rather than an emotional response to an appeal. An example of a popular DAF is The Prism Gift Fun.

Engaging the Next Generation: UNICEF’s Approach

The UNICEF Next Generation engagement programme encompasses volunteering, donating and campaigning which tap into the less transactional approach the younger generation of donors are looking for.

Contributors suggested these younger donors want to use their expertise for volunteering. For example, young professionals mentoring young people affected by a brain tumour.

They are also interested in micro-volunteering opportunities to engage e.g., careers advice sessions/ lunch and learn sessions just 30 minutes sharing expertise.

Communications with this younger age group need to be short and to the point such as WhatsApp, video clips, Tik Tok etc, not PDF documents or reports.

Fundraising on a Small Budget

Contributors also looked at the perennial question of how to fundraise successfully on a small budget. Tips shared by the presenter from the Macarthy Stone Foundation included working to clear objectives from the outset:

Build a clear case for support.

Manage expectations – be realistic but ambitious.

Income diversification: Long and short-term goals are important.

Have a specific spending plan.

Use your community and your existing resources.

Look at different ways to engage people.

Building a Strong Case for Support

Building a case for support answers key questions such as What is the need and why now? Why should I donate? Why donate to this group? A well-crafted case for support:

Creates consensus and buy-in
Prevents mission drift
Brings your vision to life
Provides a blueprint for communications
Brings your work to life with impact clarity and purpose.

Creative Fundraising Examples: Wakefield Theatre

An example of different ways to engage donors was given by Wakefield Theatre. The theatre ran Rhubarb Ruby’s Full House where a local supporter, dressed as the famous local character Rhubarb Ruby, (plus costume changes) was sponsored to see how many of the theatre’s 500 seats on 3 tiers he could sit on in an hour while dressed in drag.

The team live streamed on Facebook (filmed on their own phones) – people engaged at the time, and they got lots of great content for social media – raised £800, not a huge amount – but importantly it engaged new donors and raised the theatre’s profile. It also encouraged other supporters to offer to fundraise.

The theatre is now running a Facebook challenge involving people visiting well-known buildings in the area with theatrical links.

Taking the First Step

Taking the first step is often the most challenging but making and taking the time to think about and discuss what you want fundraising to look like within your organisation (big or small) is a great start.

It is important to look at your organisation’s priorities and then begin to look at implementing what works for you as an organisation and your stakeholders.

None of these are fixed points and all are in constant motion so it’s also important to accept change and flexibility as part of the process, which is perhaps the hardest challenge of them all.

7 essential things to think about when doing digital fundraising or crowdfunding

October 5, 2023 by P4S-Dasha

These are the key takeaways from the training that we run on this subject.

New technology, social media, and the different ways we connect as individuals and organisations have changed how fundraising works.

This has to be recognised by organisations and it needs to be built into how fundraising happens.

There is no right or wrong thing to be doing and different organisations will find different ways to bring digital into their fundraising. It is important that you do what will work for you and that this fits into your strategy.

Whatever you are planning then these tips will be key to working out how best to move forward.

As with all fundraising, this will take time and it is not a simple, quick or easy way to meet your targets

There is no simple quick fix to raising the money your organisation needs, if there were I would have retired on the fundraising franchise I would have developed, and all charities and community groups would be following that plan.

You won’t go viral unless you are both hardworking and lucky, but if you do then make sure you let me know and we will add it to our impact story.

If your trustees or managers have ‘make viral funding video’ in their plan then take it out as this makes as much sense as saying ‘wait for the multi-million-pound legacy to arrive’.

If it happens it is great but assume it won’t and be prepared to put in the time and hard work to meet your funding targets and not rely on a windfall.

It is easy to get distracted or put off, by new ideas, new platforms and new digital toys. Don’t!

Some will love them, and some will loathe them, but you have to focus on which digital tools will be most beneficial to you.

This will depend on many things including who your actual and potential audiences are and where they connect. (It is no good having the best Facebook campaign if all your audience has left to join TikTok).

Make sure that you invest time and money into the areas that are going to reap the best rewards. It may be that you need to do some testing to find the right way to maximise digital income and this is a great way of working out how to focus your efforts.

Just because you are an early adopter or a closet Luddite don’t let that influence your decisions and remember it is what works for the whole organisation.

Your website will be central to your whole digital success – get it right

However, if you are raising money digitally it is likely that your website will have a part to play.

It is essential that your website is accessible across different platforms and that it is clear and easy to understand. It is also vital that the donation journey is smooth and that you only take the information you use.

It is also vital that you follow up on any donations and most importantly that you thank your donors. One of the key reasons people don’t continue giving is that they are not thanked, so often using digital techniques can be automated so there is no excuse to not make it a priority.

Your story is key – tell it well

Whatever digital fundraising you are planning you have to tell a compelling story. All the tools in the world won’t make up for a story that does not grab a person’s imagination and make them feel something.

There is a whole training session on storytelling (keep an eye on the CCVS website training and events page. Jonah Sachs in his book Winning the Story Wars (which I really liked) says your story should be:

TANGIBLE – Stories present information that makes concepts visible and human scale. They make you feel you can touch and see an idea.
RELATABLE – Stories matter because their characters carry values that we want to see rewarded or punished.
IMMERSIVE – Stories allow people to feel that they have experienced things that they have only heard.
MEMORABLE – Stories use rich scenes and metaphors that help us to remember their message without conscious effort.
EMOTIONAL – Stories elevate emotional engagement to the level of, and often beyond, intellectual understanding.

In essence, it is not about facts and appealing to the head it is about emotion and appealing to the heart. This is especially true if you are limited in space and competing with other organisations’ stories.

If people want the facts the impact and the accounts these should be available on your website, but you have to draw them in to want to look before they will contemplate giving you their hard-earned money.

Build your tribe

Digital fundraising, and especially crowdfunding, is about a lot of small donations rather than a few large ones (but the large ones are always welcome).

It is also about gaining supporters and raising the profile of your organisation. It is about getting followers who will share your messages and requests with their followers. It is all about mobilising people behind what you are doing, in effect you need to build your tribe.

Your tribe will be made up of different groups.

Your core followers or true believers

They will be the ones who will most likely donate and will be instrumental in making your plan work. They may be staff, volunteers or trustees; they could be some of those you work with or their families.

Your more casual members.

These are the people who will normally share your message, may well donate and will be removed from your core followers.

Influencers.

These are people who can share your message to much wider audiences, they may be local reporters or key people in your community or the local voluntary sector. They will be key to getting your message out as widely as possible.

There may be other subgroups who you can identify but it is important that you work out who these people are. You need to concentrate on all the different parts of your tribe and motivate them with the right message, and importantly you have to find ways to build the numbers of them.

Planning is everything

You must have a plan for your digital campaign. It is unlikely that you will be the only person involved in making it a success, so a plan helps keep everyone on the same page and ensures that you maximise the impact for the minimum effort.

Think about the story, the tribe and everything else and detail it in the plan. Ensure you map the key points of the campaign and that you know what messages you are sending to who. (And who is sending them).

Your plan needs to be a working document. You have to be able to adapt to unforeseen events and make the most of unexpected opportunities.

There is a rise of people who are motivated by inverse giving, this is when a negative story encourages people to give to a cause.

You need to think about how you react to this type of opportunity even if you don’t know what it might be and if, or when, it will happen. In short, the better the plan is and the more detail it has the more likely you are to reach your fundraising goals.

Data is important don’t neglect it

In the digital world, the data geek is king (or at least is the kingmaker). There will be lots of opportunities to collect data on donors as you develop your digital strategy. It is important that you use data in the ways that you have said you would and not for anything else.

It is important that all the data collected is yours to use and not retained by a platform. It is important that you store your data in a secure place, and you stick to all the rules on this and how you process the data.

Don’t ignore how proper analysis of your data can help build the success of your digital fundraising, ensure you are investing in this and in the skills of the staff or volunteers who are tasked with the analysis.

AI will be a thing but…

This is an extra point.

AI will start to impact more and more on how you fundraise. I am not sure how this will turn out, but I firmly believe that the above 7 points will remain as valuable.

You will still need to invest time, but this may change. Your story and your tribe will remain key even if they are connected and built in a different way. You will still need to plan, and data may well become even more important.

Conclusion

Digital fundraising is here. How people give and where they choose to give is changing.

Technology will continue to evolve. Charities and community groups of all sizes need to think about how they can adapt and develop the new fundraising techniques that will best suit them.

This will mean ensuring people have the skills and knowledge to manage the process and the technology, but it will also mean that the organisation commits to the investment that is needed to make things work.

Protecting your charity – it’s everyone’s business

October 24, 2023 by P4S-Dasha

The words cyber security can sound somewhat alien, however, with the publication of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) report, Cyber Threat Report: UK Charity Sector, showing that the charity sector is particularly vulnerable to cyber risk, we need to ensure that we are protecting ourselves and our beneficiaries as best we can.

Cyber security as defined by NCSC:

is the means by which individuals and organisations reduce the risk of becoming victims of cyber-attack.

The good news is that improving cyber security isn’t nearly as complicated as you might think. CCVS have been reviewing its approach over the past 6 months and this blog shares some of the steps we’ve taken to reduce the risk posed by a cyber-attack.

We’ve also included some of our go-to resources and guidance at the end of this blog and welcome you to get in touch with us for further support, or to share your experience.

1. Understanding the jargon

The first thing I learnt was that if we familiarised ourselves with the jargon, we would be more aware of what the risks are and what we could do to mitigate them.

For example, phishing is one of the highest areas of cyber security risk for small charities, but do you know what ‘phishing’ means?

Phishing is when criminals use scam emails, text messages or phone calls to trick their victims. The aim is often to make you visit a website, which may download a virus onto your computer, or steal bank details or other personal information. Phishing is becoming increasingly sophisticated and hard to spot.

I also go back to definitions from NCSC whenever I’m feeling unsure.

Malware is malicious software, which – if able to run – can cause harm in many ways.

Ransomware is a type of malware that prevents you from accessing your computer (or the data that is stored on it). The computer itself may become locked, or the data on it might be stolen, deleted or encrypted.

2. Passwords: Encourage the use of strong passwords and consider using a password manager

Advice has moved on from changing passwords regularly as this can mean that we are more likely to use a weak password, that is easy to remember but also easy to hack!

The recommendation from NCSC is now that passwords are strongest when you use three random words and some special characters or numbers.

Then, because we can’t keep everything in our heads, NCSC suggests using a password manager.

A password manager securely stores and generates complex passwords, making it easier to maintain strong credentials without the need to remember them all. It enhances security and reduces the risk of password-related vulnerabilities.

CCVS has recently introduced a password manager. There is a small monthly fee and whilst it took some time to set up and get used to, the benefits are clear.

It provides a secure way to hold information, with the bonus of saving us time. For example, you can use the system to automatically log in to websites and can easily and securely share passwords with team members, win-win!

3. Train and empower your team to be suspicious

It is increasingly hard to spot scams and fraud and so empowering and training your team to take the time to question what arrives in their inbox, is essential.

For example, fake invoices or payment requests pray on the time poor and whilst financial procedures might be one of those things that fill you with dread, having processes to follow, will reduce the risk of your organisation falling victim to fraud.

Fraud can be as simple as your organisation receiving an invoice, that claims to come from a trusted supplier, and so if we don’t take the time to double-check that it was expected and is approved, it is easy to become a victim of fraud.

CCVS has adopted an eLearning module by NCSC. It is a free practical resource that gives us all an understanding of what cyber security is and steps we can take to reduce risk.

4. Software Updates: regularly updating software on devices makes a difference

We’re all guilty of this, delaying updates for as long as possible and then wondering why our laptops have gone a bit, well, squiffy.

Encouraging staff to install updates when prompted by their devices can make a huge difference and help protect against potential exploits, as you are ensuring the software is equipped with the latest security features.

There are also NCSC tools that you can use to check your cyber security and test your organisation’s response processes, in case you did fall victim to an attack. They are free and a great way to learn and ensure you are prepared.

5. Positive Team Culture: promote open communication and encourage all to admit mistakes or seek support, without fear of repercussions

We’re all human and scams are getting increasingly hard to spot. Establishing an environment where everyone knows that reporting potential security incidents or seeking guidance is a valued practice. It will help you to tackle problems quickly and ensure your team feel comfortable asking for support.

Check your policies and procedures, make sure your team know how to report a suspected breach and share lessons learnt openly along the way.

6. Keep your smartphones (and tablets) safe

More of us are using smartphones or tablets on a daily basis, as part of our work. This means these devices have increasing amounts of information stored on them and because they are often taken out and about, there is a greater risk of them being lost.

NCSC give advice on how to keep mobile devices safe in more detail (P.10).

Turn on password protection.
Make sure lost or stolen devices can be tracked, locked, or wiped.
Keep your device up to date.
Keep your apps up to date.
Don’t connect to unknown Wi-Fi Hotspots.

In summary, you don’t need to be an IT expert to protect your charity from cyber risks

There are lots of free resources to increase understanding and confidence in cyber security, no matter who you are or what you do.

Here are some we’ve found helpful:

Insights from the Charity Digital Online Fundraising Conference October 2023

December 11, 2023 by P4S-Dasha

The Charity Digital Online Fundraising Conference in October 2023 brought together industry leaders, experts, and charity fundraisers to explore trends and ideas in digital fundraising. The sessions included looking at a range of topics from essential digital tools, to harnessing the power of storytelling.

The New Generous Generation: Engaging Gen Z with Ashley Fontaine

According to recent research Generation Z is the age group most likely to donate to charity. Ashley highlighted the unique characteristics of Gen Z and their preferences in giving.

Generation Z comprises people born between 1996 and 2010. This generation’s identity has been shaped by the digital age, climate anxiety, a shifting financial landscape, and COVID-19.

Social fundraising, powered through social connections, was a key focus of Ashley’s talk. The session explored platforms such as TikTok and highlighted the importance of building emotional connections to attract and retain Gen Z donors.

Ashley recommended creating an audience profile to help identify key patterns of behaviour. Gen Z giving trends include:

Flexible giving
Gripping storytelling
Mobile friendly donations
Charity authenticity
Social giving
Charity cause research

40% of GenZ donors learn about new causes from social media. The top 3 platforms are:

You Tube
Instagram
TikTok

A TikTok example is the British Red Cross which utilised the donation sticker on TikTok. They raised £90k in 12 months and kept things current, for example by linking in with the new Barbie film and the trend for thrifting.

A storytelling example was Mind’s 2022 #SpeakToUs campaign where a relatable character candidly shared their mental health journey. It was intended as an awareness campaign that resulted in donations.

Ashley also highlighted that Gen Z is likely to want to have a relationship with the cause they donate to, they respond to well-managed stewardship and share stories around impact.

Maximizing the Donation Funnel: Insights from Fresh Egg

A presentation from Jake Lambert from Fresh Egg, a donation platform. He highlighted five things you can do to maximise donations:

Talk to your users – understand their needs don’t just rely on analytics it doesn’t tell you why they do things. Segment those who currently donate/used to donate/don’t donate to you but may donate elsewhere – Consider user testing e.g. usertesting.com or ask people to engage with you and run your own tester sessions.
Build and maintain an emotional connection – maintain this throughout the donor’s journey, and keep them engaged particularly when they reach a hurdle – such as filling in a donor form. Use strong consistent imagery and phrases. Remember a key reason people give is because it makes them feel good – reinforce this at every stage.
Test your default levels – Fresh Egg experimented and found that when using suggested donation figures it can be effective to set an ‘anchor’ figure at the high end – this encourages people to be more generous.
Nudge to regular giving show one-off donors what they could help you achieve if they donated regularly, but still be suitably appreciative of one-off donations
Show your impact for example – £10 could answer 2 calls to our advice line for isolated older people needing support.

The importance of talking to users, building emotional connections, and reducing hurdles in the donation process were key takeaways. The session emphasized the significance of maintaining a consistent and engaging narrative throughout the donor journey.

How to nominate a voluntary champion for an honour or award

August 22, 2024 by P4S-Dasha

The UK honours system recognises people in the voluntary sector who have gone above and beyond to shape and improve their communities, and who have made a significant impact, making life better for others.

For those actively involved in charity or community work, the most relevant honours include the Order of the British Empire (OBE), the Member of the British Empire (MBE), and the British Empire Medal (BEM).

Do you know someone who has been exceptional and made a positive impact in the charity or community sector? Perhaps a community leader, volunteer or philanthropist who has made a real difference?

The great news is, to nominate – it’s easier than you think!

Anyone can be nominated – it hasn’t to do with age, class or how long they have been working or volunteering.

When nominating, you don’t specify what honour you would like your nominee to receive – that will be decided by the honours committee.

How do I nominate someone?

You could start today! There isn’t a specific deadline: you can submit your nomination at any time of the year and the process takes one to two years to verify. Try to nominate when your individual is still active.

Nomination forms are available online and require detailed information about the individual’s accomplishments.

You’ll need to begin with why you are nominating your person, and this will include their:

Name
Address
Contact details
Relevant work or volunteering
Recognition they have received, such as awards
Two supporting letters

Please use descriptive sentences to describe the transformative nature of their efforts. Highlight specific projects, initiatives, or programmes they have contributed to, along with details of the benefits to the community and the lives they’ve touched.

In simple terms: why is their work important?

A few tips!

Please use all the characters you are given and try not to leave any part of the form blank.
Provide some background to the organisation they are working or volunteering for.
Link facts, such as roles, dates, and actions, to the impact your nominee has made.
Provide evidence to back everything up.

Please do not list all their work roles, qualifications, and achievements in a ‘CV’ style.

The focus should be on their IMPACT and the selfless way they have provided service and changed lives for the better. Tell their story!

To do this, the committee recommend that you think about:

What were things like before their efforts began?
How are things now?
What makes the nominee different from other people doing similar work?

You will need to gather and provide evidence for your individual achievements, such as news articles, weblinks, photos and other relevant files.

Supporting letters

Anyone who has worked with or has experienced the work of the individual can write a letter of recommendation to be submitted along with the nomination. It should be from people who know the nominee, such as:

Someone from the nominee’s organisation or community.
A high-profile individual such as a local councillor or MP.
Someone who works alongside them.

Confidentiality

Please keep everything confidential – it is very important that the individual doesn’t find out that they are being nominated, as they will feel disappointed if they don’t receive an award. Moreover, there will be personal data collected so be careful where this is stored.

Please don’t worry about nominating, the honours committee doesn’t expect the submission to be perfect or overly formal – so give it a go!

The Honours are announced at New Year and on the King’s birthday. You shouldn’t contact the committee about your nomination – if you are successful, the honour will be made public. If you haven’t heard after two years, then you may submit again.

The UK Honours system is a powerful way to celebrate and elevate those who make a significant difference in the charity and community sector. By nominating individuals for these awards, not only do we recognise their efforts, but it could also inspire others to contribute to the well-being of their communities and highlight some fantastic organisations along the way!

So, why not celebrate one of your staff or volunteers, an unsung hero who works hard to create positive change, they may really appreciate the award!

For more information please visit: Nominate someone for an honour or award: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This nomination process is for individuals only, to nominate a voluntary group for The King’s Award for Voluntary Service: The King’s Award for Voluntary Service: Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)