Word from the top: Springboard Interim

It’s official. Recruiting for senior interim fundraising roles is harder than ever.

Clients are telling us their interim roles are remaining unfilled for months, while candidates are saying the combination of the candidate-driven market (giving them access to a greater choice of permanent roles than ever before), coupled with an uncertain economy, (making short-term employment a riskier option), means interim work doesn’t have the allure it once did.

Charities can’t afford to have key senior fundraising roles vacant, nor can they afford to settle for an imperfect fit.

So, what can you do to make interim contracts more attractive?

1.      Guarantee a fixed-term

The vast majority of interim contracts are created due to maternity/paternity leave.

Quite rightly, new parents are entitled to return to work at a time that suits them. However, this can create uncertainty for interim fundraisers, who might find themselves out of a job sooner than planned.

Some of our clients are combatting this by offering candidates a fixed term that covers the entire maternity period, i.e., if the new parent returns to work early, the charity will either redeploy their interim fundraiser or pay out the rest of their contract.

2.      Pay an interim premium

A few of our clients are trialling a 10% - 20% premium on salaries for interim contracts.

If you’re paying below market rate, this may not help, but it can make all the difference if you’re offering a generous salary. A boost in pay can make the potential risks of a short-term contract easier to swallow.

3.      Offer longer notice periods, sooner

A few of our clients are looking to introduce longer notice periods, starting from day one. i.e., if their standard notice period is one month, they’re extending it to three. If it’s three months, they’re making it five.

The key point is the notice period starts from day one, without the need for the candidate to pass a probationary period.

This gives them more time to find a new role when the contract comes to an end.

To add another level of security, one of our clients is looking at a notice period that comes into play even if the entire maternity contract is served.

4.      Offer development opportunities

One way of securing interim talent without stretching your budget is to offer the role as a development opportunity.

Effectively, this means recruiting someone with all the skills, talent, and experience you need, but customising the role to stretch their experience in terms of team size, budgets, or something else, to help them springboard their career.

If a candidate thinks they can cut the curve of their career progression by a year or two, they may consider stepping out of a permanent role.

This option appeals to a lot of charities we’ve spoken to, but they don’t have the internal capacity to support candidates.

This is where Springboard Interim comes in.

What is Springboard Interim?

If you’ve got an interim fundraising contract you’re struggling to fill, but can’t afford to compromise on quality, we’ll help you find the perfect candidate.

No money is paid up-front, but you’ll commit to working exclusively with us.

We’ll target rising fundraising stars (in permanent roles), for whom your role represents an incredible development opportunity.

“Why would they consider it?” I hear you ask. Because we offer the following:

• A signed contract committing us to working with them to secure their next role (beyond the interim one).

• An additional month’s notice, paid by us, if we don’t find them their next big role (once their contract is complete).

• Half a day’s mentoring by a talented fundraising career coach every month, for the duration of their contract. This will help the candidate navigate their role effectively, whilst ensuring they develop the skills and experience necessary to go on to bigger things.

We’ve trialled Springboard Interim with a few clients and the results have been spectacular.

But don’t take our word for it. Get in touch with our Director, Graham, at graham@bamboofundraising.co.uk and try the product out.

And be quick about it. Due to the resource-intensive nature of the product, we only have three spaces left until the end of March.

Are pet-friendly offices set to become the norm?

During the pandemic, an estimated 3.2 million households acquired ‘pandemic puppies’.

Millions of people turned to their new furry friends for comfort and companionship while they were stuck indoors, isolated from friends and family. But now, as people are being asked to return to the office, employees are reluctant to leave their furry friends’ home alone.

According to research by Wagmo, 67% of employees said their pet is the main reason they’re unwilling to return to the office full-time. What’s more, a survey conducted by OnePoll found that 60% of pet owners have left their jobs since offices reopened as their employers didn’t do enough to accommodate pets.

Paws fur thought

The question of how to lure workers back to the office has left employers scratching their heads over the past year. The stats suggest that embracing pet-friendly policies could help.

But the benefits of office dogs go way beyond getting bums on seats.

Research has found that dogs can improve employee well-being by reducing stress, boosting morale, promoting productivity, and encouraging a healthier lifestyle.

And forward-thinking employers are reaping the rewards. The University of Lincoln conducted a study “to quantify the benefits and impact of dogs in the office on work-related and dog-related outcomes”. 

The findings? Employees that took their dogs to work reported a 22% increase in job satisfaction.

What charity doesn’t want that?

What do pet policies look like?

Pet policies can take many shapes and forms. For example:

• Carers UK allows employees to bring dogs into the office on days when people with dog allergies and phobias are working from home.

• Attest offers dog-friendly office spaces, up to 5 days paid leave when an employee adopts a pet, and up to 8 weeks of flexi-time to ensure they have adequate time with their new family member. Oh, and pet parents get a pet stipend.

• TaskRabbit covers employees’ pet insurance and allocates three days of paid leave when a team member adopts a new furry family member.

• Tailster encourages dogs to join meetings. And they have a sun terrace equipped with fake grass for the dogs to do their business.

Things to consid-fur

If office dogs boost morale and satisfaction, a pet policy is a no-brainer, right? Maybe. But before you ‘roll over’, be sure to consider the health and safety risks.

Pets can be messy

You don’t want your office to smell like a pet shop, or become unsanitary for your workers, which can sometimes happen with animals. Pets shed, get sick, and have accidents, so cleaning up after needs to be a top priority.

Damage

If you’re a dog owner, you’ll be well aware of the damage dogs can cause to belongings, furniture, and carpets.

The workplace is no different. But throw costly IT equipment and other people’s personal property into the mix, and you could have a recipe for disaster. 

Allergies

Even if none of your team are allergic to dogs, a dog-friendly workplace could scare off potential hires that do have allergies.

Create a pet policy

Weighed up the pros and cons and decided to go dog-friendly?

Start by getting familiar with the Pets at Work Toolkit. It covers everything you need to get started, from making a case to senior management to creating a fool-proof workplace pet policy.

The final bark

Office dogs may not be able to help you do your job (unless you're a professional stick fetcher), but embracing them in the workplace can provide plenty of benefits for you, your employees, and their furry friends.

If you’re looking for dog-loving fundraisers to complete your team, we can help. Call us for an initial con-fur-sation on 020 3750 3111.

How to protect your charity from cybercrime

As a result of the pandemic, the last few years have seen charities rely more heavily on digital operations, including fundraising.

While digital fundraising is a quick, easy and effective way of soliciting donations, it brings with it an increased risk of cybercrime.

The evidence

Recent research from the Charity Commission found that, one in eight charities experienced a cyber-attack in 2022. This is a 38% increase on the previous year. The survey also highlighted a lack of awareness from charities of the risks they face, with just over 24% having a formal policy in place to manage them.

Cyber-attacks affecting a charity's services, funds, or compromising the sensitive data of donors can be devastating financially and reputationally, so, it’s crucial that charities protect themselves.

Types of cyber fraud

Phishing

Phishing is where cyber criminals, also known as hackers, use fake emails or text messages to trick users into sharing personal information such as bank details. Phishing attacks are often part of an impersonation scam i.e., criminals pretend to be real businesses to tempt people into sending money. 

If you or one of your staff click on a link in a phishing message, it will take you to a fake website. Viruses can then be downloaded onto your computer or mobile phone. A virus is malicious computer code that can corrupt systems, destroy data, or steal passwords.

Once your computer is infected, criminals can steal money from your charity. They can also access information such as donor email addresses and phone numbers.

How to spot phishing messages

• Check the sender details in the message as it could be a spoof email pretending to be from a genuine person. Look for spelling alterations in the name, email address or website domain name

• Check for grammar and spelling errors. They can indicate it’s not from a legitimate organisation

• If the message includes a link, hover over it, but don't click, so you can see the preview of the site it’s sending you to

• If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Hackers will try to hook you in with irresistible offers

This article from IT Governance provides some handy tips and advice of what to look out for, along with some real-life examples.

Malware

Malware is malicious software that can destroy, damage, or exploit computer systems.
There are various types of malware including:

Viruses

A virus is malicious software that attaches itself to a computer attachment or file. It stays dormant until the attachment/file is opened. It can then spread throughout your computer system causing damage and data loss.

Viruses can be spread by scam email and text message attachments, and internet and app downloads.

Signs that your computer has been infected by a virus

• Your PC runs slowly and programmes take a long time to open

• It regularly freezes or programmes crash

You get unexpected pop-up windows that encourage you to visit unusual websites

Unknown programs start when you switch on your computer

Ransomware

Cyber criminals use ransomware to lock a device or steal information. They then demand a ransom to restore access or return the information. Payment is usually demanded via a crypto currency such as Bitcoin.

Ransomware can spread in various ways. Methods include clicking on malicious links in an email or using an infected USB flash drive.

A famous example of ransomware is the 2017 WannaCry attack. It targeted computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system. Users were told to pay Bitcoin to get access to their computer systems, effectively shutting down operations for many organisations.

Signs of ransomware

• You receive suspicious emails that show signs of criminal activity (see the phishing section above for more information)

• New file extensions are added to the end of your file names

• Your computer is locked with a message demanding a ransom

The Government’s Cyber Essentials website has useful tips for defending against an attack, including securing your online connection with a secure firewall, ensuring devices are set to secure, using strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and encryption.

Educate yourself

One of the most effective ways of looking after your cyber security is to educate yourself and your team about the different tactics of cyber criminals.  

There’s lots of information, advice and free cyber security training on the National Cyber Security Centre website. There’s more advice and recommendations in the NCSC’s Cyber Threat Report for the charity sector.  

Looking for a savvy fundraiser who can sniff out a scam? We’ve got you covered. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 or email us at info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the ball rolling.

Word from the Top: The importance of proper job marketing

Talented fundraisers who can transform your charity’s prospects and outlook are a rare commodity, so why are we marketing roles to them as if they’re ten-a-penny?

Putting together an uninspiring word document that focuses on what you’re looking for and not why a fundraiser would want to take on the role, and creating an advert that does much the same, is never going to secure you the calibre of fundraiser your charity deserves.

At any one time, CharityJob advertises 3 – 6 times more jobs in fundraising than any other role specialism. There aren’t 3 - 6 times more fundraisers than any other profession …

I think this tells us all we need to know about how competitive it is out there.

We need to start acknowledging a reality: Great fundraisers don’t struggle to secure roles and people are fighting for their attention, we can either get into the fray, or we stand back and get the results that we get. The good news is most people are doing a terrible job of role marketing, so you don’t need to make too many improvements to stand out.

Good application packs are not a luxury

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve told charities that they need to improve their role collateral, only to be told that they don’t have time, or it’s not important, or it’s a ‘nice to have’.

Whilst I would always advise a fully designed application pack (our design team can help you with this if you don’t know where to start), even if you create something a little more visually interesting in PowerPoint and converted it to a PDF, or learn to use Canva (the free, online graphic design tool), your ads will immediately look better than the majority of your competitors.

Don’t judge a book by its cover, first impressions count, the idioms are numerous. It needs to look like you care about the role, otherwise why should the candidates you’re looking to attract?

Talk to fundraisers in the language of fundraising

Just because your work is interesting and impactful doesn’t mean you’re fundable. The building of a fundraising team is a huge culture clash for growing charities. It’s the first time their work is held up to a rigorous, external light, which can be uncomfortable.

The facts of the matter are that fundraising (and the rest of the organisation) need to work in tandem. You might need to change some things about the way you work to be attractive to donors and demonstrate your impact to their standards. Most fundraisers will have a horror story or two about walking into a charity and trying to work collaboratively to get them ‘fundraising ready’, only to be told to stay in their lane and fundraise for what they’re given.

Some leaders with limited experience of fundraising rationalise that a good fundraiser should be able to secure the funds and that they’re trying to change things instead of doing the hard work.

This is tantamount to an estate agent telling you that you’d get a better price if you put the fire in your house out, and you telling them to get better at selling houses.

Fundraisers will be looking for signs that you have the right information behind the scenes to ensure fundraising success.

You can demonstrate this by illustrating some of the following in your application pack:

·        Facts, figures, and metrics that demonstrate the need for your work.

·        Facts, figures, and metrics that demonstrate your charity’s impact.

·        A detailed breakdown of the income stream/s they’ll be working across - in terms of budget and portfolio size, as well as highlighting some of your more interesting products, events, partners, or initiatives.

·        Give them an understanding of the size and scale of your network.

·        An explanation of the future-plans of the income stream/s. What are they working towards? What exciting prospects are on the horizon?

You likely need fundraisers more than they need you, so spend some time telling them how exciting your programme is.

Bursting the bubble

I have to burst a pretty tenacious bubble here: Fundraisers don’t come with a ‘little black book’.  

Think about this demand for a moment. Your position is that there are people in the world who come ready made with a contact network that can fully fund your charity and that you can secure them for £40k - £50k. It doesn’t seem likely, does it? Donors are sophisticated beings and the idea that they would mindlessly follow a fundraiser around, rather than staying committed to the causes they’ve grown an affinity for, is borne of wishful thinking.

This doesn’t mean their previous experience with high-profile donors isn’t useful, but they’ll need to reach back out to those individuals and institutions through you and your contact network to have any credibility.

Fundraising is a collaborative process, which the whole organisation needs to get behind. It’s not an unpleasant task you can hire someone to sit in the corner to do while you ‘get on with the important work’.

Fundraisers will be looking for an acknowledgement of this reality, through you making efforts to sell your network, contacts, initiatives, and assets.

You need to sell the fundraiser on the tools they’ll have available to them.

Describe all the benefits available

Not telling candidates about all the benefits of working for you is like getting into a fight with your hands tied behind your back.

I’ve worked with charities who advertise benefits like their cycle to work scheme and access to a wellbeing assistance line, but don’t describe the 10% non-contributory pension, or the fact that there are annual cost-of-living increases.

You never know what might take a role from not being workable, to being ideal for any given candidate. Make your life a little easier and sell every advantage you have.

Conclusion

In my experience, the cynicism of thinking efforts in this area are unwarranted, or that you shouldn’t need to compete for fundraisers “if they really want to work for you” is fear dressed up as wisdom.

Many managers don’t know where to start (and so don’t), but version one is always better than version none.

Why don’t you try implementing a few of the pointers above and see how you get on? You don’t need to have it perfect immediately - you can work on it over time.

If you don’t have the team capacity to focus on this, or want to get to ‘perfect’ a little more quickly, get in touch on 0203 750 3111 or info@bamboofundraising.co.uk and our design team can chat with you about developing one of the best application packs in the sector.

Focus on World Sight Day

World Sight Day (WSD) is an International Day of Awareness held every October, to focus attention on the issue of eye health.

This year it falls on October 13th.

In recognition, we’re sharing our Co-Founder, Graham’s personal experience of living with Retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

You can find out more about Retinitis Pigmentosa here.