Introducing the Funding Network

Calling all small charities. Are you familiar with the Funding Network? If not, read on, as this post is for you.

What is the Funding Network?

Dubbed the “Dragon's Den” for charities, The Funding Network (TFN) is the UK’s first live crowdfunding charity.

Established by four friends in 2002, the goal was to create a forum where people could come together to learn about social change, the work of small charities, and raise funds as a group.

The priority? To make giving ‘fun, social and impactful.’

Since launching, TFN has raised over £16 million for over 2,300 charities in the UK, driving social change in the areas of human rights, climate change and the environment, health, education, inclusion, and more.

Gone global

TFN also runs an Affiliates' Programme through which they equip civil society organisations (CSOs) across the world with the skills, and resources to run their own live giving circle events.

They provide ongoing training and funding to drive community transformation in 14 countries, from Peru and Palestine to Singapore and New Zealand.

What does TFN do?

Live crowdfunding events are the beating heart of what TFN does.

They hold regular events throughout the year, both in-person and online, which connect socially minded donors with small non-profits looking for funding.

What does a live funding event look like?

Have you seen Dragon’s Den? Imagine that, but friendlier and more entertaining.

TFN events typically begin with informal networking, where guests and non-profits can get to know each other over light refreshments.

Once everyone is sitting comfortably, presenters from four pre-nominated charities are given six minutes to pitch for funding in front of 70-100 potential donors.

They can pitch for anything up to £10,000.

At the end of each pitch, the audience has six minutes to ask the presenters questions.

To ensure they get the most out of the experience, presenters take part in a workshop prior to the event, to learn how to bring their work to life through stories, and communicate their organisation’s impact in a short, compelling pitch. 

After the Q&A sessions, the presenters leave the room and the audience is led through a fun, auction-style pledging session.

They’re encouraged to pledge donations, time, or pro bono support to the four charities. 

‘Matched funding’ is a frequent and often hilarious feature of the pledging sessions, whereby one donor will pledge funds on the condition that it is matched by another pledger (or pledgers) in the room.

At the end of the pledging session, the presenters re-enter the room, and they’re told how much has been raised for their respective causes.

Twelve months after the event, each organisation provides a short report on the impact of the funds raised which is sent to all donors.

Want to find out more about what happens at a live crowdfunding event? Read this.
You can also watch some live pitches on TFN’s YouTube page.

Who attends the events?

The events are open to anyone, but the audience usually comprises of philanthropists, socially minded individuals and businesses.

How much do the events cost?

Virtual events are free to attend. Face-to-face events cost £20 for non TFN members.

Why crowdfunding?

TFN believes that giving should be fun, well informed and engaging.

Live crowdfunding offers people a unique opportunity to pool their time and resources to support small charities driving change, and to meet the inspiring individuals behind those organisations.

In the words of the charity itself, ‘live crowdfunding is about gathering people who are different from each other so that our increasingly siloed lives do not diminish our collective capacity for empathy.

It is our aim to drive social change so that we have healthier, fairer, and more sustainable communities.’

Want to apply for funding?

To apply for support, charities must be sponsored by a TFN member.

If you don’t know any TFN members, you can ask someone in your charity to become a member, with a view to sponsoring your organisation. It can be a trustee, volunteer, or a supporter, as long as it’s somebody who’s not in paid employment.

Individual membership costs £150 per year.

You can find out more about becoming a member here.

Once nominated, charities are invited to apply to pitch for £10,000.

The eligibility criteria, assessment and application process is outlined here.

To see TFN in action, watch this short film or visit their website: thefundingnetwork.org.uk.

Need a pitch-perfect fundraiser to wow the TFN crowd? We can help. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the conversation started.

Five ways supporters can donate cash without spending a penny

We’re living in challenging times. As a result of the sharp increase in the cost of food, fuel, and other essentials, driven by soaring energy costs and the highest inflation in 40 years, everyone is feeling the pinch.

For charities, running costs and demand for services are increasing, but income is falling as people have less to give.

Research by StepChange suggests that 60% of donors have cut back on charitable giving in the last 6 months as families struggle with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

That’s the bad news.

The good news? Donors can continue to support you without spending a penny.

Here are five initiatives to promote in your next newsletter.

Nectar Donate

In 2020, Crowdfunder and Nectar teamed up to launch Nectar Donate, an initiative that enables people to donate their Nectar points to a charity of their choice.

The setup is quick and easy. All donors need to do is set up a Crowdfunder account, link their Nectar account to it, and decide how many points to donate.

Points can be donated in increments of 200, with a maximum of 1 million per donation.

To give you an idea, 500 points are worth £2.50.

Nectar card points can be collected at hundreds of outlets including Sainsbury's, Argos, eBay, VUE, Asos, Sky, and British Airways. So this is an easy way for donors to accumulate points, and give for free. Oh, and 100% of every donation goes to charity.

Sign your charity up to benefit here.

Giveacar

Giveacar is a not-for-profit social enterprise that turns people’s vehicles into cash for charity.

The organisation collects unwanted cars, vans, and motorbikes for free. They then either sell them at auction or scrap them, and donate the proceeds (minus a service fee) to the donor’s chosen charity.

Giveacar’s salvage partners deconstruct older polluting vehicles and sell the parts separately, maximising their value for charity.

The British Heart Foundation has received £72,000 through the scheme, so it’s well worth ‘driving’ support from your donors.

Sign your charity up to benefit here.

Charitable Travel

Charitable Travel is a not-for-profit social enterprise travel agency that enables customers to donate a portion of the cost of their holiday to a charity of their choice.

To qualify, customers must donate 5% of the cost of their holiday to a charity of their choice (the charity must be registered on JustGiving and the donation made through the platform). Once the donation has been made, Charitable Travel will discount the cost of their holiday by 5%, effectively making the donation free.

The organisation offers everything from beach getaways to safaris, both in the UK and abroad.

Sign your charity up to benefit here.

eBay for Charity

eBay for Charity is a free and easy way for ebayers to support causes they care about.

All they have to do is tick the “donate a portion to charity” box when listing an item and choose a cause to support (they can donate between 10-100%)

Once the item has sold, eBay collects donations via PayPal Giving Fund, claims Gift Aid (if eligible), and passes 100% of the money on to the charity. They then allocate a fee credit equal to the percentage they donate to the seller’s eBay account.

Charity listings are distinguished by the blue and yellow eBay for Charity ribbon.

There are 22 million active eBayers in the UK, selling everything from electronics to cars, so this is a no-brainer.

Sign your charity up to benefit here.

Movement for Good Awards

The Benefact Group is an international family of specialist financial services companies that donate over £1million to good causes each year.

The Movement for Good Awards is their annual programme of giving.

It functions like a lottery: members of the public nominate charities to receive £1,000 award via an online form and the charities are entered into a draw.

Winners are drawn at random at various points during the year.

The organisation also picks ten charities to receive £5,000 in each draw.

Details of these are announced on their social media channels.

Bonus Tip: This year, the Group will be awarding grants of £10,000 and more. To be considered for a larger grant, register your interest here.

Need a fundraiser to manage these fundraising initiatives? We’ve got plenty waiting in the wings. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to get the conversation started.

The benefits of a diverse fundraising team

Diversity isn’t a new concept. The UK introduced the Race Relations Act in 1968 and the Equalities Act in 2010.

But the charity sector has only started embracing it in the last decade.

This is largely due to the influence of social justice movements like #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, and Time’s Up.

Campaigns like these have exposed the inequalities that exist in society, demanded accountability, and fuelled a drive for change.

As a result, equality, inclusion, and diversity (DEI) have been put firmly under the spotlight.

What is diversity?

Diversity refers to the characteristics, experiences, and other distinctions that make one person different from another. It encompasses everything, from our cognitive skills and personality traits to the things that shape our identity, including race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and cultural background.

Workplace diversity refers to the intentional practice of building a heterogeneous workforce by hiring and promoting people with different characteristics, from a wide range of backgrounds.

Diversity in the third sector

While the charity sector has stepped up efforts to address the diversity gap in recent years, there’s still work to be done. This is evident from a report by NCVO.

Here are a few key takeaways:

• The charity sector workforce is mostly (90%) white. At 10%, ethnic diversity is lower than in both the public sector (14%) and private sector (13%).

• Women and older people are well-represented. Women make up two-thirds of the workforce. And one in four staff is aged 55 and above.

• Just over 1 in 5 (23%) of workers identify as disabled.

Why is a diverse fundraising team important?

It’s the right thing to do. But over and above this, diversity has tangible benefits:

1.      Greater understanding of beneficiaries and donors

51% of the UK population is female, 16 million people have a disability or long-term health condition, 24% are aged 60 and over, and nearly 18% are from an ethnic minority.

What does this tell us? Your stakeholders are diverse.

To fully understand the challenges beneficiaries face, and establish meaningful relationships with donors, fundraisers need to reflect that diversity.

2.      Increased creativity and innovation

Put a homogeneous group of people together to work on a fundraising campaign, and they’ll generate similar ideas.

As Kenroi Consulting explains, ‘a homogeneous group, by its very nature, is tied together by the similarity of its characteristics’, which limits the scope for creativity and innovative thinking.’

On the flip side, a team composed of people with different upbringings, values, and life experiences will bring fresh perspectives to the table.

As per this Media Frenzy Global article, ‘a unique blend of working styles and ideas allow for more successful brainstorms and insightful feedback. Team members can play off each other’s strengths, and each brings a unique set of skills to the table.’

3.      Better retention rates

Embracing a diverse workforce is about building a welcoming, accepting environment and providing equal opportunities for all.

Staff who feel accepted and valued are more likely to stay with their employer. In fact, a Gartner study found that employees at organisations with high levels of diversity are 20% more likely to stick around.

Increasing diversity

Those are just a few of the many reasons to get on board with diversity.

But how can you make your fundraising team more diverse?

Review your hiring practices

A diverse fundraising workforce requires an inclusive recruitment process.

Here are a few tips:

·        Make sure your job ads are inclusive

·        Add a diversity statement to recruitment materials highlighting your commitment to an inclusive work environment.

·        Remove unnecessary obstacles in the recruitment process to improve accessibility.

·        Review CVs blind to reduce unconscious bias.

·        Seek out qualified candidates from underrepresented backgrounds by advertising on platforms like Evenbreak.

·        Offer reasonable adjustments at interviews.

·        Make flexible working the default. It’ll open up opportunities to working parents, disabled people, carers, and international candidates.

Prioritise diversity training

Attracting diverse talent is only half the battle. The other half is retaining it. One of the unique challenges of building a diverse team is the potential for conflict.

As this article by Parris Consulting explains, ‘wherever diversity exists, be it a mix of cultures, generations, work styles or personalities, conflict has the potential to arise’.

Whether it’s due to cultural misunderstandings, unconscious bias, stereotyping, or communication barriers, conflict is not conducive to a happy, healthy workforce.

This is where diversity training comes in. An important part of the diversity puzzle, training is a sure-fire way to ensure employees:

• are aware of diversity issues in the workplace.

• appreciate the differences among co-workers.

• understand how unconscious bias can impact their interactions with colleagues and clients.

• are equipped with the skills to interact, collaborate, and work together effectively.

However, diversity training isn’t only essential for employees. Diversity starts at the top.

As Gusto says in a blog post, ‘fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requires the active commitment and support of senior leadership’.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion training will ensure your head honchos are:

• equipped with the tools and skills to manage diverse teams.

• able to prevent and resolve diversity-related conflicts.

• implementing best practices when it comes to hiring, managing performance, and providing equal learning opportunities.

• nurturing an environment where diverse talent can thrive and grow.

We can help you build a diverse fundraising team. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get the conversation started.

Grab your ticket for ‘I Wish I’d Thought of That’

Struggling to come up with fundraising campaign ideas for 2024? SOFII, the charity created by fundraisers for fundraisers, has got you covered.

Their annual fundraising conference, I Wish I’d Thought of That (IWITOT) is taking place on Thursday 9 November.

But this isn’t your bog-standard conference.

The fun, fast-paced event is a showcase of fundraising innovation and inspiration, with a twist.

The format

A series of guest speakers will take to the floor to talk about fundraising campaigns or concepts that have inspired them (and they wish they’d thought of themselves).  

The campaigns can come from anywhere in the world, and from any fundraising discipline, but speakers have just seven minutes to present their ideas.

There’s just one rule: The speakers can’t share anything from their own organisations.

Why? Because IWITOT is all about championing other people’s great ideas.

To quote SOFFII, ‘all egos are left at the door’.

Wondering how it plays out? Check out Jen Ruthe’s presentation from the 2020 conference, which took place online, due to COVID restrictions.

In her video presentation, the third-sector copywriter explains why she wishes she’d come up with the concept of charity shops.

She kicks off with a brief history of charity shops and how they came about. She then celebrates the vital contribution they make to UK giving highlighting the amazing work done by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) shops.

It’s an inspiring watch.

The 2023 line-up

There’ll be more of the same this year.

The 2023 line-up comprises of fundraising veterans and newbies, including:

Jeff Boachie, Head of Digital at Guy’s and St Thomas‘ Foundation

Lynda Harwood-Compton, Director at Latch Fundraising

Damian Chapman, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Charity for Civil Servants

Muna Hussen, UK Country Lead (Growth) at Raisely

Rebecca Broad, Partnership Development Manager at Teenage Cancer Trust

Michelle Benson, Founder at Culture of Philanthropy

Nina Oakes, Interim Director of Innovation at UNICEF UK

The speakers are carefully chosen by SOFFII and mentored by veteran fundraisers.

Where, when, and how?

The hybrid conference is taking place at Holborn Studios (North London), and online, from 2pm to 5pm.

The live stream will be hosted via Fundraising Everywhere+ and there’ll be a chat function available to enable virtual attendees to connect with the hosts, speakers, and fellow attendees.

After the main event, there’ll be a short drinks reception for in-person attendees, from 5pm to 6pm.

Can’t make it in-person or online on the day? You don’t have to miss out on the fun. A recording will be available for a month after the event, so grab your ticket and SOFFII will send you a link.

Sound good? You can buy tickets here. But if you want to attend in-person, be quick, as places are limited.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a fundraiser to implement your next campaign, we’ve got talent on tap. Call us on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.

How to unlock the hidden job market

Jobseekers, we’re going to let you into a secret: The job market is not what it seems.

Sure, plenty of fundraising jobs get posted on job boards and charity websites, but there’s a ‘hidden’ job market that’s rife with opportunities.

In this post, we’re going to explore what the hidden market is and tell you how you can tap into it.

What is the hidden job market?

As elusive as it sounds, the hidden job market isn’t an exclusive club you can only access if you have the right credentials. It’s a term used to describe vacancies that employers don't advertise publicly.

Believe it or not, According to My Job Search, 70% of jobs don’t make it online.

Instead, these roles are filled by internal candidates, via referrals, or recruitment agencies.   

Why ‘hide’ jobs?

‘Hiding’ jobs is counterintuitive, isn’t it? Surely charities want their jobs to be seen by as many people as possible?

Not necessarily.

Charities choose not to advertise their roles for various reasons. Some aren’t equipped to process the volume of applications generated by their ads; some don’t have the budget for glossy recruitment campaigns. And others may be looking to backfill positions of employees who are yet to leave.

Whatever the reason, there are loads of great fundraising jobs out there that you won’t find by trawling the job boards. If you don’t tap into the hidden market, you could miss out on your ideal role.

How can you crack the hidden job market?

Be proactive. Rather than sitting back and waiting for jobs to fall into your lap, get out there and find them.
Here are three ways to do it.

1. Send speculative applications

Got a hit list of charities you want to work for, but can’t see any job openings? Fire off some speculative applications.

A speculative application is essentially an unsolicited job application. It’s a way to introduce yourself to potential employees, sell your skills, and convince them they need you before a job comes up.

Considering many charities recruit on an ongoing basis, this is a savvy way to get a head start on the competition.

If you nail it, you might get snapped up. If not, you’ll be on their radar when a position matching your skillset crops up.

Want to give it a go? Find out how in this article.

2. Network 

According to writersblocklive, 85% of people get a job through some form of networking. If you want to be one of them it’s time to get schmoozing.

Here’s how.

LinkedIn

Reach out to your LinkedIn contacts. Let them know you’re on the market for a job. Explain what you’re looking for and ask them to introduce you to anyone who may be able to help.

Industry events

Charity sector conferences, seminars, and trade shows can be invaluable resources for finding new opportunities. You never know who you might run into or what connections they may have.

If you go down this route though, remember that networking is a two-way street. Before shooting off any emails, think about what you can offer others in return.

3. Partner with a recruitment agency

Some charities work exclusively with recruitment agencies, like Bamboo, to find high-quality candidates. If you partner with one, it’ll open the door to lots of opportunities.

Having a top-notch recruiter in your corner is like having your own personal advocate. Someone who’ll help you find the right role, vouch for you, help you prepare for interviews, and negotiate the salary.

The best bit? It won’t cost you a penny. What have you got to lose?

At Bamboo, we specialise in placing talented fundraisers in rewarding, world-changing roles. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to talk tactics.