Online fundraising platform ActionFunder has launched today, with the aim of making it easier and quicker for firms to get funds to community grassroots activity.
ActionFunder is a virtual funding agent for community groups and small charities enabling them to pitch, just once, for consideration by many companies.
A four-month pilot phase has seen £500,000 committed by funders, with around 650 projects seeking support. So far, £200,000 has been distributed with an average grant size of around £2,500.
Key features of the platform include the ability for applicant organisations to pitch for funding by either recording a short video, or going through a quick online process. Grantees are also supported to deliver real-time project updates and an end of project impact report to funders through the platform.
ActionFunder’s matching functionality helps businesses find relevant projects that meet their giving preferences, with attributes including geography and cause areas mapped according to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. A shortlisted project can choose whether or not to accept the funds and, if more than one funder selects them, which one to accept them from.
The cross-industry group of businesses includes Sir Robert McAlpine, South West Water, Argent Related (the firm behind Brent Cross Town, King’s Cross and Birmingham’s Brindleyplace developments), and law firm RW Blears, as well as SMEs.
ActionFunder will draw upon an existing register of charitable organisations put together by Semble, the B Corp that is behind the platform, and is seeking to attract both more charities and community organisations around the country, and more businesses.
Semble has provided support to more than 3,500 community projects since it was founded in 2008, and is led by CEO Amanda Horton Mastin, a former director of Comic Relief.
Law firm RW Blears has committed £20,000 to projects supporting education and young people through ActionFunder.
In this episode we speak with Sebastian Hansen about the pros and cons of charities holding their own raffles or getting involved in existing raffles, and why raffles and gaming might be a great option for some charities to raise funds.
We also touch on the ethics, regulations, and challenges of holding raffles and lotteries and what charities should consider when doing so.
1. Considerations around digital raffles
Raffles have been with us for a long-time, but the digital revolution that we are still experiencing offers a new opportunity to charities wanting to raise funds in this way.
There are of course ethical considerations to be made over this, as with many forms of fundraising, and there are regulations that charities need to be aware of, as well as best practice. This makes online raffles and lotteries something of a challenge to charities, especially smaller ones who are unlikely to have the resource to hold a raffle big enough to justify the resource.
2. Why charities are using raffle companies?
This is where raffle companies come in very useful, ensuring regulations are met while also helping to bring in a return for charities, and as Sebastian explained, giving existing and new supporters a new form of giving.
For charities, especially small charities, that have very little resource, a third party who can help to keep the raffle or lottery compliant with legislation and best practice, while helping to engage with supporters, both old and new, through engaging marketing content is very useful.
Things to consider include the types of prizes that would be best work for your audience, and the online presence that the charity has in marketing the raffle or lottery too.
3) Problem gambling and worries around raffles and lotteries
Problem gambling is a problem in society, and it is understandable that some have misgivings and hesitations about any form of gambling. But, with a regulated and low level gaming option like a raffle, and the functionality of online raffles and lotteries to help limit ticket sales, and enforce maximum entries for players, many of these risks are mitigated.
Charities need to consider whether the pros of an online raffle or lottery proposition for their audience, or potential audience outweigh the risks. And if risks are identified, what is the tradeoff between these and being able to raise the funds the charity needs to do to continue supporting their cause.
If charities are going to examine their comfort level with holding a raffle or lottery, it makes sense that they also develop their ethical fundraising policy to include whether they will accept gifts derived from this type of fundraising, e.g. National Lottery, Postcode Community Trust, or a multitude of other game-changing funders.
Charities are being given free use of a social media content creation and management app, its developers have announced.
Justo Software has from this month waived fees for charities using its SocialSendr social media management app.
The move has been taken to help charities rebuild their finances post Covid-19 pandemic. Pro Bono Economics has estimated that during the last six months of 2020 the health crisis triggered a £6.4bn loss of income for charities.
“Since we launched SocialSendr to the small business community, we’ve received an overwhelming response, with hundreds of business owners reporting that the transformation has been immense,” said Justo Software founder Michelle Cowan.
“With charities struggling so much during the pandemic and needing our support now more than ever, we wanted to do something to help and providing SocialSendr free of charge made sense.
“We want them to have the same opportunities to promote themselves as the larger companies do and SocialSendr provides that.”
Community Grants for British Science Week 2022 are now open for applications!
Supported by UK Research and Innovation, Community Grants help eligible community groups to organise events and activities for their audiences during British Science Week (11-20 March 2022), expanding the number of people who enjoy and take part in science.
Please complete the Community Grant application form to apply for a grant. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Monday 8 November 2021, so be sure to complete your form in good time!
For British Science Week 2022, we’re offering grants of £500 and £1000 to community groups that work with people who are typically underrepresented in science, and which set out to deliver an event or activity that involves the local community, challenges science stereotypes and inspires ongoing science engagement. Why not take a look at our Community Grant case studies to discover how previous grant recipients used the funding for their own British Science Week projects?
Before submitting your form, be sure to consult the Community Grant guidelines to find all the information you need on how to apply, and whether your community group is eligible. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected]
Vulnerability Community Safety (VVCS) Grant fund information: As a partnership, our strategic goal is to reduce serious violence, the harm it causes, and to safeguard those at risk (relating to county lines, gangs and knife crime). We recognise that local organisations and groups are at the forefront of some amazing work that takes place to address these issues and we would like to support this work further as much as we can.
Our 2021-2023 VVCS grant round is for local *’not for profit’ voluntary or community clubs or organisations based in (and therefore delivering in) Essex, Southend and Thurrock only, and we are looking to fund projects that meet our stated aims and can run from January 2022- 31st March 2023.
Groups can apply for up to £20,000 to deliver support and interventions for children, young people, young adults and families (families must include children and young people, young person is defined as up to the age of 25) that have a positive impact on issues relating to crime and anti-social behaviour, violence and vulnerability. This may include early intervention work, gang & ‘county lines’, and child criminal exploitation projects.
We would be particularly interested in projects that can evidence they are meeting needs as highlighted by young people and local residents in our Listening Project 2020-2021.
You can read the full report here Some examples of need highlighted in the report are-
Increased mental health support for young people at risk of serious violence
Indoor/ outdoor safe spaces with affordable & inclusive activities for young people to socialise
Opportunities for young people to learn life skills, participate in community based or volunteering projects and undertake work experience
Work with young people and their families to raise awareness of youth violence
Projects that promote greater communication and positive engagement between the police, youth groups and schools
Targeted youth work aimed at those young people most at risk of exploitation
Support for victims of youth violence
All applications must demonstrate how their project enables children & young people to-
Make positive choices that keep them safe
Raise self-esteem and confidence
Build resilience
Improve emotional and physical health and mental wellbeing
Due diligence checks and panel decisions will happen after the closing date.
Applicants made aware of grant decisions: End of November 2021
Funds to be with groups Start of January 2022
This fund has the potential for groups to make a real and positive difference in the lives of children & young people in Essex at risk of serious violence and we are excited to be able to work with not for profit groups in local communities to see the positive impact that this will have on our young people.
*PLEASE NOTE THAT: Your organisation MUST have a recognised constitution and be a- not for profit voluntary or community club or organisation, a registered Charity, A not for profit company or community interest company or other social enterprise. company limited by guarantee, charitable incorporated organisation or Registered society.
Organisations across the world are realizing the benefits of prioritizing their people by creating safe and fulfilling work environments that nurture well-being. In a fast-evolving working world, the mental health and well-being of employees are key to both resilience and success. By focusing on embracing a culture of care, trust, and good mental health, we’re seeing a shift towards creating future-proof businesses that are supported by a happy and healthy workforce.
If you want to improve the well-being of your employees but are unsure of where to start, then ISO 45003 certification could help. The first of its kind, ISO 45003 certification shows recognition that organisations are serious about the psychological health, safety, and well-being of their people. Using practical advice, you can achieve certification to best practices and show a commitment to excellence in the care of your staff. Having your processes audited by an independent third party will instill confidence in not only your stakeholders but assure your employees that you’re prioritizing their individual well-being at a fundamental level. In short, certification helps to build trust both within and outside of your organisation.
Would you like to develop the skills to make a difference and create change in health and care? There’s great news – The School for Change Agents is returning on 15 November!
The School offers anyone who works in health and care, at whatever level and whether they are clinical or non-clinical, the opportunity to take their desire to see change happen and make it a reality.
There are five interactive sessions to complete on FutureLearn:
Change starts with me
Resourcefulness
Using power to make a difference
Using stories to create change
Making sense of complexity
School is free to join, and to take part in. All you need is an internet connection. The sessions are arranged into ‘bite-sized’ chunks so that you can complete them in your own time, and in your own way. You can take part on a computer, tablet or mobile device.
Each session includes a range of articles and videos that feature people like you talking about their own experiences of creating change.
The lively community of fellow learners on FutureLearn (as well as on Twitter, and in the Facebook group) means that you not only gain a wealth of useful knowledge, you can also build your networks and learn from each other as you reflect on how you can use the skills you’ve gained to take action.
It’s another opportunity for anyone who missed joining School in May this year – this is a re-run of the same sessions.
The annual fireworks spectacular at The Prince Of Wales pub in Stow Maries is one of the county’s top Bonfire Night events, and we’re working with the very generous organisers at the pub to offer 200 special Essex Volunteer Wristbands to those who have made a massive difference to people’s lives in Essex during the pandemic.
The wristband gets you free entry and a delicious burger, but you’ll need to act quickly to get yours.
Please complete this form accurately if you wish to receive a special free Essex Volunteer Wristband for the fireworks event at The Prince Of Wales in Stow Maries on Saturday 30th October 2021.
Open recruitment is closing the gap on board diversity but there is a disparity in outcomes for candidates. Janet analyses the findings from Reach’s new report.
Board diversity has been a hot topic for several years but it often feels like little progress has been made. Analysis of our data at Reach shows that there are grounds for optimism: there is a diverse pool of candidates and open recruitment is closing the gap. However, there is also a disparity in outcomes for candidates relating to age and ethnicity, showing that there is important work to do.
Reach Volunteering provides a free (to charities with a turnover of under £1m) trustee recruitment service, based on a supported self-service model. We have analysed the age, gender and ethnicity of applicants and appointees from 2017 through to 2020. It is a large data sample: 8,725 people making 15,398 applications, resulting in 3,169 trustee appointments.