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The FSI is excited to launch our next set of 90 minute webinars.

These webinars have limited space as they include short activities and interaction with the trainer along with opportunities for Q&A throughout the session. Our aim is to improve our member’s knowledge, skills and confidence, so from the comfort of your desk you can receive an overview on the following fundraising and governance subjects:

Thursday, 5th July

  • Strategy & Business Planning
  • Develop Your Fundraising Strategy 
  • Demonstrating Your Impact

Wednesday, 11th July

  • Fundraising from Trusts & Foundations
  • Developing Corporate Relationships
  • Developing Your Case for Support

Tuesday, 17th July

  • Supporting & Managing Volunteers 
  • Major Donor Fundraising 
  • Community & Events Fundraising

Click here to Book now

Venue: Your desk!
Cost: £5, full details on our deposit policy available on our website.

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International Friendship Day (Monday 30th July)

The International Day of Friendship exists to  encourage everyone to make friends with more people and to develop strong ties of trust. We can all contribute to the fundamental shifts that are urgently needed to achieve lasting stability.

So why not make your community a little more stable by getting together and celebrating each other’s company?

Click Here to get more information.

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Hiring a person with Autism Day (Wednesday 18th July)

Autism Writing

Autism is far more common that most people realise. In the UK today, a little more than 1 out of every 100 people are on the autistic spectrum. Individuals with autism can have exceptional talents and can prove themselves to be invaluable assets to any business, but still there remains a stigma attached to bringing autism into the workplace. But a recent Labour Force survey estimated that only 15% of adults with autism are in full-time employment.

Click Here to find out more information.

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World Youth Skills Day (Sunday 15th July)

Skills for All Logo

Young people are almost three times more likely to be unemployed than adults and continuously exposed to lower quality of jobs, greater labour market inequalities, and longer and more insecure school-towork transitions.

That is why education and training are key determinants of success in the labour market. But surveys show that a large number of youth have low levels of achievement in basic literacy and numeracy.

Click Here to find out more information.

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Learning Disability Week (19th – 25th June)

2018 Learning Disability Week - Logo

This year’s Learning Disability Week will be all about health – with a big focus on the Treat me well campaign. Around 8 in 10 working age people with a learning disability have one that’s mild or moderate, but fewer than 2 in 10 are in employment.

The treatment people with a learning disability get in hospital results in 1200 people dying avoidably in hospital each year.

To sign up or find out more, click here.

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It’s Day 1 of Small Charity Week – I ♥ Small Charities Day!

Small Charity Week Banner

So join the # Competition to win £££
Yes, it’s finally here! Small Charity Week 2018 has begun! Kicking off with our #ILoveSmall Charities competition, you could win up to £450 for your small and local charity or community group simply by asking your supporters to say why they love you.

There are three ways to enter (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram), all of which will help raise the profile of your organisation and give you the opportunity to win the cash prize. Winners are the charities with the most messages of support on each social media platform.

Prizes
#ILoveSmallCharities Twitter competition – winning small charity gets a £150 donation
#ILoveSmallCharities Facebook competition – winning small charity gets a £150 donation
#ILoveSmallCharities Instagram competition – winning small charity gets a £150 donation

How to enter:
Ask your supporters to take a photo of themselves holding up a poster (downloaded from our website) that reads:
“I love (your charities name) because (why you love them)”.
Or they can take a video of themselves with the poster, shouting out loud about why they love your charity.
Then simply post it to either Twitter, Instagram or the Small Charity Week Facebook page (or all three).

How you win:
The charity which manages to get the most individual messages of support on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook from June 18th -23rd June will receive a donation of £150.

Visit our website for details on how your supporters should enter their messages, poster templates, supporting materials and the full rules.

Click here for details on how to enter

Check out the I ♥ Small Charities Day Blog click on the logo at the top of this page to read a great blog on Online visibility: where do you start?

 

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Nominations Open For 2019 Awards

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in their own communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of The Queen’s coronation.

Any group doing volunteer work that provides a social, economic or environmental service to the local community can be nominated. Each group is assessed on the benefit it brings to the local community and its standing within that community. Take a look at the guidance notes for further conditions and general information. Unfortunately, you can’t nominate yourselves.

Nominations should be submitted by midnight on 14 September 2018 for the 2019 awards.

Click Here to read more and submit a nomination

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DSC recent Publications

There is funding available out there to support your cause. If your role involves improving the prospects of others, you’ll know that getting the right information makes a huge difference. To help you get the best outcomes for those you serve, we’ve put together the resources you need to help you get it.

This guide offers the information you need to seek a share of over £5 billion – the annual total awarded by the 2,000 funders featured in this edition. With data sourced directly from grant-making charities, each with the potential to give at least £40,000 per year, no charity – big or small – should be without it.

This is the key information source for fundraisers, with which you can save time on finding funding prospects, target the grant-makers most relevant to your charity and discover funders you might not have known existed.

‘The Directory of Grant Making Trusts is an invaluable source of quality data connecting fundraisers with foundations. By providing such data, the directory saves fundraisers and grant-makers alike an enormous amount of time, effort and, ultimately, precious resources.’ Carol Mack, Chief Executive, ACF

Click on the image to go to the DSC website for more info and to get your copy
The Guide to UK Company Giving 2017/18

Every year UK companies contribute to society by supporting their communities and voluntary organisations. To improve your chances of benefiting, you need to know which companies give, why they do it, what their criteria are, and how to ask in the right way.

This guide not only provides a detailed insight into more than 400 companies and their giving strategies, but also advises on how to identify those most likely to support your organisation. Their combined contribution in cash donations and a diverse range of in-kind support amount to over £420 million.

‘Before you start typing a target name into your search engine, pick up this book; clear and reliable information in and accessible format that will save you hours in web searches an help you make relevant approaches for corporate support.’ Victoria Copeland, Corporate Relationships Manager, Blind Veterans UK

Click on the image to go to the DSC website for more info and to get your copy
The Guide to Educational Grants 2018/19 contains over 1,100 sources of non-statutory financial help for people in education, offering a total of around £55 million each year to the people you work with. It details who is eligible to receive grants, how to apply, different types of grants that are given, key information on what kind of projects are funded and the total amount of funding available.

If you work with students to advise them on money available to fund educational opportunities – whether school students, undergraduates or adult education – this guide is your one-stop-source for up-to-date information.

‘More than ever, we are humbled by the generosity and hard work of charities that support so many students in need. This guide is invaluable. Not only is it a comprehensive guide to sources of support available, it is testament to society’s commitment to access to education which changes people’s lives every day.’ Shakira Martin, NUS President

Click on the image to go to the DSC website for more information and to get your copy
The Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need 2018/19 is a comprehensive, up-to-date and easy-to-navigate guide which will simplify the often difficult task of finding the most appropriate support for your clients by outlining the eligibility criteria, amounts available and how to apply.

The 16th edition of The Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need, containing over 200 new grant-makers, is the only publication to provide a comprehensive listing of all sources of non-statutory funding available for individuals in the UK.

Click on the image to go to the DSC website for more information and to get your copy

 Grants for Individuals in Need image
Raising Funds For Your School. This comprehensive manual is designed to help you and your school raise your game and maximise your fundraising returns regardless of your previous past.

At a time of severe cutbacks with schools facing a crisis in funding, this book will help you to develop alternative and additional income streams and to harness wide-ranging support.

Click on the image to go to the DSC website for more information and to get your copy
Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook 2018/2019

The definitive guide to all benefits and tax credits is an essential resource for all professional advisers serious about giving the best and most accurate advice to their clients.

This book is an essential resource for welfare rights advisers, lawyers, local authority staff, social workers, union officials and claimants.

Click on the image to go to the DSC website for more information and to get your copy
The Complete Volunteer Management Handbook is an invaluable source for any organisation that has or is thinking about setting up a volunteer programme.

What’s inside?

  • 592 pages of invaluable advice and guidance for volunteer managers
  • Information on recruitment, supervision and management of volunteers
  • Chapters on risk management, measuring effectiveness of your volunteer programme and enhancing its status

Click on the image to go to the DSC website for more information and to get your copy
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Bluebird Care Hammersmith & Fulham is giving away £250!

Bluebird Care Logo

A Hammersmith and Fulham care provider has re-opened its Community Grant scheme – a sum of money that could benefit any local group in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham working with older people or those living with a disability.

Bluebird Care opened its office almost five years ago in the local area, and ever since has been working hard to support other organisations across the district.

Soheila Amin, Managing Director, said:

“As well as providing care & companionship services to people living in their own homes, Bluebird Care is passionate about supporting community projects and initiatives.

 

So many neighbourhoods thrive because of volunteers who work tirelessly to run community groups, host events and provide services that benefit others. Much of this work involves supporting older people who, without regular coffee mornings, day-trips or lunch clubs, would be left isolated at home.”

The care provider is making available £250 to a community group or initiative that works with older people within the Borough. The group that can best demonstrate a need for additional support will be allocated the funds.

Bluebird Care is a local provider of care in the home. They specialise in working with customers who suffer from dementia, physical and learning disabilities, and work alongside their families, Social Services, GPs and Clinical Commissioning Groups to ensure each person receives the care they need.

Nathan Hartley is coordinating the scheme on behalf of Bluebird Care. He says support will be offered to the successful applicant to ensure older people get the most from their Community Grant:

“The Bluebird Care Community Grant will also come with support and advice. We want to work with a local project that gives older people an opportunity to try something new and that will add benefit to their lives.

Examples of the type of projects we are looking for could include gardening, leisure, recreational or musical activities.”

Last year, Bluebird Care Hammersmith & Fulham awarded £250 to the Masbro Elders Project in Hammersmith, which works with older people to tackle loneliness and isolation (photo attached)

For more details, and to receive an application form, email hartleypr@hotmail.co.uk .

Deadline is 26th June.

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Small Charity Week 2018 – Information

Small Charity Week Banner

Small Charity Week (18th – 23rd June) is the biggest event in the small charity calendar providing free initiatives, competitions and support over six days for charities or local community organisation with an annual turnover under £1.5 million. Events include:

I Love Small Charities Day: Three social media competitions to win funds for your charity.

Big Advice Day: Free advice on any charity topic of your choosing from experts across the sector and business leaders.

Policy Day: Local and national events will be held to support engagement between small charities and policymakers and influencers.

Fundraising Day: Take part in free competitions and initiatives to raise vital funds for your small charity and join events to improve your knowledge on fundraising topics.

Small Charity Big Impact Day: Showcase your small charity and the fantastic impact it makes by applying for the FSI’s Small Charity Big Impact Awards.

Celebration Day: Get involved and run an event to help raise awareness of and celebrate your amazing work.

We are calling on all small charities to get involved and engage with the activities available. Check the website now as some deadlines are fast approaching. See www.smallcharityweek.com for more information and follow @SCWeek2018 for breaking news.

 

Fundraising Conference: Heavily Subsidised Fundraising Conference in London

The Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) are hosting their annual heavily subsidised fundraising conference for small charities in London on 21st June (open to charities with a turnover up to £1.5 million).

The conference features experts in a range of different topics, including fundraising guru Adrian Sargeant in addition to the following line up:

  • Building Donor Loyalty – Professor Adrian Sargeant, University of Plymouth
  • Making Major Gifts Work in a Small Charity, Christine Harris, London School of Economics
  • Building Strategic Corporate Partnerships, Brendan Hanlon, Just a Drop
  • Online Fundraising – Theory into Practice, Rachel Earnshaw, The Big Give and Suzie Rees, East African Playgrounds
  • Future Proofing your Fundraising – Maximising Millennials, Morgan Kainth, Raise your Hands
  • Meet the Donor – A panel of Trust and Foundations

Places fill up fast, so book your place today to access this fantastic opportunity: https://bit.ly/2rSxv9J

 


Big Advice Day 2018: Free Expert Advice for Small Charities

Part of Small Charity Week, Big Advice Day 2018 involves a national London event and various regional events across the country where small and local charities and community groups (those with a turnover up to £1.5 million) can access free expert 1:1 advice on a variety of topics.

Have a question or an issue you need help with? Just sign yourself up for an advice clinic and you will be given an hour of dedicated time from an expert in that area. Advice is open in every charity related field including:

  • Fundraising – every fundraising topic available from digital to legacies
  • Marketing
  • GDPR
  • PR
  • HR
  • Law
  • Governance
  • Policy
  • IT
  • Finance

Places fill up fast, so book your place today to access this fantastic opportunity: https://bit.ly/1ihBhCK

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