Lime Green Consulting HQ has now relocated from London to Bristol, which is the inspiration for this blog. If you're based in Bristol or the South West, we'd absolutely love to hear from you. We're also continuing to work with organisations in London and across the country. This week, after months of planning, my partner Sally and I finally took the plunge and moved to Bristol. Like many people, we were looking to buy our first house but facing the reality of London house prices. We knew that saying goodbye to North London after ten years would mean more space and a better quality of life. However, uprooting not just our home but our social lives and my growing business has been challenging and, at times, daunting. Moving house is stressful at the best of times, especially when you’re relocating to a new city. On top of the usual challenges, we’ve got two very anxious young cats and unwittingly scheduled our move at the same time as a prolonged heatwave! Unpacking boxes and painting walls as the thermometer hit 31 degrees wasn’t a pleasant experience – especially when we had to keep doors and windows closed to prevent our cats making a break for freedom. Even the local Tesco (our one local supermarket) couldn’t cope with the heat as their fridges broke down - so not only did we run out of basic supplies, we couldn't even celebrate with a calming alcoholic drink either. So how can you ensure 'business as usual' when you're surrounded by mayhem? Plenty of small businesses - including charities - face the same challenge during a major upheaval such as office move, a change of leadership, or even a key staff member facing something big in their personal lives. Having now (just about) survived the move, I wanted to share a few tips on ensuring continuity during these stressful times, including some I've learned the hard way: 1. Be realistic about your time Like me, I'm sure you're guilty of sometimes stretching the definition of a 'working day' in order to achieve as much as possible. But when you've got something major going on outside of work, protecting your time is more important than ever. For our big move, I was determined to do something I'm usually pretty bad at - take enough time off to do everything else properly. When you're planning things weeks in advance, it's easy to fall into the trap of wishful thinking: "I'm sure things won't be that bad when it's time to move - after all, how much more difficult could one extra meeting / deadline / piece of work make things? I tried to avoid falling into this trap by carefully scheduling client work weeks and even months in advance, consciously preserving a full five days off. At the time this felt like way longer than I'd need, but I've been grateful for every minute of it. As a result, I've been able to unpack things properly, deal with the inevitable teething problems of a new home, and explore the local area a bit. I'm writing this blog in a sunny garden on my final afternoon off, rather than in the evening after rushing a piece of work that I wish I hadn't taken on. To protect my time, I've had to be firm with myself and others, but that's much better than promising the world and disappointing people later. 2. Keep your focus When life is pulling you in multiple directions, you don't just lack time, but quality time to reflect and think. So it's essential to decide your priorities in advance, and remain focused on them. A few weeks before the move, I wrote a list of all the priority tasks we needed to accomplish in June and July at all costs. So when I was able to briefly open my laptop between unpacking and painting, I already knew what I needed to focus on. No need for creative thinking! Keeping your focus involves difficult decisions - I was recently asked to speak at a really interesting event in Bristol which would've been a first opportunity to meet some local organisations, but I reluctantly had to turn it down because it clashed with our move and I had clear priorities already. Last year, we worked with a social enterprise whose founding CEO was leaving after 10 years. They had an overall direction, but their staff were anxious about preserving their focus and values during the upheaval. We helped them to evaluate their position and develop a one-page list of crystal clear 'interim' priorities, which gave them so much reassurance during the handover period. 3. Think positive and give yourself something to look forward to Moving to Bristol has involved a lot of disruption and we've also had to say goodbye to a lot of people and places, which is never easy. I've tried to keep positive by focusing on all the things I'm gaining in return, including a garden (unheard of in London!) and a spacious home office after years of working out of a tiny flat in London. Designing this office - including buying new furniture and painting the walls (lime green of course!) - has been a little treat that has made everything else seem more bearable. Reminding your staff (and beneficiaries) about the positives of a big transition can reduce anxiety and maximise productivity. Every big change brings opportunity as well as uncertainty, even when it's unplanned. I love this story about Ben Medansky, who used a devastating fire in his studio to launch a new range of ceramics and find the time to reflect on and rejuvenate his business.
4. Count on others 'Business as usual' is only possible when things run smoothly. This means working closely with colleagues, but also not being afraid to ask for help from everyone else in your life. Sally and I have had to work as a team to overcome the challenges of our own move. When we exchanged contracts on our house, I was in the midst of an intense month of work, so Sally took on the unenviable task of endless dealings with solicitors and mortgage brokers. In return, I've taken extra time off work for the move itself, so Sally could get back to some urgent work more quickly. We've had help from so many people including our brilliant friends Sam and Jess, who even let our removal men into the house when we took a wrong turn on the motorway and arrived an hour late! 5. Have a bit of patience While our initial move went smoothly, it wasn't long before we encountered problems - a washing machine that didn't work, a fuse that keeps tripping, and a particularly long afternoon in Ikea. When we initially made it to Bristol and started unpacking quickly, I felt that the worst part was behind us and everything was working out perfectly. So when things started going wrong, I struggled to stay patient and deal with it. Any big move or transition period involves ups and downs. Paradoxically, ensuring business continuity involves accepting that nothing will go completely to plan, and that disruption will linger for longer than you'd like. This helps you to stay calm and keep things ticking along in the meantime. Getting frustrated rarely does any good, so it's better to take a deep breath and just get on with it. If you've recently survived a big transition period in your work and have your own tips, or if you're based in the South West and would like to find out more about what we do, please come say hi.
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This time of year is an unwanted wake-up call for millions of people. You remember the feeling. Six weeks ago, the long summer holiday felt like it could almost last forever. Suddenly, the lazy summer days were all but over and you faced the looming prospect of going back to school. Digging out your uniform to check whether it still fits. The trauma of setting the early morning alarm clock again. Fighting with other family members for ten precious minutes in the bathroom. Across the UK, kids and parents are gearing up for this annual struggle. We’ve thought of a few things that fundraisers could learn from them: 1. Summer is over – so make the most of it The end of the summer holiday always feels deflating. Memories of ice creams in the park, summer camps and days at the beach are suddenly cruel as you face the prospect of lessons, airless classrooms and homework. But all good things have to come to an end. And there are things to look forward to. Seeing your friends and again and sharing your holiday stories. Playing for the football team again. Not having to keep finding new things to do to stave off the boredom (admit it). Many charities enjoy a golden period, with a supportive multi-year funder bringing rare financial security or a big annual event that keeps delivering. Planning ahead for the harsh wake-up call is crucial. Come to terms with the fact that the money will dry up – maybe sooner than expected – and embrace the opportunities that come with this. Make sure you’re developing other sources of income and building relationships with new funders before it’s too late. 2. Stock up your pencil case Coloured pens. Calculator. Compass. There’s something exciting about rocking up on the first day of term with a shiny new set of everything, even if you know it won’t last a week. For fundraisers, there are various vital things that you need in your metaphorical pencil case. A case for support. Regular content for the website, newsletter and social media. A ‘shopping list’ articulating what different donation amounts will buy. You could be a great fundraiser, full of creative ideas and great at talking to donors, but you won’t get far without these things. As you come back from your summer break, spare a moment to take a step back and consider whether you’ve got everything you need to do your job properly. If you’re missing a key piece of the jigsaw, have an honest conversation internally about why it’s so important for fundraising, and how it’s holding you back. 3. It’s time for a new pair of trousers
Nothing marked the end of the summer quite like trudging to the school uniform shop. Nobody really likes school uniform, but we have to keep buying it because kids don’t stop growing. Charities sometimes outgrow their clothes too. Many smaller charities embark on a new fundraising strategy where one person is responsible for trying a few activities. Some don’t work, but a few things start showing promise at the same time. Suddenly it takes much longer to support twice as many volunteers, or process three times as many event enquiries. What used to take 20% of your week now has you staying late two nights a week. The processes initially set up are now inadequate. Cue fundraiser burnout. This can sneak up on you, particularly if your staff don’t feel confident about raising problems or if you’re not monitoring their work. It’s important to embrace the challenges of growth and realise when it’s time for new pair of trousers, before you’re bursting at the seams. 4. Get organised before the chaos begins If your family home was anything like mine, the end of summer marks the onset of bedlam. Angry banging on the bathroom door. Squabbling at the breakfast table. A lost book bag and a misplaced shoe. Car horns and traffic jams. It’s like everybody has forgotten everything they ever knew about working together in six short weeks. Most people come back to work after a holiday with good intentions. They’ve had a chance to gain some perspective and make a list of everything they want to achieve, but this can quickly fall away when the emails and calls start coming in. It takes having a routine and being organised to prepare for chaos. For sowing name labels into shirts, read putting all your funder re-application dates clearly into your calendar. For writing your lesson timetable, read planning your calendar of supporter emails and social media updates. Get organised ahead of time, because it won’t take long until the chaos arrives! 5. Success depends on having the right environment My parents always struck a good balance with me. They encouraged me to get my homework done in good time, but they weren’t overbearing and they let me make my own mistakes. They praised me when I got good marks, but punished me if I came home with a detention slip. This helped create the right environment for me to do well at school but grow up at the same time. Plenty of great fundraisers fail because the right support isn’t in place. It’s essential for charities to create the right culture for fundraising:
Working in the charity sector can be extremely demanding, with little time to stop and think. Holidays are a rare and vital opportunity to recharge your batteries and gain some much-needed perspective. If you’re lucky enough to have a holiday any time soon, please make the most of it! Check out our top tips on taking a step back. You don't need us to tell you that charities are having a tough time of it.
It seems a long time ago that the tragic death of Olive Cooke was first reported. Rightly or wrongly, this was quickly linked with charities and triggered unprecedented scrutiny and criticism of fundraising methods, particularly towards vulnerable supporters. As a result, we've all had to face difficult questions, many of them justified. Sir Stuart Etherington led a review of fundraising regulation in consultation with the UK's 50 largest charities based on fundraising income. This decision to only seek the views of the largest charities has been heavily criticised. The changing public perception of charities and potential new regulation will undoubtedly affect us all, and small charities have their own views and challenges. To maintain a healthy sector, it's vital that everybody's voice is heard. Fortunately, the Small Charities Coalition and the Institute of Fundraising have given every small charity the opportunity to complete a 10-minute survey to share their views, and will be holding an open forum on fundraising regulation on 4 February. We can't emphasise enough how important it is to make your voice heard. Fundraising reform will be fairer and more effective if it's done with smaller charities in mind too. The survey closes on Friday (15 January) so please take a look before then. This blog was first published on Eventbrite on 1 June 2015. Last month I took a few days off to visit my parents in their new home in North Wales. I’d recommend the Llyn Peninsula to anybody who needs a change of scenery. It’s beautiful and invigorating – cycling along country roads with a panoramic sea view couldn’t feel any further removed from life as a fundraising consultant in London. Taking a step back is important because working in the charity sector can be extremely demanding, especially with organisations under pressure to reduce costs and maximise income. Creativity and enterprise can be replaced by fatigue. So holidays are a crucial opportunity to recharge your batteries and gain some much-needed perspective. One holiday to France in late 2013 changed my whole career. I’d just completed my fifth year at Link Community Development managing a busy fundraising portfolio with ever-decreasing resources. In hindsight, I was drained and no longer enjoying my role. I’d recently broken my ankle so had plenty of time sitting by the pool. I reflected on what I’d liked about Link in the first place – the challenge of running a major fundraising event early in my career, the space to inspire a young team and be innovative. I realised that changing circumstances had gradually eroded my job satisfaction, and wondered how I could regain that and use my expertise in a different way. During the early morning drive back to the airport, I realised just how little I wanted to go back. My heart wasn’t in it and it wouldn’t have been right to carry on – so two days later I handed in my notice and resolved to become a fundraising consultant for small charities. Lime Green Consulting was the result. Keeping a healthy level of perspective about your own career – both in and out of the office – definitely helps you to perform better in the long run. Here are eight ways of achieving this: 1. Make sure that a holiday is a real break These days it’s harder than ever to switch off, with smartphones meaning that our emails are never far away. During a particularly stressful client project in February, I finally decided to switch my email notifications off on a weekend away – and I’ve never had them on at the weekend since! Time off gives you crucial distance from your desk and sometimes creative ideas start swarming around as a result. You can embrace this without becoming sucked in. I know many people who scribble down ideas on a pad of paper if they come during the night or on holiday, then go back to relaxing knowing that they can pick up on them later. 2. Take a step back to appreciate what you’ve done well... I’ve met many fundraisers and Trustees who clearly feel guilty and frustrated. Guilty because they’re not able to do more with their limited time, and frustrated at not being able to turn ideas into action. It’s understandable but it doesn’t do you any good. Taking a step back provides an opportunity to celebrate your successes and appreciate the progress you have made in often challenging circumstances. This inevitably boosts your confidence and inspires you to find ways of building on that success in future. 3. ...but also learn from your mistakes It’s important to accept when you have got things wrong and analyse how to improve your approach next time. This is hard to do when you’re wrapped up in the day-to-day realities of your role. Looking back, there have been times when I’ve been overly defensive or naive about my work when problems arose. While there are often extenuating circumstances or several people responsible, you can still learn lessons yourself. Fundraising is about trial and error and innovation goes hand in hand with a risk of failure. Accept this challenge, as long as you can learn from your mistakes. 4. Value your professional development One of my biggest mistakes at Link was becoming fixated with short-term problems. I was obsessed with the performance of my fundraising events and dismissed some great training opportunities because I was short on time and couldn’t see the short-term benefit. I just didn’t allow myself to prioritise my own long-term development. While you must of course be focused on your day job, you also need to put yourself first sometimes and embrace opportunities to become a more rounded professional. Investing time in making yourself more employable for the future is so important – and your employer should value that too. 5. Broaden your world by meeting new people A busy job can make you become insular, so you believe that all the solutions can be found within your own office. If you work at a smaller charity, you may not have many close colleagues to help you, but there will be people at other organisations in a very similar position. I can’t stress enough how worthwhile it is to meet like-minded people – whether it’s just to share experiences or ask specific advice. Fundraisers are generally a friendly and supportive bunch, so the right networking events are a great use of your time. I’d particularly recommend the London Young Charity Professionals events. 6. Learn from others online
Similarly, there is so much information online that saves you having to learn from your own mistakes! I regularly use a number of LinkedIn groups (including those run by the Institute of Fundraising and UK Fundraising) both to monitor general discussions and find answers to a specific question. 7. Don’t be afraid to ask for help I’ve been lucky enough to receive some great support from both formal and informal mentors. I think more people should try to seek out somebody who could help to develop and inspire their career. Also think about how you could help others, which is always a hugely rewarding and educational experience. Alex Swallow’s podcast about mentoring is a great introduction to this. It’s also important to seek help closer to home when you need it. Overworked fundraisers sometimes fall into the trap of working ever-increasing hours as a way of demonstrating that they need extra support. Burning yourself out is never the right way to prove a point – it’s always better to proactively state your case to management. 8. Remember why you’re there The longer you work somewhere, the easier it becomes to lose sight of the fact that, whatever your challenges, your work is making a genuine difference to lives. Taking the time to remind yourself of what it means to work in the charity sector can really help in the difficult moments. Alex Swallow also made an important point recently about caring for the cause rather than the charity. As fundraising becomes ever more professionalised and competitive, I’ve seen people lose perspective about the greater good, viewing other organisations only as competitors and threats. Sometimes we need to work together more for the benefit of our end beneficiaries. I hope that you all get to have a refreshing and reflective summer holiday – make sure you find some time to look after number one! I've done a few slightly silly things for charity over the years that have had me questioning my common sense. I’ve tackled numerous running and cycling challenges that I was wholly unprepared for and even hitch-hiked to a whole different continent. But it was another challenge that really took the biscuit – or three to be precise. In April I took part in Live Below The Line, which challenges participants to live on just £1 per day for five days. I didn't give this much thought before signing up and it was much harder than I expected – turns out that surviving on 800 calories per day and constantly thinking ahead to your next meal isn't a great approach when you’re trying to establish a new business. The stories I shared across the week paint a picture of my increasingly desperate mental state. I lamented a microwave accident that saw my meagre portion of porridge oats boil over and debated eating the remains off the turntable. I rejoiced the arrival of ‘treat day’ which brought three mini sausages in my half a can of baked beans – hello protein! I was deliriously proud of my decision to buy a 25p packet of ASDA Smart Price bourbons, giving me three precious biscuits to enjoy each day. Those humble little biscuits became the centre of my world – I don’t think I’ve ever been as creative as I was when trying to justify reasons for deserving a mouthful of their chocolatey, sugary goodness. This sanity-sapping challenge had a serious side of course – there are millions of people for whom hunger and surviving on even less than £1 per day is a constant reality. That's why I participated in Live Below The Line in the first place. I raised over £500 for AbleChildAfrica, a charity working with and for disabled children in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. I joined them as a Trustee earlier this year, and it was great to play an active role in supporting their fantastic work. This week the charity sector is celebrating Trustees’ Week. This is a great chance to celebrate the vital role that Trustees play in helping our charities. It also helps to raise awareness that anybody can be a Trustee and that it is a richly rewarding way of making a difference. I’ve only been a Trustee for a few months so there will be people better placed than me to talk about the amazing work that so many people do as Trustees. However, I've witnessed first hand what a difference this can make for a charity. AbleChildAfrica has a Board of around 15 very talented and hugely committed Trustees. They are divided into sub-committees which provide expert advice in specialist areas like finance, fundraising and programmes. This is a larger Board than many other small charities have which poses a few challenges. Lines of communication need to be managed carefully and responsibilities set so that everybody has a significant role to play. However, it works very well and is an incredible resource for the charity. Last Friday, AbleChildAfrica held their annual Gala Dinner in London and it was a roaring, record-breaking success. The fundraising total will top an incredible £37,000 and the event has raised so much awareness for the work AbleChildAfrica does. It is impossible the overstate the difference that this makes for a small charity. Trustees were instrumental in planning the event, sourcing auction prizes and selling tickets to their personal contacts. Why did I become a charity Trustee? I think there were three main reasons: 1. I knew that I had the skills and experience to really help a charity and I believe that everybody should consider taking the opportunity to help where possible. As a fundraising consultant with very specialist expertise, this was especially true for me. 2. It’s a great way to meet interesting and inspiring people and spend time with them in both a professional and social context. AbleChildAfrica Trustees give up several Saturdays a year for meetings – but the atmosphere in these meetings is so positive that they are something we genuinely all look forward to. 3. Being a Trustee gives me an excellent understanding of how charities operate ‘behind the scenes’ and how Trustees choose to evaluate opportunities, invest in fundraising and manage risk. This is invaluable to my day-to-day role and makes me a better consultant. Not enough people know that charities desperately need more Trustees and that young people are especially under-represented as Trustees. There are an estimated 180,000-260,000 charities in England and Wales, with almost 50% having at least one vacancy on their Board. Young people form 12% of the adult population yet make up only 0.5% of Trustees. These facts alone may make many people stop and think about becoming a Trustee. Like many others, before taking the plunge I wasn't certain whether I could contribute what was needed. I knew that my expertise meant that I could make a big difference on a strategic level, but I wasn't in a position to offer much direct financial support. There's a perception that Trustees need to have deep pockets and that making regular donations to your charity is a requirement. Being a Trustee does involve making a personal commitment to a charity and you should definitely pick a cause that you are willing to actively support. However, you can also do this in other ways - such as the fundraising I did by participating in Live Below The Line. I know there is more that I can do personally as a Trustee. Sadly I wasn't able to attend this year's AbleChildAfrica Gala Dinner so my role in the success of the event was small. I'd like to put that right in 2015 and also use my professional expertise to help the charity continue improving the way it communicates with supporters and raises donations. However, you don’t have to be a charity expert or specialist to help. Charities are always on the lookout for sharp strategic brains and people who can represent and understand their supporter base. This is especially important given the rise of social media and digital marketing as tools for fundraising and awareness-raising.
I was lucky enough to be helped and inspired by a couple of people when thinking about becoming a Trustee. Alex Swallow, who founded Young Charity Trustees, is always a source of great inspiration and his podcast about becoming a Trustee is well worth a listen. Sam Ma’ayan, who specialises in Trustee recruitment, also gave me some invaluable advice about the AbleChildAfrica role. I’m proud to be a Trustee and have really enjoyed the experience so far, so I want to use Trustees’ Week as an opportunity to tell my personal story and encourage others to consider becoming a Trustee too. Please check out http://trusteesweek.blogspot.co.uk for more info about becoming a Trustee and http://ablechildafrica.org/ to find out about AbleChildAfrica. You can also #nominateatrustee on Twitter if you know somebody whom you think would make a great charity Trustee. |
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