# Why charities are like rugby teams

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2011/08/02/why-charities-are-rugby-teams/
- Published: 2011-08-02T17:05:05+01:00
- Author: Kevin Baughen

**Watching the international match between [South Africa’s Springboks](http://www.sarugby.net)
and the [New Zealand All Blacks](http://www.allblacks.com) this week, it struck 
me just how many similarities there are between charities and rugby teams. **

I’ll avoid the obvious comparison between boisterous team meetings and a scrum but
here are a few observations that I think we could learn from.  What do you think?
I’m stating the completely obvious but neither rugby nor being an effective charity
is an individual sport. 

The best single player is wasted if their team mates aren’t getting the ball to 
them.  The effectiveness of an award-wining fundraising director can easily be hampered
by demotivated staff who don’t deliver to their potential.

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Building on this idea, the whole is generally greater than the sum of the parts 
for both types of organisation.  As a rugby fan, I know there are great players 
in New Zealand but the All Blacks as a brand is bigger than any of their individual
players.  What it means to play for or support the All Blacks to each individual
player is what motivates them to give more than the average effort – to really push
themselves when everything hurts and their lungs are burning.  Charities like the
RNLI and perhaps Help for Heroes in time, have brands (and associated values) which
are more powerful than any individual within the organisation in driving action 
from their supporters.

That said, an inspirational and visionary leader can make a huge difference to the
team’s performance.  England players during the Martin Johnson era were often quoted
as wanting to give that bit extra effort for Johnson simply because he gave everything
and therefore led by example.  Does your organisation have a leader like that?  
Chances are that if you’re successful, you probably do.

On a negative point, there’s still an unsavoury element of punching, with people
taking ‘cheap-shots’ at their on-field opponents rather than competing and behaving
respectfully.  I’ve been in plenty of organisations and meetings where I’ve seen
the same personality traits on display but in a political or power-play context.
Enough said. If the environment encourages initiative alongside a sense of team 
purpose, competition for places can lead to the strongest performers really shining
and the team’s performance lifting accordingly.

Slick and effective teams have excellent internal communications.  There is opportunity
for all members to contribute ideas and check their understanding.  That said, they
also know when to challenge and when to take direction from recognised leaders and
acknowledge that getting ‘caught up in committee’ does not always help deliver timely
action.

There is a constant pressure on rugby teams and on charities to ensure that money
is spent where it’s needed.  Contrary to public opinion, a huge amount of money 
is invested in rugby’s grass roots rather than to pay top level players and executives(
many of whom work for free, just like Trustees).  And we know that so many charities
spend every penny possible from the funds they raise on supporting their causes.
The public perhaps needs to be better informed on both counts.

My last and favourite similarity is simple resilience.  Pretty much every charity
exists because of a problem that isn’t going away over night.  That means charity
people have to stay motivated even when faced with the toughest of circumstances
and the most seemingly insurmountable odds.   Just ask the [Welsh club Llanelli that famously beat the All Blacks](http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/celtic/2380369.stm)
in 1972 what that feels like!

 

 * **[Veteran landmine campaigner appointed CEO for Find a Better Way](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/05/23/veteran-landmine-campaigner-appointed-ceo-find-better-way/)**(
   23 May 2016)
 * **[Andrew Day joins Gifted Philanthropy as chief executive](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/12/07/andrew-day-joins-gifted-philanthropy-chief-executive/)**(
   7 December 2016)
 * **[Charity chief executives appointed ambassadors of non-profit staff reward initiative](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/02/20/charity-chief-executives-appointed-ambassadors-non-profit-staff-reward-initiative/)**(
   20 February 2017)