Lessons learned during pandemic could help sector grow back stronger
Melanie May | 23 March 2021 | News
One year on from UK lockdown, a report suggests the lessons learned could help the sector become more innovative, responsive and fit for purpose.
Commissioned by the charity and non-profit specialist legal firm Bates Wells, ‘Positive Change: The outcomes of an unprecedented year’ looks at the pressures faced by the charity sector during pandemic, the solutions they have put in place to cope, and the opportunities for them to ‘build back better’.
The report acknowledges that many voluntary organisations have suffered from the fall out of Covid-19, while demand for their services has been greater than ever, but also reflects the sector’s resilience in the face of these challenges, highlighting how it is building back better based on sector research and interviews with charity leaders and commentators.
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The report notes the success of digital fundraising during the pandemic, highlighting how, when social distancing put a halt on car washes and jumble sales, The Scout Association had to find a new way to help 500 of its hardest hit groups. Its #RaceRoundTheWorld was a virtual trip around the globe, raising over £350,000 through sponsorship and direct donations. Earlier in the year, the #HikeToTheMoon raised £700,000 through online sponsorship for a real hike of one mile or more.
Commenting in the report, digital consultant Zoe Amar says:
“It really shows that if you can come up with a really compelling digital fundraising proposition that speaks to your community, then people are still going to donate even in very cash-strapped times.”
The report also draws attention to how the George Floyd’s death in the US in May 2020 set off a summer of protests around the world, building on the Black Lives Matter movement and calling for an end to widespread and institutional racism, and how in the UK, this gave further impetus to the Charity So White campaign.
Asif Afridi, Deputy Chief Executive at Birmingham based equality charity brap, sees charities using external tensions around race to look at their own behaviour and comments:
“There’s been a greater interest in exploring anti-racism, and how to respond to it both within organisations and outside.”
2020 was also the year that much of the workforce moved from the meeting room to the Zoom room. For many charities, the report says, this was a steep learning curve, but virtual meetings are now core to the working day and to the work of the board. Meanwhile, some charities are giving up part or all of their rented space or divesting of property as more and more employees stay at home.
Trustees faced a challenging 2020 too with challenging decisions such as layoffs, dipping into reserves, mergers or more collaborative working. The report notes here that boards that have gone through risk assessment and scenario planning are better equipped to support their organisations.
The top five lessons to learn from the report:
- Financial resilience: Diversifying income is both a challenge and an opportunity for the sector. Charities need to assess their assets, explore new income generation options and review ways of working with local and central government.
- Diversity and inclusion: The sector lags behind others in its diversity work. Encouraging inclusive participation and recruiting a diversity of trustees are part of the journey.
- Digital strategy: The pandemic has highlighted decades of underinvestment. If you don’t know your Twitch from your Tiltify, find someone who does.
- Online working: A virtual and fragmented workforce demands that charities put more time and effort into communication with their employees.
- Partnerships and collaboration: Joint working and partnership have become the default way of working for the sector. Collaboration has supported the deployment of millions of volunteers and has enabled charities to be agile in responding to changing community needs.
As the Covid-19 vaccination programme continues to roll out and the sector starts to get its head above water, the hope, Bates Wells says, is that it’s not back to business as usual but building back better.
Thea Longley, Head of Charity & Social Enterprise Department at Bates Wells, said:
“It feels as if the future will inevitably be different, and we need to be thoughtful about how we move forward. Although funding is likely to remain tough, there are still things to be positive about and we look forward to seeing the sector starting its journey to recovery.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.