# Lessons learned during pandemic could help sector grow back stronger

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2021/03/23/lessons-learned-during-pandemic-could-help-sector-grow-back-stronger/
- Published: 2021-03-23T09:00:17+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**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](https://bateswells.co.uk/),
[_‘Positive Change: The outcomes of an unprecedented year’_ ](https://bateswells.co.uk/2021/03/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’.

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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.

 

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:

 1. 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.
 2. 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.
 3. Digital strategy: The pandemic has highlighted decades of underinvestment. If you
    don’t know your Twitch from your Tiltify, find someone who does.
 4. Online working: A virtual and fragmented workforce demands that charities put more
    time and effort into communication with their employees.
 5. 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.”