Message From The Small Charities Coalition

The budget was a clear indication that times are going to be tough for a good while yet with little to raise the spirits of charities. Many charities are predicting that next year will be when the impact of the recession really bites and small charities are less likely to be able to put in place measures to deal with falls in income. We will all need to be creative about ways of making our money go further.

The Small Charities Coalition helps small charities do just that. With over 160,000 charities registered in England and Wales and 139,915 having incomes of less than £500k* there are bound to be dozens or even hundreds of small charities within your constituency who could benefit (*Source: Charity Commission, Dec 2009).

The Small Charities Coalition helps small charities get access to the advice and guidance they need - sometimes even training - free of charge, and without cooking the books!

A small charity is matched with an individual supporter that has the skills to mentor or coach the charity through a specific problem or a longer term issue such as organisational development or generating sustainable income. This supporter will either come from a fellow small charity or larger organisation. Small charities and supporters can also tap into the Coalition’s ever growing network at events and keep up to date with regular emails and newsletters. All that we ask in return is that charities be prepared to share their own skills and experience with their fellow small charities.

The Small Charities Coalition operates nationally and currently has 450 small charity members and 100 Supporters from charities such as Cancer Research UK, Beatbullying, Oxfam, British Red Cross and Anthony Nolan Trust. The more organisations that join, the more diverse and rich resources we have to draw on to help small charities.

Mathew Gilbert, Development Director at the Woodford Foundation and a Small Charities Coalition member said:
"I volunteer because small charities resources are usually limited, but what they have to offer is a wealth of expertise and experience. Sometimes we think that because we are small we cannot achieve change without a large investment in time or money, but as a collective we can network and cross fertilise, which may save us time and money, but will also help to build stronger bonds that might help us in the future."

So help us to help small charities in your constituency by telling them about the Small Charities Coalition and by displaying our poster wherever you can.

For more information please contact me on 020 7391 4812 or email at info@smallcharities.org.uk.