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There is a real sense of excitement when you see donations being made to local groups, especially when you have the connection with them to know the impact those donations will have – whether that’s the ability to pay for new uniforms for staff, helping to pay the rent on their building or paying for a training programme. Our September Match-fund was particularly exciting for me because it was the first campaign I have been involved in since taking up the post of Localgiving Coordinator in Northern Ireland. For some groups, this was the first time they had ever fundraised online, while others were seasoned pros. In all cases, the enthusiasm was palpable. To those organisations hesitant about online fundraising, here are my top myth-busting pieces of advice: You don’t need masses of time to fundraise online We provide you with as many resources and all the support you need to get started.One thing we know for sure – groups do not need more work when they are already busy with service provision -doing what they do best! That’s why Localgiving try to make it as simple as possible for our members. St John Bosco Community Association told us that we made it “simple and easy” and there was no extra workload for them! That’s our aim! You don’t need your own specific campaign Although it can help improve your reach, we can work through ideas with you. One of the main benefits of the match fund opportunity is that it gives organisations and groups a ready-made campaign to connect in to and it changes the narrative of their fundraising asks. Some groups said they feel hesitant in asking their supporters for donations unless it was for a specific issue or project. We heard from An Droichead that the campaign helped them to focus on their financial capabilities and really motivated their staff and volunteers to get involved in the fundraising effort. You don’t need to be a big charity to benefit Some groups are solely volunteer led and most work within small communities. Northern Ireland Children’s Enterprise told us of their surprise at how easy it was for small organisations to get donations - ‘normally you associate online fundraising with big national charities but it was so well organised that small organisations like us were able to get involved’. You don’t need to be a techy whizz Whether you’re a digi-dynamo or tech-trainee, anyone can get involved with online fundraising. Localgiving work with groups with a wide spectrum of technological abilities. One of our aims is to increase confidence and capabilities among our members when it comes to using technology, digital media and our own website. This will increase the reach of your group and hopefully increase the amount of donations coming your way! Getting to know and understand the work you and other local groups across Northern Ireland are doing has been truly inspiring. I am excited about supporting you in future, particularly helping you improve your fundraising capabilities, enabling you to do what you do best, even better! Found this blog post useful? You may also like: Storytelling Tips for Charities by Becky Slack 5 free tools to share your organisation's story by Nisha Kotecha Get your charity’s voice heard by Duncan HatfieldDon’t save you Pitch for the Elevator by Emma Beeston Both images are courtesy of Northern Ireland Children's Enterprise4204 Posted by Sian O'Neill
Walking into the office of the Community Foundation of Northern Ireland in July 2015 was nerve wracking enough but made worse with the knowledge that this was no ordinary first day. After the usual flurry of names that come with the first day in any new job, I was being sent off to the airport and a flight to London to meet the staff in our London Localgiving HQ. From there, it feels like it has been a whirlwind ever since!
In my first week of working for Localgiving, the very first group that signed up was the Aisling Centre, a counselling charity in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. Supporters of the centre were engaging in a poignant and bittersweet fundraising campaign in memory of a young man from the town. I am not sure if it was because it was my first campaign to work on, or whether it was the passion and love behind the cause, but the name and memory of the young man will always be with me. It was very quickly apparent that this was a job like no other! The group has gone on to raise over £13,000 through Localgiving, which is fantastic!
I have relished getting out and meeting our groups, getting to know their work and figuring out how we can support them in their fundraising activities. No day was ever the same and no group had the same needs. I have loved it. From the community transport organisations helping elderly ladies get their weekly shopping done; children’s charities offering teenagers a safe space to find themselves; music and art centres who open their doors and make art accessible to all; women’s centres who literally save lives to sports groups who thrive at the centre of communities. Each one has been different and yet all facing the uncertainties that come with the vulnerable community and voluntary sector, especially here in Northern Ireland.
I discovered that although Northern Ireland has one of the most experienced and relied upon charitable sectors in the UK, many groups are heavily reliant on grants and aid from government bodies. This has posed a massive threat on a number of the organisations we worked with and unfortunately, a number were forced to close despite even the most valiant fundraising efforts. One of which was the Carrick Women’s Centre. I had been working alongside their volunteers for over a year and the work they engaged in was so vital and had such an impact that I even sent my mother down to them to volunteer as their reflexologist. I will always be so disappointed that they had to close their doors due to funding pressures.
In the middle of my time with Localgiving, some will know I went off and had a baby, a little boy called Alfie. The first Localgiving baby as far as I have been told. It meant that I came back and was able to see the work of some of our parenting organisation members like Parenting NI and Parent Action in a whole new light. During my maternity leave, I was replaced by another wonderful Coordinator, Nicola Hanna. Nicola was just as passionate about the groups we work with as I was and she brought a whole new dimension to the role.
In total the Localgiving project in Northern Ireland has helped so many organisations in the three years it has been piloted here. It has delivered dozens of training projects and hundreds of one-to-one help sessions.
We have encouraged and supported the marathon runners, the people who jump out of planes, skate round rinks for hours, climb stairs over and over, walk for miles, stay quiet all day and even the amazing lady who swam the channel between Africa and Europe!
I am forever grateful to our members who taught me so much about passion and commitment to a cause. I hope that those I have engaged with in my role have and will continue to see the benefit of the Localgiving platform. In my eyes, it is the only donations platform that has a heart for the work it’s raising money for.
Thankfully, this doesn’t mean that groups in Northern Ireland who are currently members of Localgiving or future members will not receive support, fundraising help and access to match funding campaigns. Support will be provided by our brilliant helpdesk staff who can be reached on 0300 111 2340 or by email help@localgiving.org.
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Localgiving ambassador, Bright Light Bright Light has announced that he will be supporting seven Localgiving groups during his tour of the UK in September. Welsh born electro-pop musician, Rod Thomas (AKA Bright Light Bright Light), known for his work with Elton John, Erasure and his stunning performance on the Graham Norton Show, has always been passionate about supporting small, local charities. As an independent artist, Rod feels a real affinity with grassroots organisations. He sees his tour as an excellent opportunity both to bring in funds and raise the profile of his chosen causes. As Rod explained: “The best thing about touring is engaging with local communities and the people who try to make a difference within them. I worked with Lewis Garland of Localgiving to find charities in each city on the tour so that I could raise awareness of their fantastic work and help them out with donation collections at each of the shows. These charities are working hard to address issues where they live and make a real difference, and I want to do everything I can to help them.” Rod has chosen one Localgiving member to support for each of his upcoming tour dates. 20th Leeds : RETAS 23rd Bristol : Borderlands 24th Cardiff: Pride Cymru 25th Manchester: The Proud Trust 27th Glasgow : Theatre Nemo 28th Birmingham : Aston Performing Arts Academy 29th London: Gendered Intelligence For each date, Rod handpicked Localgiving causes that were both close to the venue and close to his heart – these include LGBTQI+ groups, refugee focussed charities and arts organisations. There are two ways you can donate to his causes: Donate online by clicking on the charity name listed above (this will also give you the option of adding GiftAid). Remember to let us the group know you're a Bright Light Bright Light fan in the comments box! Make a cash donation at one of Bright Light Bright Light’s tour dates (Book tickets here) In the clip below Bright Light Bright Light explains why he feels supporting local charities is so important. Found this blog interesting? You may also enjoy: Shining a Bright Light on Local Charities Fight for the right of LGBTQI asylum seekersAug 16, 2018 0
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We are delighted to have distributed £92,000 in grant funding to 184 groups in the first round of our Magic Little Grants Fund 2019. This round has seen us support a wide range of local organisations across Great Britain including walking groups, wheelchair basketball teams, swimming clubs and many more! Our Magic Little Grants, funded by Postcode Community Trust, are open to local charities and community groups in Great Britain that support and inspire people to participate in sports or exercise. As well as receiving a £500 Magic Little Grant, successful organisations that are new to Localgiving will also be given a free annual membership with Localgiving worth £96. Applicants for Magic Little Grants must either be in their first year of operation or have an annual income under £250,000. Preference will be given to projects that encourage social cohesion and help vulnerable people to overcome barriers to participation in physical activities. The deadline for applications for Magic Little Grants 2019 is midnight on 30th November 2019. Find out more and apply HERE.May 29, 2019 0
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On 16th December, to coincide with Local Charities Day, we released our second annual Local Charity and Community Group Sustainability Report. Using data from a survey of 598 local charity representatives carried out of the summer, this report provides a fascinating insight into the state of the local voluntary sector as we approach 2017. The last year has seen a continued escalation in demand for the services of local charities. Coupled with ongoing volatility in the funding landscape, this has left many groups fearful for their long term survival. The report finds that: Just 46% of local charities are confident they will be able to sustain themselves over the next five years. 67% of groups were still predicting stagnation or a downturn in their financial position over the coming year. 78% of groups predict an increase in demand over the coming year, of these groups just 18% feel that they are sufficiently resourced to meet this demand. Reductions in staff numbers pose a serious problem, impacting on the continuity of services and affecting overall skill levels. 76% of respondents had seen a reduction of staff over the last year. 60% of respondents know of one or more local groups that have been forced to close in the last year. 77% of charities do not believe that they have the skills to run a successful fundraising campaign. Download the Full Report Here We conclude our report by laying out a number of recommendations for the coming year and beyond. We are particularly concerned about the urgent need to bring sustainable funding sources in the sector and to address the continued overreliance on under or unskilled staff. We hope that the results of this report will not only inform our own work over the coming year but also inspire other stakeholders in government, business and civil society to tackle the challenges facing the local voluntary sector.Dec 19, 2016 0
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