ACEVO recommends: December 2024

ACEVO recommends is a monthly blog that curates noteworthy resources, content, and events pertinent to sector leaders.

Getting to grips with Bluesky

If you or your organisation is considering joining the social media platform Bluesky, CharityComms has published a helpful article. It explains what Bluesky is, how to master the basics, and how it may influence the future of social media.

The School for Social Entrepreneurs has opened applications to the Go! London Match. Trade. Grow programme

Funded by the Go! London Partnership and delivered by the School for Social Entrepreneurs, Match. Trade. Grow will support not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises aiming to engage young people through physical activity and sport, particularly those from underserved communities. Match. Trade. Grow is designed to help organisations build financial resilience through trading activities while investing in youth sports. This might mean generating income through direct sports-related activities, such as contracts with schools or local authorities, or through unrelated ventures like catering or merchandise, with profits used to support youth sports initiatives

On offer is a Match Trading grant of up to £25,000 combined with learning support worth over £11,000. This includes eight days of learning and study visits tailored to the group’s specific needs. Expert witness sessions and peer group ‘action learning’ will help participants gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to expand their trading activity and develop their leadership capacity.

Further details on the website. The deadline to apply is 1pm Tuesday 14 January 2025.

COP29 outcomes report

The 29th annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) sought to accelerate global efforts to address climate change, with a particular focus on climate finance for developing countries. Read CAFA’s report, which unpacks the outcomes from COP and the key takeaways for industry bodies and associations.

Applications are open for the annual Weston Charity Awards

Transformational support packages are available for up to 22 ambitious front-line charities specialising in environment, community, welfare, or youth support. The Awards are a collaboration between the Garfield Weston Foundation and charity partner Pilotlight. Award winners receive a package of support which includes unrestricted grants of £6,500 to help develop a sustainability plan and accelerate growth, plus free access to the Pilotlight 360 programme – an eight-month package of charity leadership coaching worth an estimated £16,000.

The Weston Charity Awards application deadline is 5pm on Wednesday 8 January 2025.  To find out more and apply, visit the website.

Equity, diversity and inclusion for chairs and boards

‘It starts from the top’ is written by people with lived experience and packed with practical tips from chairs, trustees, and charity leaders.

The Association of Chairs’ EDI survey in September 2024 revealed that many chairs and boards don’t feel equipped or confident to focus on EDI. While around half of respondents said they felt “enthusiastic” and “motivated” about EDI, only 29% said they felt “confident”. 15% of respondents said they felt “unsure”, 11% felt “worried”, 9% felt “out of date” and 5% felt “fearful”.

The guide acknowledges the challenges and provides practical actionable steps that any non-profit, no matter how big or small, can take.

Financial leadership for small charities

In this set of reflections, the Association of Chairs invites chairs of the board to explore four leadership responsibilities through the lens of financial governance. It also invites chairs to consider a fifth, to explore their role in supporting themselves and fellow trustees in building financial confidence.

Benchmarking salaries and the value of comms

CharityComms and Agenda Consulting are benchmarking salaries and aspects of workplace culture to see how charity communicators feel valued in the sector. Share your views and help the sector better support marketing and comms professionals.

Low wellbeing in the UK: tackling the crisis

New report by Pro Bono Economics highlights the 3.2 million adults in the UK living below the “wellbeing poverty line,” defined by a life satisfaction score of 4 out of 10 or lower. It also outlines the necessary steps to address this growing issue. Despite the UK’s economic wealth, wellbeing levels are declining. The report reveals that there are 780,000 more adults experiencing low wellbeing in 2023 compared to 2018. Read the report.

The challenges of charity banking

The Civil Society Group has launched a joint report on the challenges and barriers charities face with banking. The report – Charity Banking Challenges 2024 – reveals that nearly all respondents (92%) have experienced at least one difficulty related to banking in the past two years.

The report points to a variety of problems that charitable organisations face, despite ongoing efforts by the banking and charity sectors to improve banking services. The results indicate a systemic issue that requires urgent attention.

1,899 representatives – mainly trustees and volunteers from small to medium-sized charities – took part in a survey launched by the Civil Society Group in March 2024.

Charity Commission updates guidance on cybercrime and fraud prevention

The Charity Commission has updated its guidance on cybercrime to make it more simplified and concise, the regulator has said. A smaller fraud prevention guide has also been published which has restructured the regulator’s past advice and put it all in one place.

Youth workforce survey

The National Youth Agency (NYA) is the national body for youth work, and the Professional Statutory Regulatory Body for youth work in England. As part of its mission to champion youth work in its many forms, NYA is keen to understand the extent and breadth of the youth work workforce. The survey is open until the end of December.

Charity Governance Awards

For the past decade, the Charity Governance Awards aimed to celebrate trusteeship and inspire boards to better charity governance. For the tenth and final year, there are bigger cash prizes and other rewards for both winners and shortlisted charities. All charities registered in the UK are encouraged to enter, for free, before the deadline (12 February 2025).

Forces for good: CEOs re-imagine what charities, government, and businesses can achieve together

A series of essays from the CEOs of some of the UK’s largest and most influential charities, members of the Charity Reform Group hosted by SMK, has been publisghed. They sit alongside a new report –  Forces for good. Together, they set out a powerful new vision for the role charities could play, working in closer partnership with government and businesses. 

Working Families benchmark report 2024

The report highlights key trends and insights on flexible working, family-friendly culture, gender equality, and wellbeing practices among leading employers. It also showcases how progressive workplace policies benefit employees and organisations alike, supporting productivity, family wellbeing, and inclusive career growth.