A colleague has asked me to pose a question to businesses large and small.....
Do you know what role a mentor fulfils? Specifically would you consider using a marketing mentor to improve your organisational and personal business performance? Perhaps an expert who would come in each month to work with the MD/Chief Exec to progress strategic plans or perhaps work with an inexperienced marketing team to get them working more effectively?
Would their membership of the Chartered Institute of Marketing be important to you? Do you understand what membership means?
Any thoughts would be welcome including the price you would pay for such a service?
Monday, 24 May 2010
Friday, 21 May 2010
CEO's working together
It can be a lonely place being a CEO. That is why I’m writing this blog and have set up the South East Charity Forum ( See my article of the 13th May ). The SECF meetings are proving to be an excellent support network as well as brains trust. At the last meeting on the 18th the discussions around the recession and collaborative working where both informative and inspiring. I for one am delighted to see CEO openly sharing their expertise and concerns. SECF is a great example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. As the SECF grows I’m convinced we will be able to speak as one voice for charities in the region. That is a powerful incentive to be involved.
Thursday, 20 May 2010
Numbers
With all this talk about our deficit and debut it is difficult to get your head around the vastness of the figures. From what I understand, people don't really understand exactly what a million is compared to a billion. Our brains just aren't wired to think in numbers that large. A million sounds a lot but how much can you visualise the difference between that and a billion? Well a million seconds equate to 12 days and a billion seconds equals 31 years!
Checking my maths;
60x60x24*12 = 1,036,800
Taking into consideration that a year would be 365.25 days because of leap years.
86400*365.25*31 = 978,285,600
(almost a billion. Rounding up is fine)
A billion is 1,000 times bigger than a million, but this doesn't impact our minds as much as we like to think it does. We still don't understand even what a million really is. To us it’s just a word. It’s not a number like 5, for instance, that we can visualise. We can hold our hand up with 5 fingers and count them, but try peaking at a crowd of a million people and accurately guessing how many are there!
However, the 12 days to 31 years really illustrates the difference for me. I’m prepared for some hard times ahead if we are to recover from our countries debt. A happy little thought for the end of a week!
60x60x24*12 = 1,036,800
Taking into consideration that a year would be 365.25 days because of leap years.
86400*365.25*31 = 978,285,600
(almost a billion. Rounding up is fine)
A billion is 1,000 times bigger than a million, but this doesn't impact our minds as much as we like to think it does. We still don't understand even what a million really is. To us it’s just a word. It’s not a number like 5, for instance, that we can visualise. We can hold our hand up with 5 fingers and count them, but try peaking at a crowd of a million people and accurately guessing how many are there!
However, the 12 days to 31 years really illustrates the difference for me. I’m prepared for some hard times ahead if we are to recover from our countries debt. A happy little thought for the end of a week!
Thursday, 13 May 2010
South East Charity Forum
“The South East Charity Forum is all about CEOs coming together to assist each other and to share knowledge, experience and best practice with a view to developing stronger leadership and management in the region and the sector,” according to Margaret Craton, partner at asb law. “It also provides an opportunity for them to network with other charity heads, and support their peers at a local level.”
We held the inaugural meeting in January when Debra Allcock Tyler, chief executive of the Directory of Social Change and author of ‘It’s tough at the top’( which is also the tile of a course I run at the DSC ), gave a stimulating presentation to 25 chief executives on the issues currently facing the sector. Feedback from the delegates after the meeting was positive with comments such as “an excellent start”, “interesting and informative meeting” and “a good range of charities represented”.
David Montgomery, partner at Kingston Smith LLP, said: “The feedback from the first event proved its value. The members of the forum will decide on the subjects to be discussed in the future, and there’s no shortage of ideas. The next event will give charity chiefs the opportunity to discuss ways to ride out the current economic situation and prepare for the upturn when it does come, for while the recession may be officially over, we’re not out of the woods just yet.”
Membership of the South East Charity Forum is open to chief executives of charities in the region with an income in excess of £500,000 and by invitation only. In order to ensure diversity I have set up the forum to have a revolving chair. Diana Greenman of Music in Hospitals will chair the second event on 18th May at St Catherine’s Hospice, Crawley. The main discussion theme will be ‘The recession – how to ride the storm and use the opportunity to leverage change’
Sunday, 9 May 2010
Election Comment
Following on from the election and my last blog with the manifesto for small charites it would seem on the face of it a hung parliament could have some positive outcomes for small charities. All three of the main parties have promised to improve things for small charities in one way or another. We hope that the parties who finally form the government work constructively together to achieve what is best for the sector. We would hope that working together to achieve consensus and compromise will result in a more rigorous approach that addresses the real concerns of small charities and will not result in delays and confusion.
Monday, 12 April 2010
SMALL CHARITIES COALITION - Manifesto
As a board member of the SCC I thought you'd like to read and hopefully comment on our top recommendations for the 2010 general election
Introduction
The Small Charities Coalition exists to help small charities access the skills, experience and resources they need to achieve their aims.
We know from our own experience that many small charities suffer from a chronic lack of resources, skills and expertise, despite having an abundance of passion and commitment. The Small Charities Coalition is like a voluntary sector matchmaking service, matching small charities with other organisations that have the skills, experience, and in some cases resources, that the small charity lacks.
The Small Charities Coalition is about helping small charities to help themselves, and enable them to have access to the considerable expertise of their larger counterparts in the charitable sector or those from other sectors.
Our services include:
• Matchmaking small charities with other organisations to increase resources or improve knowledge and skills;
• Providing support, guidance, encouragement, advice and information to small charities;
• Presenting personal and vocational development opportunities for individuals who volunteer to help small charities; and
• Offering a resource for small charities to get their voices heard within the media and Government.
Manifesto Recommendations
Advice and support
HM Revenue & Customs and the Charity Commission should develop a section on their websites specifically for small charities.
Our recent survey of small charities found that around a third of respondents believed that HMRC information on tax issues is too complex and technical to understand; and a third did not know what requirements do or do not apply to them. In addition, although many respondents found HMRC’s and the Charity Commission’s websites helpful, it was not always easy to locate the relevant information. Currently a lot of guidance is written with larger charities in mind. However, it is often the case that different rules apply to small charities. Furthermore, many smaller charities are run exclusively by volunteers without the funds to engage legal or accountancy professionals. We believe that HMRC and the Charity Commission should jointly create a specific online portal dedicated to small charities, including step by step guides written in plain English.
HM Revenue & Customs and the Charity Commission should retain and expand their telephone services.
The Small Charities Coalition welcomes online developments by the Charity Commission and HM Revenue & Customs. However, we also stress that many small charities do not have easy access to the internet and will face increasing difficulties if the internet becomes the preferred or sole channel of service delivery. We believe that HMRC and the Charity Commission should jointly create a bespoke telephone service for small charities, including tax, fundraising and other regulatory advice.
Deregulation of small charities
More charities should benefit from the lighter regulation enjoyed by ‘small charity’ status.
At the moment there are around 100,000 ‘small charities’ with a gross annual income of less than £10,000 who benefit from less onerous reporting requirements. In particular:
(a) small charities are not required to complete an Annual Return (although they must inform the Charity Commission if any changes to the charity’s details, including income and expenditure.
(b) if the charity’s income does not exceed £25,000, the trustees are not required to file their Trustees’ Annual Report (although they must complete it and make it available); and
(c) small charities can prepare ‘receipts and payments’ accounts (rather than more complex accrual accounts) and these need not be audited.
We believe that these thresholds should be raised so that more charities benefit from lighter regulation. It would also be beneficial for small charities to ensure that the monitoring thresholds are co-ordinated and aligned across the UK jurisdictions.
Public consultations should consider the regulatory impact on small charities
In recognition of the role of small charities within the Third Sector, public consultations should consider the impact of any proposal on small charities and not just larger ones. After all, continuing change has a disproportionate impact upon smaller charities.
VAT
Simplify the rules; The current VAT rules for charities are extremely complex and reform is long overdue.
Encourage collaboration by exempting shared services. Currently, charities which charge each other for shared services currently have to pay VAT. This often ends up costing more than simply working separately. We therefore support proposals to exempt this form of cost-sharing from VAT. This will encourage greater collaboration between charities.
Gift Aid
Simplify the Gift Aid rules
We support the simplification of rules for Gift Aid and the further promotion of its use. We also believe that an individual’s donation should be Gift Aided unless expressly stated. This would make a larger number of donations tax-efficient and increase charities’ income. These proposals are also supported by NCVO.
Extend the transitional relief
We propose to extend the transitional relief beyond the current end date of April 2011. This is in the hope the end of transitional relief will coincide with the implementation of Gift Aid reforms. This proposal is also support by the Institute of Fundraising.
Trading
Raise the limit on the small charities’ trading exemption
We call on the Government to raise the small charities’ trading exemption from the current limit of £50,000 to £250,000. This would give charities greater flexibility and obviate the need to create a subsidiary. This proposal is also supported by the Charity Finance Directors’ Group.
Treat sponsorship and advertising the charity’s work as primary purpose trading
We support calls to treat as primary purpose trading (a) sponsorship where it is directly related to charitable purposes and (b) advertising that supports the charity’s charitable activities. Many charities give corporate donors recognition for their sponsorship of an activity or event. However, this can have adverse tax implications for the charity if appropriate arrangements are not put in place. In particular, if HMRC believes that the substance of the relationship involves the charity providing advertising services, its sponsorship income will be treated as trading income. If the level of sponsorship takes the charity over the threshold of the small charities’ trading exemption, the charity would need to divert the sponsorship income through a trading subsidiary. We believe that donations currently treated as taxable sponsorship should be reclassed as primary purpose trading so that charities are not forced needlessly to establish a trading company to receive them. This is cumbersome, expensive and serves no useful purpose. In the same way, advertising income should also be reclassed as primary purpose trading if it is revenue that supports the charity’s charitable activities. These proposals are also supported by the Charity Finance Directors’ Group
Recognising volunteering
We support NCVO’s proposals to formally recognise the importance of volunteering.
Introduce a bank holiday dedicated to volunteering.
We believe that a bank holiday dedicated to celebrating the voluntary sector and recognising its role in society would encourage greater participation and build community.
Give employees a right to take five days’ paid leave for voluntary work
We believe that employees should have a right to take additional paid leave for voluntary work. We believe this will particularly benefit smaller charities which foten do not have the resources to pay for staff.
Introduction
The Small Charities Coalition exists to help small charities access the skills, experience and resources they need to achieve their aims.
We know from our own experience that many small charities suffer from a chronic lack of resources, skills and expertise, despite having an abundance of passion and commitment. The Small Charities Coalition is like a voluntary sector matchmaking service, matching small charities with other organisations that have the skills, experience, and in some cases resources, that the small charity lacks.
The Small Charities Coalition is about helping small charities to help themselves, and enable them to have access to the considerable expertise of their larger counterparts in the charitable sector or those from other sectors.
Our services include:
• Matchmaking small charities with other organisations to increase resources or improve knowledge and skills;
• Providing support, guidance, encouragement, advice and information to small charities;
• Presenting personal and vocational development opportunities for individuals who volunteer to help small charities; and
• Offering a resource for small charities to get their voices heard within the media and Government.
Manifesto Recommendations
Advice and support
HM Revenue & Customs and the Charity Commission should develop a section on their websites specifically for small charities.
Our recent survey of small charities found that around a third of respondents believed that HMRC information on tax issues is too complex and technical to understand; and a third did not know what requirements do or do not apply to them. In addition, although many respondents found HMRC’s and the Charity Commission’s websites helpful, it was not always easy to locate the relevant information. Currently a lot of guidance is written with larger charities in mind. However, it is often the case that different rules apply to small charities. Furthermore, many smaller charities are run exclusively by volunteers without the funds to engage legal or accountancy professionals. We believe that HMRC and the Charity Commission should jointly create a specific online portal dedicated to small charities, including step by step guides written in plain English.
HM Revenue & Customs and the Charity Commission should retain and expand their telephone services.
The Small Charities Coalition welcomes online developments by the Charity Commission and HM Revenue & Customs. However, we also stress that many small charities do not have easy access to the internet and will face increasing difficulties if the internet becomes the preferred or sole channel of service delivery. We believe that HMRC and the Charity Commission should jointly create a bespoke telephone service for small charities, including tax, fundraising and other regulatory advice.
Deregulation of small charities
More charities should benefit from the lighter regulation enjoyed by ‘small charity’ status.
At the moment there are around 100,000 ‘small charities’ with a gross annual income of less than £10,000 who benefit from less onerous reporting requirements. In particular:
(a) small charities are not required to complete an Annual Return (although they must inform the Charity Commission if any changes to the charity’s details, including income and expenditure.
(b) if the charity’s income does not exceed £25,000, the trustees are not required to file their Trustees’ Annual Report (although they must complete it and make it available); and
(c) small charities can prepare ‘receipts and payments’ accounts (rather than more complex accrual accounts) and these need not be audited.
We believe that these thresholds should be raised so that more charities benefit from lighter regulation. It would also be beneficial for small charities to ensure that the monitoring thresholds are co-ordinated and aligned across the UK jurisdictions.
Public consultations should consider the regulatory impact on small charities
In recognition of the role of small charities within the Third Sector, public consultations should consider the impact of any proposal on small charities and not just larger ones. After all, continuing change has a disproportionate impact upon smaller charities.
VAT
Simplify the rules; The current VAT rules for charities are extremely complex and reform is long overdue.
Encourage collaboration by exempting shared services. Currently, charities which charge each other for shared services currently have to pay VAT. This often ends up costing more than simply working separately. We therefore support proposals to exempt this form of cost-sharing from VAT. This will encourage greater collaboration between charities.
Gift Aid
Simplify the Gift Aid rules
We support the simplification of rules for Gift Aid and the further promotion of its use. We also believe that an individual’s donation should be Gift Aided unless expressly stated. This would make a larger number of donations tax-efficient and increase charities’ income. These proposals are also supported by NCVO.
Extend the transitional relief
We propose to extend the transitional relief beyond the current end date of April 2011. This is in the hope the end of transitional relief will coincide with the implementation of Gift Aid reforms. This proposal is also support by the Institute of Fundraising.
Trading
Raise the limit on the small charities’ trading exemption
We call on the Government to raise the small charities’ trading exemption from the current limit of £50,000 to £250,000. This would give charities greater flexibility and obviate the need to create a subsidiary. This proposal is also supported by the Charity Finance Directors’ Group.
Treat sponsorship and advertising the charity’s work as primary purpose trading
We support calls to treat as primary purpose trading (a) sponsorship where it is directly related to charitable purposes and (b) advertising that supports the charity’s charitable activities. Many charities give corporate donors recognition for their sponsorship of an activity or event. However, this can have adverse tax implications for the charity if appropriate arrangements are not put in place. In particular, if HMRC believes that the substance of the relationship involves the charity providing advertising services, its sponsorship income will be treated as trading income. If the level of sponsorship takes the charity over the threshold of the small charities’ trading exemption, the charity would need to divert the sponsorship income through a trading subsidiary. We believe that donations currently treated as taxable sponsorship should be reclassed as primary purpose trading so that charities are not forced needlessly to establish a trading company to receive them. This is cumbersome, expensive and serves no useful purpose. In the same way, advertising income should also be reclassed as primary purpose trading if it is revenue that supports the charity’s charitable activities. These proposals are also supported by the Charity Finance Directors’ Group
Recognising volunteering
We support NCVO’s proposals to formally recognise the importance of volunteering.
Introduce a bank holiday dedicated to volunteering.
We believe that a bank holiday dedicated to celebrating the voluntary sector and recognising its role in society would encourage greater participation and build community.
Give employees a right to take five days’ paid leave for voluntary work
We believe that employees should have a right to take additional paid leave for voluntary work. We believe this will particularly benefit smaller charities which foten do not have the resources to pay for staff.
Friday, 2 April 2010
Easter Message
‘The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.’ John 10 verse 10
Spring time is my favourite time of the year! Having just endured one of the coldest winters in the UK for over 30 years, the blue skies and the spring sunshine are such a welcome sight, well they would have been if they had stayed! Our garden, like many, throughout winter looked so dark, dull and lifeless. But now with the onset of spring, it is exploding into new life with a beautiful array of colourful plants and fragrant flowers. Although I found myself mowing the lawn in the rain this morning!
At Easter we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ! God’s Son could not be contained in a cold dark tomb. Jesus rose again on the third day, conquering sin, Satan and death once and for all (as he promised he would), making it possible for you and me to celebrate the truth and power of Easter every day and to have the assurance of eternal life.
Spring time is my favourite time of the year! Having just endured one of the coldest winters in the UK for over 30 years, the blue skies and the spring sunshine are such a welcome sight, well they would have been if they had stayed! Our garden, like many, throughout winter looked so dark, dull and lifeless. But now with the onset of spring, it is exploding into new life with a beautiful array of colourful plants and fragrant flowers. Although I found myself mowing the lawn in the rain this morning!
At Easter we celebrate the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ! God’s Son could not be contained in a cold dark tomb. Jesus rose again on the third day, conquering sin, Satan and death once and for all (as he promised he would), making it possible for you and me to celebrate the truth and power of Easter every day and to have the assurance of eternal life.
‘We live and die; Christ died and lived!’ I can't remember which Theologian said this but it sums it up perfectly,
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