Over 300 Organisations and 466 Individuals engaged with programme of work, which included: Cost of Living workshops throughout Northern Ireland, GrantTracker subscriptions, Getting the most out of GrantTracker webinars, Fundraising Training and Clinics, and Bursaries for the ILM Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management.
Workshops
The first of seven workshops took place in NICVA at the end of March, followed by six regional workshops in partnership with local Networks in April, May and June 2023.
"Great outreach event, out in the west which is very timely, relevant, and giving energy to what we all need to do."
COSTA (Community Organisations of South Tyrone & Areas)
The purpose was to provide organisations with an opportunity to share the challenges they are facing, and to help us tailor our government influencing and practical support to the needs of the Sector.
As well as hosting the Belfast workshop, the NICVA Team worked in partnership with Fermanagh Trust in Enniskillen, Causeway Rural and Urban Network in Coleraine, Omagh Forum for Rural Associations in Omagh, ABC Network in Portadown, North West Community Network in Derry/Londonderry, and with South Tyrone Empowerment Programme (STEP) in Dungannon.
"A coming together of minds is important to face challenges head on."
Shopmobility, Enniskillen
These events were well supported, with exceptional engagement from the many wide-ranging organisations who attended, sharing their stories about the impact that the cost of living crisis is having on them. The NICVA Team particularly enjoyed working in partnership with the networks and plan to do more of this in the coming months.
"Good to hear that everyone is in the same position. Strength in numbers made me feel confident to keep going."
The Women's Centre, Derry
A series of reports have been produced for each of the events, with an overall report and summary available soon. This will outline all of the feedback and impact stories received at the events, along with the suggested solutions and actions to be taken forward.
136 Individuals from 98 Organisations attended 7 Workshops
GrantTracker: Subscriptions and Webinars
500 organisations were given one year’s free subscription to GrantTracker. This means that they can access over 1,000 funding schemes specific to Northern Ireland, search for funding relevant to their organisation’s purpose and projects, and receive regular updates on new schemes and upcoming deadlines.
There were six 'Getting the most out of GrantTracker' webinars for those who had received the free one-year subscription. This was an ideal opportunity for new subscribers to explore all the functions that GrantTracker offers. The sessions covered: Using the Home keys to keep in touch and get support, maximising your searches, tracking schemes, funders and email notifications, and using “My Tracker” and “My Notes” to make GrantTracker work for you and your funding applications.
104 Individuals attended 6 Webinars
Fundraising: Clinics and Training
We organised a series of eight training sessions to support organisations in the sector on their fundraising journey. We worked with a range of partners to design and deliver training that provided knowledge and skills in a variety of ways to sustain your organisation.
We also provided one to one fundraising clinics for six organisations to provide bespoke support and advice on their fundraising strategy and activities.
The cost of living crisis has presented a lot of challenges for fundraisers and charities, and the aim of our training series and clinics was to boost fundraising knowledge and help organisations adapt and be more resilient for the future.
166 Individuals attended 8 Training Sessions
Feedback
We received excellent feedback from participants at the 8 training sessions. Many of them commented on their increased confidence in fundraising, better knowledge of fundraising plans and techniques and skills to improve their fundraising. They left the sessions inspired and more hopeful, with a toolkit of resources to help them in their fundraising.
"We have been given a fantastic range of tools to move our organisation forward." Survivors of Suicide Support Group
"Excellent session to gain understanding of what the funder wants." Mallard Community Charitable Hub Limited
"A great session that provided me with plenty to think about. More confident in my understanding of the business/charitable partnership landscape." Foyle Hospice
"As a new fundraiser this course gave me the tools to approach corporate partners in a confident and purposeful manner, I found it extremely helpful." Rosie’s Trust
"Great Introduction to social enterprises, came away with clarity on how to achieve our vision sustainably." Tenth Glen Community Farms
"The event was fantastic. Jocelyn is an extremely knowledgeable and skilled facilitator. The content was very detailed and clear. I feel confident to start working on our case for support." Adopt NI
"A huge thank you to NICVA and Jocelyn for giving me the hope that it might be possible to change the current direction of fundraising for our small charity. I was feeling very low about the task of fundraising (and surviving the current cost of living crisis / competition for funding as I’d applied to many funds and got close but failed to secure funds) but now I am feeling much more positive. Thank you." Anonymous
Resources
For each of the six sessions delivered by partner organisations/associates Jocelyn has produced a resource based on the content of the session. These provide useful guidance and further support for your organisation. Jocelyn also delivered two sessions: Developing a Case for Support on 8 June and A Practical guide to completing funding applications on 14 June. Jocelyn's sessions are delivered on our training calendar throughout the year so look out for further training opportunities here
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Developing a Fundraising Strategy 9 May with Glenn Oakes, Caboodle Fundraising
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Building Support from Donors and Community Fundraisers 9 May with Glenn Oakes, Caboodle Fundraising
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Meet the Funder: The Pilgrim Trust and their Young Women's Mental Health programme 16 May with Sonja Forbes, Pilgrim Trust
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Developing Corporate Partnerships 25 May with Denise Cranston, 2into3
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Introduction to Social Enterprises 31 May with Stephen Mc Garry, Work West
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Meet the Funder: Benefact Trust 1 June with Andrew Bass, Grants Officer, Benefact Trust
ILM Level 5 Diploma Bursaries
For some individuals and organisations the cost of training can be a barrier to accessing the skills needed for job and career progression. We were delighted to offer 60 Bursaries for our ILM Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management.
The ILM Level 5 Diploma was specifically designed to equip managers and leaders with the confidence and skills to navigate the cost of living crisis. It gave the opportunity for peer learning and support, as well as problem-solving and visioning for the future.
The first cohort of 20 leaders started on 17 April, finishing their taught programme on 14 June with a presentation to their peers. The second cohort of 20 started on 4 May and will complete on 29 June, with the third cohort starting on 30 August and completing on 8 November 2023. Each of those participating has the opportunity to complete assignments in the coming months and achieve an ILM Level 5 qualification.
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“I find the teaching sessions both face to face and online very useful.. The input from participants and the encouragement to ask questions by tutors is excellent” Sustrans
“Great day meeting great people. It's nice to see and feel that other people are feeling overwhelmed in elements of their jobs. Shared learning and supporting each other has been helpful.” An Droichead Limited
“Very enjoyable, informative, and excellent engaging tutor.” Scout Foundation Northern Ireland
“Certainly, it helped in my understanding of how to begin to manage my own continuous professional development.” Speedwell Trust
“Excellent - made me realise the importance of planning ahead and how training yourself will benefit your own team.” Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful
