Well, what a year 2022 has been. Starting off with trying to “recover” from Covid and all the effects it has had on society, organisations and ourselves. Quickly followed by the awful news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which tragically still continues today. Then the cost of living crisis kicks in with energy costs rocketing like never before and real struggles for people and organisations to simply keep going.
Throughout this time we have continued to work alongside hundreds of organisations informing, advising, supporting and training. Getting to know you and your challenges and working with you to find solutions.
In the Organisational Development team we have been reflecting on the year and have some highlights that you might find useful as a reminder of the support that is available.
Governance and Charity Advice
A big highlight of the year was the launch of four finance tutorial videos funded by The Halifax Foundation for NI. These really are 'four of a kind' as they have British and Irish Sign Language and subtitles that can be translated into other languages, making them accessible to the deaf community and other language groups.
A lot of work has gone into redeveloping the complementary resources to the Code of Good Governance this year. Both the Governance Health Check and the DIY Committee guide website have been revamped in line with the revised principles in the Code of Good Governance. This work was carried out by the Developing Governance Group which Denise provides joint Secretariat to. The Group also held a series of seminars jointly with the Charity Commission over the last few months on ‘good governance and charity regulation’ which proved very popular with several hundred people attending.
The greatest highlight of the year was the news, in November, that the Department for Communities’ is now recommending that a de-minimis threshold be introduced for charity registration. This came after the disappointing news at the beginning of the year when the Independent Review Panel published its report recommending that a de-minimis threshold should not be introduced.
Thanks to the Minister for Communities for listening to us and ensuring that further changes to gambling legislation were introduced for the benefit of all voluntary led organisations. 2022 saw a change in rules regarding price of lottery tickets after many years of lobbying, so this means that society lottery tickets can now be legally sold for more than £1. We were delighted that our perseverance paid off to the benefit of our sector.
Fundraising Advice
Jocelyn has continued to build relationships with individuals and organisations, such as Chartered Institute of Fundraising, Will to Give, Fundraising Regulator and a wide range of funders. This has resulted in numerous blogs with helpful tips and advice. We use this as well as GrantTracker to support organisations in their fundraising plans and activities.
Cashless giving and digital fundraising are areas that many organisations have adapted to over the last year and Jocelyn has provided support and help to maximise income through digital means. A bank of resources on this topic is available on our website
The cost of living crisis has had a massive impact on finances with people having less money to donate and money not going as far with running costs soaring, while demand for services continues to increase. A range of support has been provided on this already and we have managing finances training planned for 2023.
Training
We are delighted that over 70 people have participated in our ILM and TQUK accredited courses in the last year, ranging from level 3 to level 7. This included TAQA qualifications that will benefit organisations in having In-House Assessors and IQAs. In addition to this 200 people from TLP completed the ILM level 3 Award in Leadership and Management. It has been encouraging to hear how our learners have put their learning into practice - impact stories
It has been great to work with organisations delivering bespoke training to best meet their development needs, at a time that suits them, such as Ulster GAA, The MAC, Comhairle na Gaelscoileachta and The Clanrye Group.
Thanks to all our external associates and in-house trainers who have delivered such high-quality training in the last year to staff, volunteers and board members.
There have been new training courses on offer such as The Podcasting Accelerator, Emotional Intelligence webinar, Cyber Security and Wellbeing sessions. Plans are already being made for our new courses on our training calendar in a range of topics.
CFNI Capacity Building Accelerator and Mentoring Programme
This CFNI programme started in May and is funded by the Community Foundation NI through the Department of Health’s Cancer, Carers and Mental Health Funds. So far 50 organisations are being supported by a Mentor and four Learning Events have taken place, with over 100 people attending. The Programme will continue to provide these organisations with a range of learning opportunities, bespoke mentoring support and practical workshops, like the Wellness and Connection in the Workplace event held in September.
Transformational Leadership Programme (TLP)
The TLP, delivered as part of the Belfast City Council Transform for Change funded by Peace IV ended in June this year - 43 courses were delivered across the 15 interface areas in Belfast with around 600 people participating. It was great to end with a celebratory event in June and capture the impact through participants’ stories.
We would love to hear from you
We have some training and events planned for 2023 - we would love to see you at these. If you have training needs that are not met through our current selection of courses on our calendar please get in touch and we will try to provide something. If you would like advice or support please don't hesitate to contact us. We provide bespoke training for staff, volunteers and boards at a time and places that suits you, so please let us know if you would be interested in that. Contact Sandra and she will put you in touch with the relevant member of staff.
