A #SmallCharity manifesto

This is our manifesto for #SmallCharities, short and sweet and only one point!

Loads of charities are writing manifestos in the run up to this election and I hope that whoever enters No 10 in December takes a look at these as they all make excellent points in a far more crafted way than I can. You can find some of the best here.

Good practice states that your manifesto should not be too long, and I read somewhere it should have an uneven number of points and have five or less demands. So this works!

To all prospective candidates, to all political parties and to all who are elected this is our #SmallCharity manifesto.

Give #SmallCharities more money.

That’s it! I really don’t care how this happens, but there should be a variety of opportunities to enable funding to flow to different organisations in different places doing different things. So maybe think about

• Unfreezing all the dormant assets and find a way to spend the money on #SmallCharities, maybe through community foundations (thanks to NCVO for this)
• Repaying the lottery money used on the 2012 Olympics (thanks to DSC for this) and while you are there increasing the percentage of money going to good causes
• Increase funding to local authorities and Clinical Commissioning Groups so they can reinstate and increase grants to local groups.
• Increase tax and ring fence some of the money to be used to improve local communities.
• Give us a money tree.

If you do this #SmallCharities will carry on being the powerhouse for good that they have always been.

If you do this #SmallCharities will continue to make the communities we live in better, stronger and more resilient.

If you do this #SmallCharities will be able to grow and prosper and not wither and die.

It may seem a bit crass or simplistic just asking for money, but national research has shown that small charities have suffered more financial pressures in the last 10 years than bigger charities.

“Over the last decade, small charities have seen a 20% decrease in their overall income while income has increased by 30% for major and super-major organisations. At the same time, the proportion of income from government going to small charities has also decreased from 2.7% of the total in 2006/07 to 2.1% in 2015/16.”

(NCVO Almanac)

“There is no disguising the fact that the cuts have been dramatic and that there is now far less money to go around.”

(Sheffield Uni and Lloyds Foundation)

Coupled with the loss of funding smaller charities are more susceptible to short term funding decisions and to fluctuations in funding.

“Instability associated with short-term funding streams appears to be a more critical issue for smaller charities, for whom the removal or retention of single funding awards can be the difference between survival and closure.”

(NCVO research into small charities)

Not only have #SmallCharities seen disproportionate drops in funding, but by their nature they are less able to deal with these fluctuations. I would therefore ask that while you are finding us the extra money can you also ensure that this can be accessed by charities over longer periods; five years would be good 10 years would be better.

That’s it, my single point manifesto.

Give #SmallCharities more money.

• With more money we will recruit, manage and train more volunteers.
• With more money we will deliver more projects to reduce inequality, loneliness and ill health.
• With more money we will waste less of our time on fundraising and devote more to doing what it is we are best at.
• With more money we will run more clubs, activities and events for people.
• With more money we will still be here in the future.

It really doesn’t matter how you do it – just make it happen.