The Small Charity Friendly Collective

Yasmin is proud to be a founding member of an informal collective of small charity friendly specialists who have come together to answer the challenge set in the Small Charities Coalition’s (SCC) Small and Mighty final report: to provide dedicated and trusted support to small charities.

The spirit of volunteerism, which sits at the very heart of our sector, is important to us when we work together in this shared endeavour. As a result, when we host events:

• Our service is to small charities – our events are financially accessible; we do not charge people to attend, and everyone is welcome to attend;
  
• Our commitment is to volunteerism – neither the collective members nor other contributors receive any financial benefit for their contributions at our events;
  
• Our intention is to create space to share and learn together – we are thankful for and indebted to all those who join our events, both as contributors and as consumers.

We have extensive professional experience in the sector, and a shared love for, and dedication to small charities. We are committed to the following standards to ensure we are working in a 'small charity friendly' way:

1. We work in YOUR best interest

We put small charities first. We won't do or suggest anything that you don't really need, or that we aren't best placed to deliver - instead, we will connect you where appropriate to other small-friendly colleagues. We won't stick around any longer than necessary and will always ensure there’s a clear handover when it's time to move on; we aim to share our expertise and support you to develop solutions in-house where this is more affordable or works better long-term.

2. We cut through the noise

We support you to do more with less, by identifying your top priorities and addressing them efficiently. We ensure our services are accessible - we avoid jargon, explaining things clearly and simply, and are committed to offering affordable, transparent pricing in our paid-for offers.

3. We meet you where you are

We understand that if you're contacting us, it's to get some support - we don't expect everything to be in order, and won't judge, no matter where you’re up to. We tailor our approaches to small charities, your capacity and resources. We ditch the assumptions (for example around your capacity, reserves, or prior knowledge) and set realistic expectations based on your goals.

4. We learn together

We learn from one another in the collective, from the entire small charity community, and from exploring, challenging, testing, failing, succeeding and reflecting. We share our insights as widely as we can, and create opportunities for connection across the sector so that we can all learn from each other in a supportive and friendly environment. We listen and respond to the challenges, needs and experiences of small charities, and improve our offers based on this feedback.

5. We are your allies

We know that life in small charities is full of ups and downs. We're there for you and your organisations as you take on the challenges and take in the wins. We advocate for more 'Small Charity Friendly' practices across the sector, using our experience and independent voice to champion smalls and push for better conditions for the sector.

We loosely define ‘small charities’ as those with an approximate turnover of up to £1 million.