The last 10 years have been … difficult, divisive, dismissive … I – YOU – could write a long list of adjectives that may include some that are positive or, more likely, words that sum up change happening at the most frightening pace.

 

And all the time the people, the animals, the places we try to help need more and more support (apologies for the poor grammar - starting a sentence with 'And' - to those who want us to retain 'The Rules' of communicating) yet year on year our sector struggles to find the funding, and the people, that can make this happen.

 

That's the 'difficult' problem we have faced and will continue to worry about. Donations are down, Grants aren't given in the quantity they once were. Volunteering competes with everything else in people's ever busier lives.

 

The 'divisive' problem is more, much more than which of two boxes you ticked back in 2016, or whether you were actually allowed to 'have your say'. Its more than the two different worlds of North and South, of countries being able to enjoy (to actually have) economic opportunities rather than being told that this can't now happen.

 

As for being 'dismissive', for the last decade we've all had the opportunity to disagree, in digital print, with anything we 'have a problem with'. Why we had a problem wasn't necessarily part of a discussion. We can – and still can – just create a statement that can be structured or just cruel. Thousands of people can instantly agree with us.

 

I've used 'D's' because … they were just the words that came immediately to mind. The last 10 years had moments of inspiration, some grand occasions, but to me they just flashed past. I've a thought that because of how we live our lives (and that notably includes social media – and the way the generic media now has to work), our lives have become saturated with bite sized communication – and comment (see being dismissive above) – and many a consciousness that we need to share, to join in with … to accept (?!!!)

 

This all means we've lost some ability to manage our lives and our commitments. If every time we listen, watch or read we are told – rather sold – a FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), then we lose some control.

 

Losing control, maybe being less 'strategic', and we can rattle along with everyone else caught up on an ever speeding train (or trains), losing sight of the fact we used to have more time to make decisions, or maybe we just made more time.

 

Just because we now have a world of some version of information or access, in our hands, 24/7 – it doesn't mean we do things better. Going back to the 'd's' and 'divisive', we can be in diametrically opposed groups or we can decide to join (FOMO etc – or a fear of not belonging) in a number of groups where we are led (and fed) by a stories that we can associate with.

 

I'm trying to paint a picture of the lives, the decision making, of all the people around us, not those who are part of running a Charity, your organisation. These are the people who could support us with funds and time. These are the supporters we want to find – and keep.

 

Having used three 'd's', I did then follow up with two 'c's' (Communication – which includes 'comment' and then 'Consciousness'. I'd like to complete 'the set' with a third 'c' … which is where this Love Letter really starts.

We – our Sector – are part of a Competitive World. Its a daily competition to attract attention then sell what and who we are. Our brains don't have altruism partitioned away from how we think about the rest of our lives. Its there but it it has to fit in with our daily routines.

 

If we – our Sector – haven't yet fully grasped how creating (fantastic) experiences is the key to being the most valued choice a 2020s person – a persona - will look for, then when we duplicate events and remain too generic, the interest (the income) will diminish.

 

There is less and less infrastructure support for us, and much is centred around process and management. When we create experiences – campaigns /events / occasions (festivals and the like) – we can do everything perfectly but have poorer results than we expected (or all our efforts deserved) because we chose the same day/week as something else, or your experience came shortly after another event etc.

 

There is a difference, notably in Marketing and PR budgets, between National events and those that happen in a locality, and yes, this 'ask' is much more about your town, your locality (region – District etc), but realising that there are only so many times, in any community, that interest can really 'peak'; this is foundations of making the biggest events the best they can be - and using a different approach to how to engage between these occasions.

 

The largest charities (the National ones) do have officers who've made and keep updated a calendar of everything 'charity', and everything else (sports/celebrations, religious dates etc) that will affect how many people could be attracted to their campaigns. Many will break down this 'people' figure into personas – groups with common characteristics (ie retirees, families, by age groups etc) – and then focus their development ideas around a more specific audience, rather than a whole population.

 

They can then be much more precise in their promotion and be more responsive to when things don't go as planned, or go much better.

 

That's the efficiency that comes with the best preparation … preparation that smaller and more local charities just can't do as well, if at all. Its easy to rely on past history, what 'worked' before, and ignore that a date, an idea, even a cause can become out of date, or seen as an opportunity that can be taken.

 

 

Its not that honorous a job. Google will give you National Calendars to start your monthly guide. From there you can pull in links to the promotion pages that major charities will already have, in place, about their events

 

Then you can look at local community and business events – and ask for help from local government to see what they 'know'.

 

The last step is to get contacts for all the local charities and community groups and start a newsletter (if the e-mails etc are on a web site, its public domain information so you can use it without asking permission!).

 

Do be Proud and Protective of what you produce – Do ask for some persona ideas of to whom an event will be interesting etc and include links to the event promotion pages (on external web sites) so that your calendar becomes a community asset, not just something to help Charities and Groups choose when to hold events.

 

The last 'stage' may be to become 'advisors' when strategies and policies are being produced (maybe for 2021!) but do encourage (make people think about) a 'cycle' of building up to maybe 5-6 major events each year (of which one is obviously Christmas and the New Year!). A whole community can easily become saturated by too much, too often.

 

My second 'ask' is all about 'skilled/professional' volunteering – and then actually volunteering itself.

 

We all need volunteers who commit week in week out, to run a shop or regular support like phone lines, much needed group support etc. Fundraising events (days) are when a whole team can come together. Your regular and committed volunteers are the cornerstone of your charity, the friendly faces who are your best advocates.

 

Then there are the times when you need some 'specialist support'. This could be when accounts need completing, when your need some technical support, if you need to have HR advice, when you need legal help.

 

'Professional' people up and down the Country do already offer this sort of support, 'pro-bono' advice that is backed by their professional indemnity cover. Could there be more though, and if this is the situation (which I believe it is), what needs to happen (to change) so that more volunteers come forward?

 

Having a 'free' accountant, computer expert, legal advisor etc saves significant funding use. When you get offered – and you take – some mass corporate support (employee volunteering) your long term team are augmented by many more hands so that big projects can be complete in a day or two, projects you couldn't otherwise undertake. Its like the denouement of Nick Knowles and the 'Big Build' TV programme where his purple shirted regular characters are surrounded by 00s of volunteers as they celebrate how all their work has changed a families' life.

 

I've written before about accepting that there is a pool of local volunteers who would help you, but only for a short and specified period, say for an event or campaign. When this event is finished, they want to walk away and probably (hopefully) come back in a few months or the following year. They can't commit to see you every week (why this is the case is really none of anyone's business).

 

Its a quandary – how to keep your invaluable regular and continuing support when others come and go, whether 'event' help or your 'free' accountant who perhaps does decline an 'ask' if they could do something else, apart from your accounts.

 

 

Its probably going to be about the third 'C' I started this post with – Communication – but all contributions would be very welcome

 

Talking – writing about 'third's, my final Ask is again something I've written about before and yes, its more communicating.

 

We – you – have to do more (and more) video. And (bad English again) the best video needs B-Roll, lots of if and its a library that should grow and grow.

 

 

Here's the start of a list – Street Scenes, Dogs walking, beautiful Sunsets and Sunrises, People arriving at an event, Speakers speaking, Hands answering phones (and making tea and coffer), Snow, Leaves, Brown and Green grass, a quick shot of a meeting (or six), Wood being worked, Concrete being poured, Paint going on walls …. get the picture? … yes please do!

 

I believe that these three 'asks' will make a huge difference to our local worlds as the next decade evolves – what do you think?