Week 2 Lessons: Emergency Support for Charities & Social Enterprises

Two weeks ago we opened an emergency support offer for small charities and social enterprises. This is what we learnt in our second week: 

1. 15 charities and social enterprises applied this week and received immediate support (mostly sub £1m turnover).
2. 23 professionals have now offered their time for our Pro Bono Bank with skills in finance, e-commerce, charity management, funding, governance and HR.
3. Mainly requests have been for: financial modelling, advice on emergency funding, shifting services and communications online.
4. Impacts are very differential, depending on income sources, client group/delivery location, extent of reliance on volunteers and capacity to be adaptive.
5. Fairing worst seem to be social enterprises or charities who have diversified into earned income (those with contracts and/or grants are being supported by funders being very flexible).
6. The situation is compounded because small business funding is not available to charities/social enterprises as they tend to have discretionary or mandatory rate relief not small business rate relief.
7. There is a human toll for leaders and our advisors talk of people on the phone in tears.

If you would are a charity or social enterprise and would like emergency support, please take our survey here below.