Charities and Not for Profit - Russam GMS UK a member of the Interim Management Association

Charities and Not for Profit

PODCAST

Ian Joseph's Podcast
(click to play)

Ian answers some of the burning issues on the advantages of interims, how they differ from consultants and why somebody would choose
to be an interim.

Transcript available here.
(Word document).

VIDEOS

To view the charities showreel, please click above.

CASE STUDIES

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World Vision hires interim marketer to help reduce falling supporter numbers

YMCA restructured and transformed by Interim Keith Drew

A very royal interim engagement at Hampton Court

British Red Cross wins HR excellence award

USEFUL LINKS

Trustees Unlimited
Want to be a trustee? Need a trustee?
Whether you are looking to serve on a board
yourself, or whether you are looking to strengthen your board, we can help.

Visit www.trustees-unlimited.co.uk

Trustees Unlimited - Need a trustee? / Want to be a trustee? Click here for website.

MANAGING DOWNTURN

PriceWaterhouse Coopers have just published a fascinating report on the outlook for charities in the recession, based on research last November. We think you will find it a very worthwhile read but one thing it doesn’t mention is the use of interim managers as a highly cost-effective and flexible resource in these difficult times; Mike Whitlam, Ian Joseph or I would be very glad to discuss this
aspect with you if you contact us by phone or email.

Managing in a Downturn - Report

	Stephen Brooker Click here for biog Email Stephen
	Mike Whitlam Click here for biog Email Mike
	Ian Joseph Click here for biog Email Ian
Telephone Main Office: 0845 658 1717

IND~EX NEWSLETTER

Supporting our well-established search mechanisms, the Russam GMS IND~EX Weekly goes out every Thursday by email to about 11,000 senior business people operating on an
independent basis and reaches, through their own personal networks, several thousand more - mostly in a matter of hours.

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THE CHARITY & NOT FOR PROFIT SPECIALISTS

The longest established mainstream Interim Management provider in the UK.

Our Mission is to provide outstanding flexible management resources to all our clients.

A Warm Welcome from: Stephen Brooker, Mike Whitlam and Ian Joseph

Our Mission is to provide outstanding flexible management resources to all our clients. We are reliable, innovative, open and thorough. We know the Charity Sector. We can find the best people for you.

If you are a charity and want to know more, Click Here. If you are an Interim Manager and want to know more, Click Here. Our Essential Charity Guide (PDF file) can be downloaded and read here.

“We would be delighted to talk with you about how the Charities Practice can help your organisation. We usually find that we recognise a similar situation or opportunity when clients call saying they have a very difficult or unusual need. You can find out all about the Charities Practice in our Capability Statement. The Practice is a specialist division within Russam GMS and you might find it useful to look at other areas of the website. In particular, please read our People Policy and about the experienced Principals who work with Stephen, Ian and Mike in putting assignments together in response to your briefs".

NEWS FEATURE: 'THIRD SECTOR'

UK Charities taking action to recover from recession
Third Sector, 15th September 2009

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72% of Interims say income is still falling in charity sector

One in four charities making job cuts

Interims helping charities transform operations and cut costs

10 September 2009 – A new survey of over 450 charity Interim managers from Interim provider, Russam GMS revealed that 72% of UK charities have experienced falling incomes, 64% have put recruitment and IT projects on hold and 25% have cut jobs in the past six months. But in spite of this, they are taking many steps to recover.

Two thirds of Interims said that charities have increased their fund raising efforts and that many cost saving measures have been introduced. 40% said that cash flow is being tightly monitored, 25% said charities have reduced headcount and also claim charities are introducing more collaborative working and sharing services and costs (15%), improving governance (14%) and increasing their marketing efforts (11%).

The research mirrors the results of the latest ‘Managing in a downturn’ from Pricewaterhouse Coopers in conjunction with The Institute of Fundraising, The Association of Charitable Foundations and CFDG (Promoting Best Practice in Charity Finance) which revealed that half of all UK charities predict their income levels will fall in the next six months but that 62% they will increase their fundraising activities in the next six months.

The latest snapshot from Russam GMS published in August also showed that UK charities are recruiting Interims more strategically to help them raise funds, reduce operational costs and improve efficiencies. This was also reflected in the fact that the pay rates for Interim charity specialists rose by 8% from £464 in December 2008 to £499 in June 2009.

Interims have been working mainly on assignments related to raising funds and changing the way organisations operate. 69% have worked on change management projects, 58% have been involved in contract negotiation and funding bids, 38% have been involved in financial planning and 34% in fund raising and marketing.

The interims claimed that several key opportunities were emerging from the recession. 40% believe that charities will benefit from a larger volunteer base and a great talent pool from which to recruit, 25% see a major opportunity for charities to renegotiate prices with supplier and reduce office costs as well as introduce better financial planning and governance.

Just over half (54%) are confident that the outlook for charities will improve in the next six months. They see the main assignments opportunities being in fund raising, project management and turnaround projects.

Stephen Brooker, Chairman of the Charities Practice at Russam GMS said, “UK Charities are still having an incredibly tough time, which is very much reflected in our research and the latest ‘Managing in a downturn’ report from Price Waterhouse Coopers. Income levels are still falling, recruitment is very much on hold, as well as some projects, and job cuts are widely reported.”

“However, on a positive note, it is clear that charities are taking action to combat the impact of the recession. Interims are being recruited to work on change management and fund raising projects to help them secure new funding, transform the way they work and reduce costs. In addition, many organisations are now collaborating with each other and sharing services to reduce costs. They are also introducing better financial planning and governance. These efforts will reap dividends over time and we are confident that the outlook for charities will start to improve in the next six months.”

Original Article here

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP - LATEST ARTICLES

Ian Joseph, Head of the Russam GMS Not for Profit Practice writes:

New research from the Charity Commission has revealed that despite a slight increase in the number of charities being affected by the recession (56% now, compared with 52% at the beginning of the year), over two thirds (71%) of the charities surveyed by the Commission said that they felt optimistic about the outlook for the next six months. This corroborates with research conducted recently by Russam GMS of interim managers working in the sector which showed that 54% were confident about the future economic outlook.

As Stephen Brooker, Chair of the Russam GMS Not for Profit Practice expressed last week, “Charities have done some serious cost-cutting, which means they are in better shape than in April”. As a practice, we have had over twice as many assignments to deliver in the first two months of Q3 than we had in the whole of Q1, suggesting that charities are far more confident about investing in the resources they need. Whereas just six months ago, decisions were being made to have employees step up to roles made vacant in organisations or to defer projects requiring external expertise, we are now seeing a commitment by these same organisations to recruit either on an interim or permanent basis.

We are delighted that the Charity Commission is conducting this type of research because the sector cannot afford to be blind to economic reality. In our own modest way, our research suggests that whilst some organisations are considering further job cuts, overall the sector has responded well to the recession, has put the necessary measures in place, made the tough decisions required and is preparing to ride out the next few months with quiet confidence. We hope that the Charity Commission will continue to conduct this research which is so helpful in informing the sector.

UK Charities taking action to recover from recession

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72% of Interims say income is still falling in charity sector

One in four charities making job cuts

Interims helping charities transform operations and cut costs

Charities need to take action to combat financial crisis

Ian Joseph, head of charity practice, Russam GMS

The UK charity sector is feeling the pain of the recession arguably more than many other sectors, with a big decline in corporate sponsorship, donations and available funding. This month, we surveyed the charity specialists from our database of 10,000 Interim managers to find out the extent to which the charity sector is suffering. The findings made grim reading; 76% of Interims reported that charity income had declined since the recession started, almost three quarters had seen widespread job losses, and over half said that projects, recruitment and investment in marketing and IT had been frozen.

READ FULL ARTICLE (Word doc)

Getting through tough times – Call in the Interims

Ian Joseph, Head of Charities Practice, Russam GMS
Many charities across the UK have experienced a drop in donations since the start of the recession and are under pressure to secure new funding. A report this month from Children England, the umbrella group for children’s charities in the UK, said that 40% of children’s charities are in a vulnerable position and could close if expected funding does not come through.

Ian Joseph looks at how Interim Managers can help Charities can find new income streams and successfully tender for grants to help them get through the downturn.

Larger organisations are feeling the impact of the credit crunch too. The British Red Cross was forced to cancel its Thameside winter gala ball last year, because it failed to find a corporate sponsor for an event which usually raises £500,000. Shelter, the housing charity, lost £400,000 in the space of six weeks last autumn when corporate sponsors cancelled donations. READ FULL ARTICLE (Word Doc)

With the spotlight on the third sector – who will plug the skills gap?

Stephen Brooker – Chairman of Charities Practice

The government has set its sights firmly on the third sector, with Brown pledging more stable government funding to charities and voluntary groups in a bid to extend their role in delivering public services.

It is of course good news and long overdue that charities and in particular, volunteers are being recognised for running successful organisations, often on shoestrings, with very few resources.

But, what pressure - for charities suddenly to be looked upon to make British society happier, healthier and a more successful place and to show the public sector how it is done. How can a sector beleaguered by a major shortage of skills and resources transform itself overnight?

READ FULL ARTICLE (Word doc)

Mind the gap

As the spotlight on the third sector increases, who will plug the skills gap, asks Stephen Brooker.

THE GOVERNMENT has set its sights firmly on the third sector, with Gordon Brown pledging more stable government funding to charities and voluntary groups in a bid to extend their role in delivering public services. This is long overdue recognition that charities are successful organisations, often on shoestrings. But how can a sector which arguably faces a major shortage of skills and resources fulfil this extended role?

While the success of the third sector is undoubtedly driven by the passion and commitment of its people, they are in short supply. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s (CIPD) annual Recruitment and Retention report published in June 2007 reveals the extent of the staffing gaps.

READ FULL ARTICLE (Word doc)

Sector increasingly reliant on temporary managers

By Mathew Little, Third Sector Online, 29 August 2007

The charity sector has the second highest number of interim managers in the British economy, according to a new survey by interim management provider Russam GMS. One in every 10 interims works for charities, the research found. Only the manufacturing and engineering sector had a larger number of temporary managers.

Of charity sector interims, 44 per cent were general managers, 20 per cent worked in finance, 16 per cent in sales and marketing and 12 per cent in purchasing. They earned an average of £430 a day. And in recent years, there have been interim chief executives at high-profile charities such as Cancer Research UK and Children in Need. According to Russam GMS, charities are increasingly using interim managers to run specific projects or secure funding.

READ FULL ARTICLE (Word doc)

It's a giving thing

Employment of well-paid managers at a charity will always generate debate. But the sector, like business, often needs to call in expertise at short notice.

Liz Ford - Society Guardian, Wednesday 29 October 2008

When it comes to working with people living with dementia there is a responsibility to ensure a good service is maintained at all times, says Andrew Ketteringham, director of external affairs at the Alzheimer's Society. So, when faced with a vacancy in one of its key roles, such as fundraising, the organisation often calls in an interim manager to fill the gap. "Like any other business, we have a turnover of staff. Sometimes positions fairly important to the smooth running of the organisation need to be filled speedily."

READ FULL ARTICLE (Word doc)

The long and short of it

While interim managers may traditionally be seen as temporary replacement, often operating in extenuating circumstances, their potential goes far beyond this. Emily Ford finds out how these short-term experts could provide long-term benefits.

It is sometimes hard to admit that you can’t do everything yourself, but charities ignore a skills gap at their peril. Public service delivery is a case in point. It’s no secret that the government wants to involve more charities at a local and national level: Gordon Brown’s recent £515 million settlement was the biggest of its kind. As a result, many charities are considering bidding for contracts for the first time.

READ FULL ARTICLE (Word doc)

Charities buck crunch to take on more employees

Source: Third Sector Online, Author: Sarah Finley, Third Sector Online

The charity sector could be defying the credit crunch by taking on more employees in spite of rising unemployment.

Recent figures from the UK Statistics Authority show that the number of unemployed peopl has risen every month since January. However, Women Like Us, a recruitment company specialising in finding part-time work for women in charities, has seen an increase in sector employment.

The company has reported a rise of 26 per cent in enquiries from employers looking to recruit permanent part-time staff in May, and its year-on-year increase in recruitment has been 121 per cent.

READ FULL ARTICLE (Word doc)

Securing funding for long term success – a modern dilemma for the third sector

The third sector received a major boost last year when Gordon Brown pledged that it will receive more than £500m over the next three years as part of the wide-ranging third sector review in July last year.

But with more funding available, the pressure is on for charities to secure that funding and this is becoming a major challenge for many organisations. They need to plan well in advance; understand the processes involved in securing funding and know how to put together a successful application. They also need to ensure that the right resources are in place if they are to realise their ambitions.

It is not just applying for new funding that is challenging; many charities rely heavily on government grants or contracts and simply find they reach the inevitable point where the money runs out and they either need to contract (get smaller) or to replace the income from voluntary sources if they are to continue to supply the service. When this is realised by the CEO/Trustees, they often come to me. READ FULL ARTICLE (Word doc)

A very royal engagement

One of the main attractions of life as an interim manager is the change of scene and chance to work in different and more stimulating environments. Not many assignments however, are quite as grand as the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court, where finance manager, Vaughan Williams is working as an interim finance manager.

The Royal School of Needlework (RSN) is an exciting, forward-looking organisation which is dedicated to keeping the art of hand embroidery alive in the 21st Century. It offers a unique education in embroidery. Following a three year technical Diploma Course, highly skilled professional embroiderers are equipped to work in a commercial Studio, or follow a career in fashion or textile art and design. It also offers shorter classes to anyone with an interest in learning embroidery, from beginners to more advanced level students. The RSN’s own Studio carries out varied commissions including the design and production of contemporary work and the conservation of textiles. Many pieces worked on in the Studio are of national importance.
READ FULL ARTICLE (Word doc)

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