Mike Zywina’s Post

The first guiding principle of Smiley Movement is that we are apolitical. Sometimes, this is harder than it seems. The charities & change-makers we support all have an impact on the life and organisation of our communities. So you might think there’s a political aspect to supporting them. But we don’t talk about politicians or government representatives and don't support any political side over another. Mainstream media has massive resources focused on this, 24/7. We follow Royals, who are beyond parties and whom we admire for their relentless support of charities. We use the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals Ltd as our North Star. They are bigger than politics, they’re universal goals for mankind. We focus on the charities, associations & social enterprises, big or small, working hard to solve these problems. We’re all about highlighting solutions. Our goal for highlighting this work & raising awareness is to help good ideas scale out. We hope that other change-makers will see them & reproduce these ideas in more communities around the world. But we also hope to encourage people to get involved. To donate or volunteer. This support helps charities scale up. We try to give an equal voice to everyone involved in charities, including founders, executives, staff, volunteers, ambassadors & beneficiaries. I believe there are many of us who might one day end up working at a charity, but you can’t be what you can’t see. Our goal is to help people see themselves in these organisations. We put the focus on inspiring positive change in society by spotlighting individuals and organisations making a difference in our world. And more than anything, we believe in positivity, creativity & storytelling. Follow Smiley News on Insta & X (@smileynews), and Smiley Movement on Linkedin to see more of these amazing stories & learn how you can get involved. Together, we can create a better world.

Is your charity a canoe or a ocean liner? I've worked in some big charities and now I manage a small one. And I'm here to say that there is a world of difference between the two. When I was in a larger charity things like brand recognition, having well resourced dedicated fundraising and coms teams meant that there was a level of ease around how funding flowed, we could meet all sorts of funders needs because we had capacity to do so. It felt like we were magnets 🧲 But now in a small charity I notice that despite our struggle to attract resources there are things we can do that bigger charities just can't. Like react quickly and decisively when the people we support ask us to, it's the difference between changes of direction in a canoe and an ocean liner. We're nippy, we are creative and we get things done. And the thing is our sector needs both. If you are in a medium or large charity and you want to show support for us little guys have a read of Wayne Murray blog and then get involved in #SmallCharityWeek if you can. Because all you need to do is love small charities. ● L – Listen and Learn: I will learn what small charities do in my neighbourhood ● O – Organise: I will get my community involved with small charities ● V – Volunteer: I will support small charities with my time, voice and money ● E – Engage: I will do a bit more to make my community better. #LoveYourSmallCharity #SmallCharityWeek2024 blog in link.

My remarkable colleagues Nicola Archer and Georgia Avukatu have developed an innovative approach to supporting charitable organisations through unprecedented challenges. As the charity sector faces mounting pressures—dwindling donations, rising costs, and increasing service demands—our Charity Community Model offers a thoughtful path forward. The key? Understanding and deepening supporter relationships. Charities are no longer just asking for donations; they're building meaningful communities committed to creating tangible change. Our model provides organisations with the insights to navigate these complex times strategically. Have a look at the full proposition below.

The frustrations of a Charity CEO It can be incredibly challenging to stay motivated as a charity CEO. Despite knowing the excellent work you do makes a significant difference in many communities, the struggle between creating impact and sustaining the charity is real. With the rising cost of living, donations and grants are dwindling, and more charities are vying for the same funds due to decreased giving. It's frustrating when an innovative idea, which could greatly benefit your service users and meet the growing needs of your local community, is rejected after weeks of dedicated planning and proposal writing. Meanwhile, it seems that so many new entrepreneurs make fortunes online with minimal effort. So many are money driven instead of impact driven. What will they be remembered for? Where are the philanthropists and large businesses willing to support local people and communities? It's time to invest in grassroots charities that work directly with communities, rather than those with the means to market themselves into prominence. Many small yet impactful charities are shutting down due to a drop in donations (often from those they aim to assist). Large companies have a social responsibility to support their local communities. By aiding smaller charities, they can alleviate some of the financial pressures, allowing these charities to focus on the issues at hand. A donation of £5000 can have a far greater impact on a small charity than on a large national organisation. The 'little guy' should not be forgotten. So rant over! Better get writing another application then! Unless?........ 😃 😉

We were going to do a big post about who we are and what we do (which will likely come in the future (#content) but we really wanted to start with WHY (no infringement meant, Mr. Sinek). Why in a sea of incredible consultants and consultancies have we established Constellation? Why do we want to bring something new to the table? Our why is simply this: small charities need more help than ever before, and as charity people to our core, we want to be the ones to help them. From our combined years of working with small charities, we’re noticing themes. 💛 Small charities are founded and run by the best, kindest, most impressive people in the sector  👩🔧 These founders and CEOs are having to do EVERYTHING either unpaid or on very low wages 🔥 The sector is on fire. Funding is harder to get than ever before and so many CEOs are being forced to spend so much of their time scrabbling around for funding, when their energy and resources should be concentrated on supporting their communities 😿 CEOs are then getting burnt out and disillusioned and in some very sad cases, are folding their charities and leaving the sector  💸 One income stream isn’t enough to sustain a charity, but working out what else you should be adding to your already full plate is impossible. At Constellation, we believe that small charities make the world go round. The support they provide to people across the UK (and the world!) is unparalleled. We built Constellation to address these issues to support Small Charities in a different way, so that their CEOs can continue to thrive, their communities can benefit and the world can be made a better place. Simple. 💫

As a Trustee of SCVO (Sandwell Council of Voluntary Organisations) this post sums up what can sometimes be difficult to articulate due to being the weird and often misunderstood cousin of charities! The balance of being a charity in our own right and all the risks and threats that come along with that, alongside the essential work being carried out with and for the sector and our communities is a constant balancing act. Often working hard on our own and other charities ability to thrive and survive simultaneously. Whilst many charities make use of and value their infrastructure relatives, they can also become complacent, thinking that they will always be there, whereas we need their support as outlined by Steve to help in demonstrating our impact and the need for investment in infrastructure organisations. It really is the old adage that you don't know what you've got till it's gone. So if you're in a position to help prevent the loss of more infrastructure support please do it! Life as a Charity Leader would be so much harder and lonelier without their support. 💙

The voluntary sector deserves more recognition

Totally agree with this. Infrastructure support is vital to the health, not just of charities, but Social Enterprise, Community Business and Cooperatives

Steve Allman Voluntary sector infrastructure is a cause close to my heart - I'm just weird like that I guess! But what I'm seeing is 2 things: 1) Lots of people like me supporting those charities we can but charging for our services - stepping into the gaps caused by a lack of other support either locally or thematically. There is no way that's in any way fair or strategic! 2) We're losing much needed innovation in the sector, those support organisations that nurture, grow and develop new ideas. If we lose that, we lose much of our future and become more risk averse This is a first iteration in words of some ideas that I've been trying to think through for some time (and probably not doing very well today as I've got a cold!) The evidence is there for all to see of the decline in VCSE infrastructure - https://lnkd.in/eaKntVJ4 - and in the very recent example of Getting On Board, but also in the demise of less obvious examples such as Bristol Ideas which nurtured many other projects in its 20 year history. I hope that funders can come to see and value these support and umbrella organisations even in these tough times. I've been around long enough to remember ChangeUp and CapacityBuilders - however imperfect they were, they did at least try!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Fundraisers Are Brilliant. But it's winter time, and the giving ain't easy. Despite campaigns like #GivingTuesday The fact that fundraisers are brilliant presents an opportunity for what I'd suggest could be branded #FABruary: a whole month, or at least a day, of global awareness raising, dedicated to showing the world how fabulous fundraisers are at inspiring people, companies, and other funders, to make the world a better place. There are awards and events that celebrate the few, but surely it's time to celebrate and recognize the many? And when I say "fundraisers" I don't just mean people employed by charities to raise money. I mean all people that encourage others to give money to causes. For example: the volunteer fundraisers, the marathon runners, the abseilers, the cake-bakers and sellers, the company employees that spend a day in a bath full of beans, and the lawyers that encourage their professional colleagues to donate an hour's worth of fees to Save the Children through #BillableHour And let's not forget the agencies and consultants. How might we make this happen? #FunderbirdsAreGo