Charity Talks 2014/15

Wednesday 20th April 2016, 6:00pm- 9:00pm (6:00pm for a 6:30pm start)

• Charles Handy
• Ian Williams, Executive Director, Caplor Horizons

The lead speaker for this Charity Talk was Charles Handy who discussed his latest book which is particularly relevant to the charity and nonprofit sector – “The Second Curve - Thoughts on Reinventing Society”.

Many management gurus have important lessons for charities and other nonprofits but so often they educate in the context of a single bottom line- profitability. Charities have more ambitious aims. They want to change the world in order to help their beneficiaries. This Charity Talk special with Charles Handy  examined nonprofit management and leadership in that context.

The Talk started with a brief case study of a charity to which Charles has been contributing, Caplor Horizons, which supports other charities. This was presented by Ian Williams, their Executive Director who was previously a long-standing leader of Concern Universal, an international NGO.

Wednesday, 26 November 2014 at 6pm for a 6.30pm start.

• Saleh Saeed, Chief Executive, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)
• Mike Hudson, Director, Compass Partnership

Leadership is not just about the individual, it is about the team they lead and how the team members contribute to leadership. Saleh Saeed, the CE of the DEC, will describe how the staff leadership team at DEC, and the the organisation itself, provides leadership during the humanitarian disasters. Mike Hudson, Director of the Compass Partnership and Visiting Fellow at Cass, will put this success story into a wider context of theories and practices of leadership teams, drawing on the recent survey Compass and Cass CCE have conducted on the characteristics of outstanding leadership teams in the nonprofit sector.

Wednesday, 28 January 2015 at 6pm for a 6.30pm start.

• Lorraine Clifton, Chief Executive, CLIC Sargent
• Denise Fellows, Director and CEO, Consultancy and Talent Development, Cass CCE

Managing strategic change is difficult enough but doing so when significant deficits are in sight is even harder. Hear from Lorraine Clifton, CE of CLIC Sargent, about how CLIC Sargent achieved this with minimal impact on frontline services, with reduced costs through making their processes more efficient and effective, and at the same time maintaining and improving motivation. Denise Fellows of Cass CCE will put this case in the broader context and draw out success factors.

Wednesday, 20 May 2015 at 6pm for a 6.30pm start.

• Oonagh Aitken, Chief Executive, Volunteering Matters
• Stephen Thorn, Associate Consultant, Cass CCE

Changing funder priorities and changing social policy priorities left Volunteering Matters, (formerly CSV) financially vulnerable, especially in the medium term. Oonagh Aitken, CE of Volunteering Matters, will describe how they addressed this income challenge by reducing their cost base and developing a new income strategy. Stephen Thorn of Cass CCE will use his extensive marketing and fundraising knowledge and experience to set their experience into a wider context, drawing out generalised advice for you to apply.

Wednesday, 8 July 2015 at 6pm for a 6.30pm start.

• Alison Garnham, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG)
• Sir Stuart Etherington, Chief Executive, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

Achieving social change gain is hard in a context when statutory expenditure is targeted for cuts. Alison Garnham, CE of CPAG, will explain how CPAG campaigns in this climate, describing, for example, how with partners they persuaded government to increase the child care element of Universal Credit from 70% to 85%. Sir Stuart Etherington, CE of NCVO and Visiting Professor at Cass, and a hugely experienced campaigner, will describe effective campaigning techniques including when to go public and when to rely on quieter lobbying.

Wednesday, 9 September 2015 at 6pm for a 6.30pm start.

• Peter Wanless, Chief Executive, NSPCC
• Mark Salway, Cass CCE

Trustees, funders and sometimes beneficiaries are demanding that various forms of nonprofit organisations prove the impact they are having. Are these demands idealistic but unrealistic? Which nonprofits have achieved impact measurement with proportionate costs and without over-claiming for the effect of their efforts. The NSPCC has been making significant gains in the area and Peter Wanless, CE, will outline their experience and give his views on the current expectations on measuring the social impact of charitable activities. Other charities are also developing social impact measures and Mark Salway will describe the broader picture identifying trends and developing good practice.

Wednesday, 25 November 2015 at 6pm for a 6.30pm start.

• Gillian Guy, Chief Executive, Citizens Advice
• Alex Skailes, Director of Business Development, Cass CCE

The requirement to work collaboratively has increased enormously over the last decade or so. Grant-makers now require collaborative working skills - many contracts can only be won via consortia - and campaigns increasingly need to show they are broadly based. Often beneficiary needs and wishes can only be met through charities collaborating. However, activities delivered collaboratively are very challenging to effect. Accountability lines can be unclear, confusion can be rife and the goals of a campaign can become too great to achieve. The speakers will describe realistic and ideal collaborative practice and suggest approaches to embrace and avoid.