Overview
Who is it for?
You may already be working in the charity sector as a marketing and fundraising manager. Or you may wish to transfer relevant skills and knowledge from experience you've gained in other sectors.
The course will support and further develop your core marketing management skills. It will equip you to deliver efficient, effective and appropriate fundraising and marketing practice in the voluntary sector.
Objectives
*You might still see us referred to as Cass Business School. Find out more about our name change.
Charity marketeers are under pressure to deliver better-than-ever results within an ethically managed, robust and accountable strategic framework. This course has been designed specifically to meet their needs. You will study how charities are using new and existing marketing ideas to acquire and distribute resources. And you will look at the practical application of key strategic marketing concepts and planning disciplines to voluntary sector organisations.
Throughout the course you will focus on the application of a strategic marketing approach. Under the umbrella of strategy you will look at and discuss effective brand management, selecting and adopting alternative channels, and the role and types of charity marketing communications.
You will debate different approaches to fundraising alongside the important constraints of ethical best practice and contemporary regulation as they apply to charity marketing strategy.
For further enquiries please contact: Professor Stephen Lee , The Charities Programme Office or 020 7040 5114.
Structure
The MSc course is taught on a part-time basis over a period of two years. Students initially enrol on the Postgraduate Diploma with the specialist area of their choice, and confirm their intention to complete the MSc at the end of the first year.
As a student you will:
- Develop your understanding of the strategic application of the marketing paradigm in the voluntary sector.
- Explore the practical application of key strategic marketing concepts and tools in different voluntary sector contexts.
- Understand how to design, implement and evaluate alternative fundraising strategies and techniques.
- Build relevant marketing/fundraising management and leadership skills and analytical capabilities.
- Gain access to a strong network and connections within the charity sector.
- Grow your confidence in pursuing your marketing career in the sector.
Induction
The Charities programme courses starting in October will have a final session for the in-person registration followed by an Induction programme on Thursday 06 October 2022.
Module outlines
Learning and Understanding the Voluntary Sector (10 credits)
This module represents the starting point for you and the opportunity to learn about the process of learning and establishing plans for learning on the programme. The vital 'Learning Contract' is developed on this module, and forms the basis of the learning throughout the Masters programme. It also offers a perspective on leading public/voluntary sector debates within an historical context, alongside a more enduring understanding of scholarly approaches to the understanding of developments and changes in the relationship between government and the voluntary sector.
Strategy, Diversity and Governance (20 credits)
This module aims to enable you to develop a broad knowledge and conceptual base in the field of strategy development, diversity and governance.
Marketing and Fundraising (10 credits)
This module aims to provide you with the concepts, underpinning knowledge, skills and techniques to plan and develop marketing and operations systems and enable students to analyse marketing needs, evaluate marketing plans, in the context of applying marketing concepts to their own organisation.
People Management in the Voluntary Sector (10 credits)
This module aims to provide you with an appreciation of key aspects of voluntary sector human resource issues, including the critical issue of volunteer management.
Charity Accounting and Finance (20 credits)
This module aims to provide you with an understanding of the specialist charity accounting framework grounded in trust law and fund accounting principles and issues of financial management.
Fieldwork Exercise (20 credits)
In this module you will undertake a 'tailored' learning experience centred on a 5 day consulting assignment on a financial project within a charity.
Fundraising (15 credits)
This module aims to enable you to develop a broad, informed and critical understanding of the complex issues surrounding fundraising.
Strategic Charity Marketing (15 credits)
This module aims to provide you with an enhanced consideration of marketing as a strategic tool and to introduce the strategic management aspects of charity marketing.
Assessment methods
The Postgraduate Diploma is offered on a part time basis and is taught over a period of 12 months. The Diploma consists of five core modules plus three specialist pathway modules. The core modules are shared by all five Centre for Charity Effectiveness postgraduate courses.
Upon successful completion of the diploma, you will be given the option to continue to the MSc. This requires completion of the Research Methods for Managers module.
This can be followed by a further six months of personal, supervised research and the presentation of a 15,000-word dissertation.
Alternatively, you can opt to take a taught Masters which allows you to choose specialist modules from one of the other Charities programmes.
Term dates
Postgraduate Diploma
The Postgraduate Diploma is offered on a part time basis and is taught over a period of 12 months.
The Diploma consists of five core modules plus three specialist pathway modules. The core modules are shared by all five Centre for Charity Effectiveness postgraduate courses.
All courses are taught at Bayes and will require attendance one weekend a month commencing on the Friday afternoon at 13:00 to 21:00 and finishing on Saturday at 18:00.
Additional times of attendance will be required: ·
- On the Induction Day
- For Action Learning Set meetings (usually alternate months on the Friday morning of the teaching weekend)
- The Resource Management module exam
Term dates October 2023 intake
Induction
05 October 2023
Learning and Understanding the Voluntary Sector
06 - 07 October 2023
Strategy, Diversity and Governance
10 - 11 November 2023; 08 - 09 December 2023
Marketing and Fundraising
12 - 13 January 2024
People Management in the Voluntary Sector
09 - 10 February 2024
Charity Accounting and Finance
08 - 09 March 2024; 05 - 06 April 2024
Fundraising
17 - 18 May 2024; 14 June 2024
Strategic Charity Marketing
15 June 2024; 19 - 20 July 2024
Shadowing process to be completed by mid August 2024
Course Review Day
06 September 2024
*All other modules area assessed by coursework
MSc conversion Upon successful completion of the diploma, you will be given the option to continue to the MSc. This requires completion of the Research Methods for Managers module.
This can be followed by a further six months of personal, supervised research and the presentation of a 15,000-word dissertation.
Alternatively, you can opt to take a taught Masters which allows you to choose specialist modules from one of the other Charities programmes.
Term dates For students progressing from the Postgraduate Diploma Intake in 2023
Research Methods for Managers
24 -25 January 2025
Dissertation or Taught Masters Option
completion by mid-September 2025
Teaching staff
Course Director
Academic expert working at Bayes Business School
The teaching staff on this course have many years of practical experience working in industry and are also active researchers in their fields.
Stephen Lee is currently Professor of Voluntary Sector Management at Bayes Business School. From 2012 until the General Election in May 2015 he was also Chief Executive at CentreForum, the UK based liberal think tank. Whilst at CentreForum he commissioned and over saw the publication of 65 major public policy research reports. Under his leadership CentreForum was awarded Prospect Magazine Economic Think Tank of the Year in 2013.
He has been College Secretary at Henley Management College and Faculty Director Strategy and Professor of Marketing at Henley Business School where he also established and ran the Centre for Voluntary Sector Management. During this period he established himself as a leading authority on marketing, governance and business ethics issues, and the leading European authority on charity fundraising regulation and the law and fundraising ethics.
Principle current research interests include Public Trust and Confidence in Charity Fundraising; Charity Fundraising Regulation; Ethical, Governance and Data Protection issues. A Fellow of the RSA and one of only four Honorary Fellows of the IOF, in September 2000 he received the inaugural, Professional Fundraising Lifetime Achievement Award.
James Newell is Director of the Kingston Smith Fundraising and Management division and supports a wide range of clients with high value fundraising and strategy advice. Following a marketing role in the automotive sector, James moved into the charity sector where he has gained a breadth of fundraising experience over the last nine years. James holds a Masters from Bayes Business School in Grantmaking, Philanthropy and Social Investment and the ICAEW’s Diploma in Charity Accounting. Recently, James was featured in Charity Finance Magazine’s ‘25 under 35’ rising stars in the charity advisory field.
Application
How to apply
There is no application deadline for this course. However, we do advise you to apply well in advance as competition for places is high and applications are considered on a continuous basis.
Terms and conditions
Students applying to study at Bayes are subject to City, University of London's terms and conditions.
Entry requirements
All students will be highly motivated graduate-level people who bring a wide range of professional competencies, skills and experience from a wide range of backgrounds. Gender is evenly balanced across all the courses and there are no age barriers.
In general we ask for a good first degree, normally an upper second-class honours degree from a British University or an equivalent qualification from a leading overseas institution; and three or more year’s relevant experience at a senior level. In exceptional cases we will also accept those without a degree but with significant work experience.
In order to participate fully in the collaborative learning process all students who have not previously studied in English must sit an academic IELTS or TOEFL iBT exam.
English language requirements
In order to participate fully in the collaborative learning process all students who have not previously studied in English must sit anacademic IELTS or TOEFL iBT exam.
The minimum required academic IELTS level is an average of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and no less than 6.0 in any other section.
We require a well-balanced overall score of at least 100 and no less than 25 in the Writing section in the TOEFL iBT test or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition test.
If you are not a native English speaker but have been working in the UK for the last three years it is unlikely you will need to take the test.
Fees
Fees in each subsequent year of study (where applicable) will be subject to an annual increase of 2%. We will confirm any change to the annual tuition fee to you in writing prior to you commencing each subsequent year of study (where applicable).
The fee for the Postgraduate Diploma is £6,900 for 2023/24 entry. A deposit of £400 is payable on acceptance of a place and the balance is payable in two instalments, the first on registration and the second in April. For those converting the Diploma to MSc a further £4,000 for 2023/24 entry is payable in the second year.
You may wish to look at the PG Loan option for funding.
Students who are sponsored by their employer will need to complete a sponsorship form as part of the application process. An invoice for the full fees will be sent to the employer in October. If the employer is a charity, they can request payment in two instalments by contacting the person named on the invoice. This arrangement allows the charity to spread the fees across two financial years.
Career pathways
Students are selected on their professional experience, and generally continue working in their full –time role whilst undertaking this course.
"A Business School (formerly Cass) charity master's degree is without a doubt a gold standard qualification that adds professional credibility."
- Johnathan Sandall
"The Charity Marketing and Fundraising course gave me some much needed intellectual rigour and helped develop a much more analytical and reflective approach. This has been invaluable in my new job; in fact, I wouldn't have got this job without this more strategic thinking."
- Zoe Marlow, Head Education and Business Development (UK and Ireland), Sannam S4
"I specialise in fundraising but wanted a wider understanding of the third sector as a whole, in order to aid my development and to give me a better grounding as a senior manager in my organisation. The course was challenging but manageable when working full time, and the lecturers and guest speakers were all excellent."
- Stephanie Lawless, Community Fundraising Manager, Dogs for Good
"The course covered a fantastic breadth of topics in great detail, merging theory with practical real world solutions, and prepares students to take on the challenges currently facing the voluntary sector. Completing this course provided me with the skills, knowledge and confidence to apply for and secure a more senior role in a new organisation."
- Marco Greco, Fundraising Manager, Coram Fields
"I really enjoyed my two years at the Business School (formerly Cass) and the course developed my confidence, honed my strategic thinking and gave me a new peer network. This helped me progress into my current role"
- Melanie Aram, Head of Major Gifts & Appeals, National Portrait Gallery
Course information and statistics (2022/23 cohort)
Accreditation
The Charities Master's courses were accredited by the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC) in January 2019 as the only programme in Europe to be included in the first group reviewed. NACC Accreditation fosters third sector academic programmes worldwide.
