Better endings: when is the right time to think about closure or merger?

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

Date

13:00-14:00, 23 April 2024

This event took place 7 months ago

Attendance

Online

Contact

Tracey Bird
0131 474 6168

Topics

Governance and leadership Running your organisation

Overview

In Scotland around 800 new charities are set up every year, and 600 wind up. The signs are that this will be no different in 2024, and organisational closures may be on the increase. A combination of the cost of living crisis, high energy bills, decreased governmental and philanthropic funding, plus the long shadow of the pandemic, means that some organisations are facing very difficult decisions. And whilst financial difficulties are the more obvious reason for closure, there are also some organisations or projects that reach a more natural end when they have achieved their purpose.

Whatever the reasons for change, we would like to look at when is the right time for organisations to proactively think about closure or merger, and how to access support to make this daunting process more manageable. To help us, we will be joined by Linda Craig, Operations and Finance Lead from The Decelerator a free support service for charities and voluntary sector organisations. They offer information, tools, and hands-on support to help organisations anticipate and design closures, mergers, and project endings. 

Overall aim

In this free lunchtime webinar we’ll look at how to recognise when it’s the right time to consider and plan for a project or organisation ending. We’ll explore:

• How trustees can recognise the warning signs which may indicate an ending is coming
• The best ways of raising the question of a possible ending with stakeholders, including staff and beneficiaries
• How trustees can create the best conditions throughout the life of a charity for positive endings
• How to plan an ending well enough to secure a lasting and positive legacy
• The support and guidance available to organisations, including legal advice and new website guidance from SCVO

Who was the event aimed at?

This webinar is aimed at trustees, senior staff and those who support charities.

Cost

Free