People should be main characters in our third sector stories

Chuggers, “aggressive” cold calling, Kids Club and all the questions of governance that went with its demise. OAPs committing suicide because of charity calls. Donor fatigue, fraudulent charity collectors, high wages for some third sector CEO’s, cuts, austerity, competition invading collaborative culture. Its something of a perfect storm for charities which for so long have traded on trust and the assumption that whatever else, if it's a charity, it's a good thing. Times are changing and the third sector is having to adapt fast, not simply to the economics of austerity but to the ideology of self first which drives it. These are tough times and its not just because of the pressure on charity coffers. As CEO of Cyrenians I have ultimate responsibility for making sure the organisation hits its income targets. This year we are looking to raise something in the region of £3.7m. At present most of this income comes from public sector contracts and grants but, in line with many third sector organisations, I know we need to reduce our dependence on the public sector for our income, something which has put our fundraising activity into sharp focus.

Fundraising is rarely about the money; it’s about the people. It’s always about the people.

As chair of BBC Children in Need Scotland grants committee I have ultimate responsibility for ensuring the decisions made about the granting of around £5.5m of money to support work with children up to the age of 18 are made with rigour, consistency, transparency and with the maximum impact. Children in Need Scotland received around £24m of applications last year. The committee faces some tough decisions every time it meets, decisions we know we need to be able to defend, especially to the thousands of people who donate to Children in Need across the country. I see a great deal of good practice rooted in quality work which is changing lives but is continually in danger of not being funded because of the issues I have identified above. I know the struggle the sector has to tell its story well in a world where numbers are used to prove everything yet real change is rarely quantifiable. I see some organisations falling foul of the dangers of becoming too closely tied to the aspirations and understanding of donors as to what really works just to get the money. We have all seen what happens when an organisation loses its grip on the truth about its work in its desperation to get the cash it needs to survive. A light kept under a bushel is not a good model for a fundraising strategy but neither is hyperbole. If ever there was a governance task for third sector boards it is to ensure the story told can stand scrutiny. The best work is always people focused, starting with the needs and aspirations of those whom we serve. If we start there we are more likely to remain there when telling the story of what we do. There are few more powerful tools than an authentic voice speaking up for those who are in need asking for support for those who can help meet it. So the first task is to work out how best to tell your story clearly, effectively and with some rigour behind any numbers. It’s not just about how many but what was the quality of the experience. How do you know it was a good and what difference did it make? This may seem obvious but you'd be amazed at how many organisations either don’t know how to tell their story or do so in quantities not qualities. The second task is to be as people centred in fundraising as we are in everything else we do. Being people centred is not just something for front line services. Knowing our funders, looking for double wins (where the relationship is not just “poor charity cap in hand to rich corporate” but doing things where everyone wins), creating long term relationships and making sure we look after the little donors as well as the big ones. This is not complicated but its seems a bit like we have lost sight of it in our challenge to stay afloat. Fundraising is rarely about the money; it’s about the people. It’s always about the people. That's what the third sector is built on: trust, hope, opportunity and compassion. And that is as true for the way we raise our money, as it is how we spend it. It’s time to return to roots.