Data protection changes that will make charity fundraising easier
Julian Lomas
4 years on from GDPR and new Data Protection legislation is in the offing. What will this mean for charities and fundraising in particular?
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Stay up to date with developments in the sector and our latest thinking on issues affecting charities and social enterprises.
Why governance health checks are important for all charities.
Julian Lomas
With continued concern about the governance of charities clear to see in the press and Charity Commission publications, this short articles explores why all charities should regularly review the health of their governance arrangements.
Read MoreOur Corporate Social Responsibility accreditation
Julian Lomas
We are delighted that Almond Tree Strategic Consulting’s long-standing commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has recently been recognised through renewal of our CSR Accreditation, this time at the Gold award level.
Read MoreCharities Act 2022: what does it mean for small charities?
Julian Lomas
The Charities Act 2022 became law in February 2022 and the Government has recently published its implementation plan for the new Act. But what will it mean for small charities?
Read MoreSupporting small charities and social enterprises: a perspective from Clarion Futures
Julian Lomas
In the third blog in our series we reflects from Emma Hale, Grants Manager at Clarion Futures on the work we have been doing with their partners since late 2020 and the impacts of their Recovery and Resilience Programme on both the foundation and their partners.
Read MoreOur impact in supporting small charities and social enterprises through the pandemic
Julian Lomas
This is the second in a short series of blogs reflecting on the work we have been doing support small charities and social enterprises on behalf of Clarion Futures. This blog focuses on the findings from the evaluation of our work.
Read MoreSupporting small charities and social enterprises through the pandemic
Julian Lomas
This is the first in a short series of blogs we will publish in the coming weeks reflecting on the work we have been doing support small charities and social enterprises on behalf of Clarion Futures.
Read MoreShifting the culture from crisis to calm
Julian Lomas
Pandemic nor not, charities operate in a constant state of crisis. In this guest blog, William Roberts offer four principles to move your charity from crisis to calm.
Read MoreIs cashless fundraising the future?
Julian Lomas
Unsurprisingly, the pandemic has stimulated a large and sustained increase in cashless giving and the received wisdom appears to be that it is here to stay. But is there evidence to support the receive wisdom? It seems there may be.
Read MoreFinding, engaging and retaining volunteers in 2022
Julian Lomas
The voluntary sector has gone through as much change as any over the last few years. In this guest blog, Ashley Staines of Volunteero provides some tips around how best to acquire, onboard, engage and retain your volunteers
Read MoreHow to address disputes between charity trustees
Julian Lomas
Sometimes, when we are asked to help with a governance review or strategy development, we quickly discover that the underlying trigger for the charity asking for help is that there is disagreement or even conflict between trustees. This short article explore why this happens and what can be done about it.
Read MoreWishing you a restful Christmas and New Year
Julian Lomas
We wish all our clients, and everyone working to sustain vital charity services, a restful and enjoyable Christmas and New Year and look forward to working with you in 2022
Read MoreHow charity funders have (mostly) stepped up to the challenges of Covid-19
Julian Lomas
In previous blogs we’ve explored what charity fundraising might look like post-Covid and the impacts on grant funding in particular. This article applauds funders for (mostly) stepping up to the mark to keep the sector afloat and meet the needs of vulnerable people during the pandemic.
Read MoreIt's long past time to get serious about Trustee diversity
Julian Lomas
Diversity on Trustee Boards has been on the agenda for a long time and yet the sector still isn’t stepping up to the mark. This short article explores this critical issue for the sector in a little more detail.
Read MoreWhy charities need a good policy framework
Julian Lomas
We frequently get asked to help small charities put in place a fit for purpose policy framework. Unfortunately this often starts out as a box-ticking exercise but it should be so much more important than that.
Read MoreRunning effective hybrid/mixed-mode meetings
Julian Lomas
Over the last 18 months we’ve had lots of practice at getting the best out of online meetings, but now people are returning to their offices as well as working from home, we’re having to learn how to manage hybrid or mixed-mode meetings effectively. This short article explores how to get the best from hybrid meetings.
Read MoreDigital transformation or digital divide?
Julian Lomas
The pandemic has dramatically accelerated the use of digital tools and digital services but what about those who can’t access services online easily or at all?
Read MoreCharity or CIC - which is right for my organisation?
Julian Lomas
Over the last couple of years we’ve worked with lots of start up not-for-profit organisations, many of whom have been struggling to decide if they should be structured as a Charity or a Community Interest Company. This post explores some of the things to consider when deciding the right legal structure for your non-profit.
Read MoreCore funding for charities is now more vital than ever.
Julian Lomas
With most charities expecting continued volatility in funding, demand for their services and volunteer capacity we argue that there needs to be more funding available for core costs over the next few years to help charities navigate these uncertainties.
Read MorePassion and Data: a winning combination for charities!
Julian Lomas
Passion plus Data could be a winning combination for many more charities. Read more about why in this guest blog from Ian J Seath, Director of Improvement Skills Consulting Ltd.
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