Support for leaders of small charities
06/18/2023
As a leader of a small charity where do you find support? Maybe you have a network of peers in your local area or ones who work on similar causes? You might connect with your local CVS or belong to a professional organisation? Maybe you have a mentor or are part of an active online network?
Chances are you are too busy for all of these things. You are operating at capacity. Wearing many hats to get everything done in order for your charity to survive.
We spoke to Vic Hancock Fell, a small charity sector devotee who has worked in small charities for 15 years. She runs Fair Development, a social enterprise that specialises in providing appropriate and affordable support for smaller organisations.
She recently launched the Small Charity Leaders Club - a 6-month online course that covers the basics of how to run an effective small charity and harnesses the incredible power of peer support and solidarity. She told us about the stories she’s hearing from small charity leaders and some sources of help available.
Where we are
“In the last fortnight I have had four small charity leaders break down in tears when talking to me. They’ve told me just how stressed, overwhelmed and lonely they are in their roles. It’s really tough.
Lots of factors are putting pressure on our professional and personal lives. We’ve been living in a permacrisis for the past three years – Covid then the cost of living crisis and ongoing economic, political and climate uncertainty.
And there are fewer places to turn to for help. Two specialist small charity infrastructure organisations have closed within 24 months – Small Charity Coalition and The FSI. The ones that are left, are stretched.
Additionally, investment in public services is low. This means that organisations are seeing an increase in demand for their work at the same time as a reduction in their income from the public (due to the cost of living) and trusts and foundations.
All this, unsurprisingly means that feelings of burnout, stress and overwhelm are common. And if you have an invisible or ineffective board, being a small charity CEO can feel like a very lonely place.
But there is help out there. Here are a few suggestions.
Good governance
Many small charities do have trustee boards which are actively involved in the day-to-day operations. A good board with trustees who have the time and skills to help out, all working to the same goal, is down to good governance.
Dealing with a toxic or ineffective board is a hard job. Both Association of Chairs and the Charity Excellence Framework have useful resources to help.
Maybe you need to expand or refresh your board or upskill your existing Trustees? Getting on Board have lots of resources to help you recruit and develop trustees.
Expanding your team
The role of a small charity CEO often involves wearing many hats and juggling lots of different tasks. Are there some tasks you could delegate to a volunteer or freelancer? Could you call in some pro bono support? Maybe there are tasks you hate doing or you know you are not good at?
It sounds like a lot of work to find the right person to help out but there are organisations which can help. Take a look at Cranfield Trust and Reach Volunteering.
This crowd-sourced spreadsheet that has a list of great places to go for help with almost anything (set up by The FSI during Small Charity Week 2022).
Peer support
There are lots of ways to build connections and find other charity leaders who can understand what you are going through and offer support.
Online groups can be a good place to start. Reading other people’s messages before you are feeling ready to jump in, can help.
- Small charity CEOs - Facebook group
- Small international development charities network (SIDCN) - Facebook group
- Small charity chat group - Guild
Are there other leaders in your local area or those working on similar issues you could connect with directly? You could set up your own in-person or online group if one doesn’t exist already. Maybe your local CVS runs a group or could put you in touch with peers?
I have found from running the first sessions in the Small Charity Leaders Club, that having time to talk and listen to others, is a great stress-reliever. It can be tempting to cancel ready-made plans if you are too busy, but the value of connecting with others can be a real boost.
Looking after yourself
Most leaders of small charities are committed and passionate about the work they do. This can mean you are driven to working 24/7. But this can lead to severe fatigue and burnout. Vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue are also a real challenge in this sector.
Recognise the signs in yourself. Take time off, guilt free, when you need. Factor in breaks and fun stuff. Find someone to talk to.
You are not alone
If you are recognising yourself in the descriptions above, please know that it is very common to feel like this. Things are really hard right now and charities everywhere are feeling the pinch. Yours needs you to be energised and strong.
Do take a step back and look for ways to re-focus. Whether this is looking at the support you get internally, expanding your team in a cost-effective way, finding peers to connect with or just having some time out.”
Other sources of help
- NCVO support for small charities
- Small charities helpdesk – staffed by NCVO
- Resources for small charities – CAF
- CEO in crisis service - ACEVO
The Small Charity Leaders Club has a waiting list for the 2024 group. You can express your interest on the Fair Development website.