Skills Exchange
Charity finances are
stretched, making growth
and development challenging…
until now!
Helping charities overcome challenges with support from local business
Local businesses are ready and willing to volunteer their time to support local charities but up until now, it has sometimes been a challenge for them to identify what they can offer and who they can help.
At Norfolk Community Foundation we work with over 100 businesses who are seeking to develop their social impact so are well placed to respond to this need.
- Do you need professional skills to help you complete a one-off project?
- Would you like to up skill your team?
- Do you need strategic guidance at a time of change?
- Is your organisation looking to overhaul your strategy?
- Do you have a big challenge you need help solving?
Then the skills exchange could be for you!
What could skills exchange do for you?
Help with professional skills
Sometimes, you need a solicitor to navigate a move. Other times, it’s help with employment law, financial information or changing your constitution. From lease checks and HR to payroll and tax, Skills Transfer gets you the legal support you need.
Example:
Chris Coupland from Birketts helped Harpley Village Hall investigate a land ownership problem that was holding them back from appointing new trustees and refurbishing the hall. With this resolved, they are ready to take the next steps to improve this community facility for all residents.
Help with upskilling
Charities are working in an increasingly complex world, where special skills are often required within teams day-to-day. We also know it’s common for charity employees to wear many different hats and having the opportunity to learn from an experienced person can add real value. Skills Coaches can come in to help individuals in your organisation learn new skills to improve efficiency, strengthen knowledge, increase capacity and possibly boost income.
Example:
Through the Skills Exchange, Richard Felton from Felton Fundraising has been helping charities navigate the increasingly complex world of grant fundraising. Through breakfast workshops, he has helped coach charities on how to create a sustainable fundraising model.
Help with big challenges
Local VCSEs are doing more and more, meaning finding space to develop long-term forward thinking and planning can be challenging. Unexpected challenges can also arise with funding issues, staffing changes or other strategic inflection points. The Skills Exchange provides an opportunity for voluntary sector leaders to collaborate with business professionals to tackle pressing issues. Expertise within other areas of the Skills Exchange can also be drafted in to support the solution.
Example:
Sunbeams Play were looking to relocate and expand their operations in Yarmouth, helping to support even more young people and adults with autism. We paired them with Simon from Wingfield Consultants to create a business plan, helping them chart a course for a bright future! The plan has helped them think long-term, and apply for loans and grant funding to help them make their next big step.
Help with other things
Skills Exchange has a broad range of businesses ready to lend a hand with a wide array of services your charity may benefit from – from branding and marketing to support with data, HR or even leadership advice.
Example:
Catherine from Cup-O-T Services got a simple website thanks to Skills Transfer. We paired Catherine up with Tom at Byra Marketing to create a website, making sure that people accessing Cup-O-T’s online learning for the peer support work programme had a really good, smooth experience and support in how to use the online platform. It’s a service they wouldn’t have been able to access otherwise. When they launched their new forest school, Cup-O-T also secured the services of photographer Stuart Beard through the Skills Exchange to create a splash via their social media and press releases.
“With very little funds available we were reluctant to engage professionals as the costs involved would have wiped out our small available funds. Having the option to engage the professionals on a low or no cost is brilliant!”
How it works
The Skills Exchange holds a bank of local employees and businesses who are ready and willing to be partnered with local charitable organisations.
How to access the Skills Exchange
- Your charitable organisation approaches the Skills Exchange with a request for help or guidance
- We help you identify what support you might need.
- We conduct due diligence checks to ensure your organisation meets our criteria.
- We pair you with the right skills at the right time to provide the help you need.
- We ensure your partnership gets off to a great start, we may be in touch to hear how it’s going but we’ll definitely be collecting feedback at the end of the process, helping to inform the business of the impact they’ve had.
Norfolk Community Foundation will ensure the very best skills and support are available to voluntary sector organisations.
What’s happened to Norfolk ProHelp?
Don’t panic! Norfolk ProHelp is still here, but it has been rebranded as the ‘Skills Transfer’ and is now part of the Skills Exchange. Skills Transfer is exactly the same offer as ProHelp: a one-off, short-term piece of work or support around a specific project.
Skills Transfer now sits alongside:
- Skills Coach – mentoring for charities from business specialists.
- The Locker Room – strategic guidance from a panel of business experts for organisations undergoing big changes or facing big challenges.