Small Charity Friendly Collective

We are proud to be a founding member of an informal, self organising collective of small charity friendly specialists. Formed in 2021, we have come together to respond the challenge set in the Small Charities Coalition’s (SCC) Small and Mighty final report: to provide dedicated and trusted support to small charities.

The spirit of volunteerism, which sits at the very heart of our sector, is important to us when we work together in this shared endeavour. As a result, when we host events:

- Our service is to small charities – our events are financially accessible; we do not charge people to attend, and everyone is welcome to attend;

- Our commitment is to volunteerism – neither the collective members nor other contributors receive any financial benefit for their contributions at our events;

- Our intention is to create space to share and learn together – we are thankful for and indebted to all those who join our events, both as contributors and as consumers.

We have extensive professional experience in the sector, and a shared love for, and dedication to small charities. We are committed to the following standards to ensure we are working in a 'small charity friendly' way:

1. We work in YOUR best interest.

We put small charities first. We won't do or suggest anything that you don't really need, or that we aren't best placed to deliver - instead, we will connect you where appropriate to other small-friendly colleagues. We won't stick around any longer than necessary and will always ensure there’s a clear handover when it’s time to move on; we aim to share our expertise and support you to develop solutions in-house where this is more affordable or works better long-term.

2. We cut through the noise.

We support you to do more with less, by identifying your top priorities and addressing them efficiently. We ensure our services are accessible - we avoid jargon, explaining things clearly and simply, and are committed to offering affordable, transparent pricing.

3. We meet you where you are.

We understand that if you're contacting us, it's to get some support - we don't expect everything to be in order, and won't judge, no matter where you’re up to. We tailor our approaches to small charities, your capacity and resources. We ditch the assumptions (for example around your capacity, reserves, or prior knowledge) and set realistic expectations based on your goals.

4. We learn from the sector.

We build connections with small charities and organisations that support them. We listen and respond to the challenges, needs and experiences of small charities, and improve our offers based on what we hear and learn. We loosely define ‘small charities’ as those with an approximate turnover of up to £1 million.

You can keep up to date with the latest from The Small Charity Collective via our LinkedIn page.

You can find out more about available support below:

Liz Pepler – Small charity finance

Michele Price – Charity law

Mike Zywinia – Strategy and fundraising

Sonia Wilson – Human Resources

Yasmin Glover – Communications, strategy and staff development

Flora Raffai - Coaching

Claris D'Cruz - Charity governance

Liz Pepler, Embrace Finance

Small charity finance

Liz, an experienced charity resilience specialist helps small charities build financial confidence and really marry money and mission. Liz is a member of the Institute of Accounting and Bookkeeping and a Fellow of the RSA. Liz is an experienced finance director, treasurer and trustee. Liz provides training, mentoring and resources for small charities looking to build their financial resilience.

www.embracefinance.org.uk

liz@embracefinance.org.uk

Michele Price, Charity Partner, Gunnercooke LLP

Charity law

Michele is a specialist charity lawyer helping small charities to understand their legal structure, stay on top of their internal governance and manage any regulatory issues, ensuring that organisations can function efficiently and achieve their purpose. Michele offers a free half hour initial consultation. Any follow up legal work is offered at a preferential small charities rate, usually for an agreed fixed fee.

www. gunnercooke.com/people/michele-price/

michele.price@gunnercooke.com

07399 114 937

Mike Zywina, Lime Green Consulting

Strategy and fundraising

Mike works with charities and social enterprises to help them be more strategic, become more sustainable and access more funding. Through Lime Green Consulting, Mike provides strategic consultancy, facilitated workshops, fundraising support, bid writing and training to hundreds of grassroots organisations each year. They also provide a variety of free fundraising/strategy resources, including helpsheets and a monthly blog.

www.limegreenconsulting.co.uk

hello@limegreenconsulting.co.uk

07944 332 879

Sonia Wilson, Populo

Human Resources

Sonia, an experienced HR consultant helps small charities to better manage their people - improving confidence, peace of mind and charities’ impact in their communities. Sonia is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of People and Development and the School for Social Entrepreneurs and has served as a charity trustee, social enterprise advisory board member and volunteer mediator. Free HR advice is provided every Wednesday 10:00-12:00 for small charities.

www.populo.org.uk

populohr@btinternet.com

07584 731 420

Yasmin Glover, The Olive Training and Consultancy

Communications, strategy and staff development

Yasmin is an experienced small charities consultant and facilitator, supporting with strategy, communications, staff development and senior capacity. Through the Olive Training and Consultancy, Yasmin supports small charities and social enterprises to become more efficient, purpose-driven, and impactful.

www.the-olive.co.uk/services 

yasmin@the-olive.co.uk 

07539 549 696

Claris D'Cruz, Governance consultant and trainer

Claris provides practical advice and support. She also provides EDI training and board support including skills audits, diversity data mapping and facilitated board self-assessments. Claris has 15+ years of voluntary leadership experience and nearly 25 as a charity lawyer having worked in-house for a charity, at the Charity Commission and in private practice. www.clarisdcruz.co.uk

Flóra Raffai, Rapport Coaching

Flóra is an accredited transformational coach specialising in small charity leaders, consultant, and trainer. She specialises in strategic and operational planning; building an effective and inclusive culture; and positive leadership. Author of ‘Chief Everything Officer’, Flóra has been a CEO, trustee and mentor for small charities, and is currently Chair of Trustees at a local infrastructure charity.

www.rapport-coaching.com