Peridot Partners’ Post

ℹ️ Two Towns: Big Ideas Participatory Budgeting Fund #Banff & #Macduff Projects Announced We are delighted to report that a total of 6⃣ projects have been successful in their application, supporting a variety of #community activities and have been awarded #grant funding. The Two Towns: Big Ideas participatory budgeting fund will support the 6⃣ projects which range from cultural celebrations, to the creation of an inclusive space for a host of social and creative activites are sharing more than £25,000 in funding. Community groups, school groups, businesses, charitable organisations and social enterprises were all encouraged to submit applications for grant ranging from £500 up to £5,000, with the submissions being carefully scrutinised against agreed criteria by a funding panel comprising representatives of the private sector, community council, council officers and chair of the Banff and Buchan Area Committee Cllr Doreen Mair. While the number of applications didn’t quite trigger the voting element of the participatory budgeting process, the following successful groups are eager to kickstart their various projects: Banff Castle, Banff Academy x 2, The Cattleskate Academy, The Forge and Banff Preservation & Heritage Society. The ‘Two Towns: Big Ideas’ grant fund was identified in both the Banff and Macduff Development Partnership Action Plans as a priority project to help the towns develop in the aftermath of the pandemic and cost of living crisis. Following face-to-face discussions with residents and businesses, together with an online public engagement process, Economic Development Aberdeenshire agreed to explore participatory budgeting as a method of tackling this issue. To read the full news release, please click this link: 📰 https://lnkd.in/eZ68tV9U #Fund #Funding #Grant #ParticipatoryBudgeting #TownCentre #Aberdeenshire #Banff #Macduff #CoastalCommunities #CommunitySupport #BusinessSupport   Aberdeenshire Council

Agri-tourism business in Fife?? Community Grants (up to £25,000 and on average £15,000) These are open to constituted voluntary groups, organisations, registered small businesses (including sole traders), registered charities, and trusts. The projects must meet at least one of four priority themes: Promoting access to employment and opportunities Skills development and youth activity for children and young people Activities that encourage the creation of a resilient local economy (e.g. nature restoration, agri-tourism) Rural community capacity building https://lnkd.in/egxC5W4z

WHAT ARE WE WORKING ON? I used to do a post like this every few months as I think they offered an interesting insight into how varied (bespoke) the work we do for our clients is and the wide range of ways we can help but as we have got busier I fell out of the habit so its time to resurrect it! Recently Carolyn, Vic and I have been extremely busy: * Writing many bids including work for a Christian charity, a youth volunteering charity, a family support social enterprise, and several large-scale capital sports projects. * Supporting several not-for-profits to identify suitable grant funding opportunities that fit their specific circumstances and needs. * Delivering training on fundraising and bid writing, social enterprise and community asset transfer. * Helping a larger local not-for-profit develop an effective fundraising strategy and the skills and tools needed to effectively implement this. * Supporting several organisations to implement our innovative Insight monitoring and evaluation app and working with our development partner to further enhance the system's capabilities. * Assisting a long-established and successful animal protection charity with key decisions about its future direction, governance and funding. * Helping a grant-giving charity review its strategy and start to develop a new direct intervention programme. * Mentoring a fundraiser working for a local charity to help them grow their confidence and fine-tune their bid writing. * Collaborating on the design and delivery of a free one-off workshop focused on what's needed for a not-for-profit to be successful and how they can use the apprenticeship system to help with this. * Helping schools access funding, develop partnerships and develop sustainable ways to offer community services. * As ever doing a lot of networking and connecting people who we think can help each other. And finally doing our utmost to help as many people as we can! If you think any of this could help your not-for-profit then get in touch for a free initial chat. #notforprofit #charity #CIC #socialenterprise #'sport #fundraising #strategy #training #mentoring

Charitable foundations need to plan strategically, but they generally lack the hard data that would allow them to do so. Stepping in to fill this gap is Philanthropic Foundations Canada / Fondations philanthropiques Canada, which has released the first report in a series of research projects designed to shed light on Canada’s philanthropic landscape. The report offers data about financial pressures, the struggle for investment returns and where grants are going. Thanks to PFC's Sara Krynitzki for her insights. #philanthropy #wealth #givingback #foundations #charitablefoundations #charity Canadian Family Offices #CanadianFamilyOffices CFRE International Institute of Family Enterprise Stewards Inc. ("IFES Global") #familyoffices #FEA #FEC #FELI

WHAT ARE WE WORKING ON? I used to do a post like this every few months as I think they offer an interesting insight into how varied (bespoke) the work we do for our clients is and the wide range of ways we can help but as we have got busier I fell out of the habit so its time to resurrect it! Recently Carolyn, Vic and I have been extremely busy: * Writing many bids including work for a Christian charity, a youth volunteering charity, a family support social enterprise, and several large-scale capital sports projects. * Supporting several not-for-profits to identify suitable grant funding opportunities that fit their specific circumstances and needs. * Delivering training on fundraising and bid writing, social enterprise and community asset transfer. * Helping a larger local not-for-profit develop an effective fundraising strategy and the skills and tools needed to effectively implement this. * Supporting several organisations to implement our innovative Insight monitoring and evaluation app and working with our development partner to further enhance the system's capabilities. * Assisting a long-established and successful animal protection charity with key decisions about its future direction, governance and funding. * Helping a grant-giving charity review its strategy and start to develop a new direct intervention programme. * Mentoring a fundraiser working for a local charity to help them grow their confidence and fine-tune their bid writing. * Collaborating on the design and delivery of a free one-off workshop focused on what's needed for a not-for-profit to be successful and how they can use the apprenticeship system to help with this. * Helping schools access funding, develop partnerships and develop sustainable ways to offer community services. * As ever doing a lot of networking and connecting people who we think can help each other. And finally doing our utmost to help as many people as we can! If you think any of this could help your not-for-profit then get in touch for a free initial chat. #notforprofit #charity #CIC #socialenterprise #'sport #fundraising #strategy #training #mentoring

Last week's #CivilAlliance event by Pro Bono Economics got me thinking about the unexpected journey that led me to bridge two worlds: the Civil Service and the third sector. Like many I imagine, my path to becoming a trustee was essentially accidental. What started as a friend asking for help getting a walking project off the ground at a small refugee integration charity (Fences & Frontiers) evolved into years of ground-level volunteering and eventually taking on the role of Treasurer. The learning curve was steep - probably steeper than it needed to be, and I could pick holes in the Charity Commission's guidance all day long. It was also sometimes a lonely experience - even many of the other trustees didn't really understand much about the duties of a Treasurer (it took a year or two before I bought a very helpful book which explained a lot of the basics!) https://g.co/kgs/mTwKcG6 But once I started figuring it out, and slowly developing skills in accounting practices, budgeting, forecasting and the like - lo and behold, it turns out those things are also useful in a job too! To such an extent that I've used those experiences (successfully) in Civil Service job applications, and transferred various practices I tried out in my charity, into my team at work, and vice versa. What's become clear is that this skills exchange works both ways. Civil servants often underestimate just how valuable their everyday expertise could be to charities, especially at board level. The very things we might take for granted – policy development, strategic planning, compliance understanding – are exactly what many small charities need most. And while concerns about conflicts of interest and the Civil Service Code are valid, I've found these easier to navigate than initially feared. As Beth Kitson recently highlighted in her piece with PBE, there's a pressing need for these skills, particularly in smaller charities. https://lnkd.in/ej-5hHcm So, to my fellow civil servants (and anyone else) considering volunteering or trusteeship: take that step. The experience is challenging, yes, but immensely rewarding. There are numerous platforms advertising trustee roles, and I'm always happy to chat about my experiences or offer practical advice about the realities of being a Trustee and Treasurer. https://lnkd.in/eWRr55us #CivilService #Volunteering #Charity #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #ThirdSector

I’m thrilled to share my recent experience volunteering with SafeLink Alberta, an incredible non-profit organization advocating for priority populations in Calgary and Southern Alberta since 1983. The organization offers education, peer support, and outreach to ensure that everyone has access to healthcare services. I'm glad I could apply my sales skills to a great cause. This past week, I had the honour of volunteering with Safelink Alberta. We raised funds by selling tickets at an event. We aimed to raise crucial funds to support their vital programs and initiatives. The event was a resounding success, and it was heartwarming to see so many people come together to support such an important cause. A huge thank you to the organization for such a wonderful and enlightening experience. Hopefully, Safelink Alberta will continue its essential work in promoting safety, prevention, and support. Volunteering for this cause has been a reminder of the power of community and the importance of giving back. It's about more than just professional growth; it's about making a meaningful impact. P.S. Do you have a volunteering experience that stands out for you that you would love to share? ________________________________________ Seeing my post for the first time? I’m Chidimma Ezeigwe - PMP, a passionate project manager with a keen interest in data science. I'm eager to connect with like-minded professionals in the field. My expertise lies in effectively orchestrating projects while leveraging data-driven insights to optimize outcomes. I'm open to exploring new opportunities that align with my skills and passions. Click the follow button so you don't miss out on valuable content I put out here daily. #projectmanager #PMP #PMI #dataenthusiast #businessmanager #salesprofessional

As many of you will know, I am a trustee to a small grass roots charity - https://lnkd.in/ehbUBA2F ; and this year I was signed up (note that I did not sign myself up!!!) to run the Brighton Marathon to raise money to help support our charities activities for 2024 and beyond. What many of you won't know... is that I am not a runner... that I ran the London marathon in 2016 (again - raising money for Inspire Malawi) and sobbing at the end vowed never to do another one.... and that the only reason I am doing this is that the other Director of the Charity got us 4 places in the race and we couldn't find anyone else mad enough to do it for us!! I am literally dreading it!!! Inspire Malawi supports, promotes and enhances Primary and Secondary Education in the most isolated villages of Dedza and Ntcheu in the Lizulu District of Malawi (one of the poorest countries in the world). Since 2010, we have been leading groups of volunteers to the country who work hand in hand with communities to renovate and redecorate their schools - inspiring through education. As a small (I don't think the term micro would be unfair here!) charity, we are committed to raising the necessary funds for each individual project through fundraising activities, sponsorship and donations. Each project is unique. We respond to individual requests for support form Headteachers and community leaders, who contact us for a variety of reasons. Smaller projects might include the construction of a new toilet block, or redecorating of classrooms. Larger projects have seen us building from the ground up additional facilities which have included classrooms, staff rooms, libraries and storerooms. We have drilled boreholes, developed permaculture gardens and have provided free continuing professional development (CPD) courses for teachers and community leaders. Each year we raise approximately £10k - £30k, and every little really does help, as well as going directly into projects on the ground in Malawi. When I took my mum over to visit the projects in April 2023, as well as to take part in some volunteering ourselves, I was once again amazed at the amount Michelle (who founded the charity) is able to achieve with so little funding. Please do consider donating - I really will hate every second of this run.... expect tears, misery, and please know that the only thing getting me round will be knowing what a fantastic cause I am doing it for and knowing what a fantastic cause I am raising money for. Thank you for any donation you are able to give. https://lnkd.in/eEnPg8kg

I need to share something close to my heart. Being a trustee of Footprints Project isn’t just a role or a responsibility – it’s something deeply personal. Over the past year since my ELEVATE CJS placement to understand the role of a trustee, I’ve had the privilege of meeting the people Footprints Project supports, hearing their stories, and seeing their journeys. These are people who’ve hit rock bottom – some have lost their families, their homes, even their sense of worth. Society often gives up on them, but at Footprints Project , they don’t. One story will always stay with me. A man who came to us after leaving prison told me he had no one left in his corner. He felt invisible. But when he started working with Footprints Project , something shifted. One of our mentors – someone who had been through similar struggles – stood beside him, not just with words of encouragement, but with real, practical support. That man now has a steady job, a safe place to live, and a relationship with his kids again. It’s moments like these that make me so proud to be part of Footprints Project . We’re not just helping people survive – we’re helping them truly live again. This year, Footprints Project led by the amazing Caroline Stevens is celebrating 20 years of changing lives across #Dorset and #Hampshire. What started as a small group of volunteers at HMP Dorchester has grown into a vital charity supporting over 200+ people a year. But we can’t do it without help. We’re raising £20,000 to ensure we can keep doing this life-changing work. And we’ve created a short film that shows exactly what makes Footprints Project so special. It’s honest, moving, and a true reflection of the people we’re here for. I’m asking for your support because this means everything to me. 1. Watch the film – it shows why this work matters so much. https://lnkd.in/ePSBZYwK 2. Share it – please, help us reach more people who believe in second chances. 3. Donate – even the smallest amount makes a huge difference. For me, Footprints Project feels like family. It’s a community of people who believe in hope, in resilience, and in the power of starting over. If you’ve ever believed in second chances or the idea that people can change, I’d love for you to be part of this journey with us. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for being someone who cares. Watch the film and donate here https://lnkd.in/ecJY7aiD With gratitude, Brendan #WhyICare #SecondChances #FootprintsProject #HopeAndChange

Land ownership significantly enhances charity survival, especially in deprived regions. Assets provide stability, generate revenue, and empower communities, crucial for sustained impact. Advocating divestment of land to communities, fostering self-reliance, and safeguarding essential services for vulnerable populations. #charity #survival #community #assets