Useful Resources for Charities
People often tell us they come across different definitions, confusing explanations, and contradictory advice relating to impact practice. Inspiring Impact's jargon buster clarifies the most commonly used terms, so you can be in the know as you navigate your way through ‘The cycle of good impact practice’.
Impact Measurement is the difference you make through the work that you do. It involves planning what your organisation will do; collecting information about what you have done and the difference you have made; understanding and assessing that information; communicating it; and learning from it.
The Code of Good Impact Practice gives a broad introduction to impact measurement. It sets out a ‘cycle of impact’ and a series of high-level principles to follow. Impact measurement is everyone’s responsibility; organisations that excel are able to engage ALL staff in the process of gathering information, reflecting, and planning for improvement; however in the first instance you may want to nominate a person from your Board or your staff teams to lead the project.
For organisations and projects, the performance measures focus on whether customers are better off as a result of your services. These performance measures also look at the quality and efficiency of these services. OBA asks three simple questions to get at the most important performance measures:
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How much did we do?
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How well did we do it?
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Is anyone better off?
OBA helps organisations identify the role they play in community-wide impact by identifying specific customers who benefit from the services the organisation provides.
Community impact focuses on conditions of well-being for children, families and the community as a whole that a group of leaders is working collectively to improve. For example: “Residents with good jobs,” “Children ready for school,” or “A safe and clean neighbourhood”. In OBA, these conditions of well-being are referred to as results or outcomes.
It is critical to identify powerful measures to determine the progress a community is making towards achieving community well-being. For communities, the measurements are known as community indicators and are usually collected by public agencies. A community wanting to have residents with good jobs may look at “turning the curve” on the unemployment rate.
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Good governance enables and supports a charity’s compliance with the law and relevant regulations. It also promotes a culture where everything works towards fulfilling the charity’s vision.
UK studies show that people’s trust and confidence has decreased over the last few years: a third attribute this to general media stories about charities, and a further third cite media coverage about how charities spend donations. Now more than ever, good governance, transparency and accountability is key to ensuring that your organisation thrives.
It can be challenging to know where to start but The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has produced a guide for small charities to help implement good governance.
Charity Excellence also has excellent free resources, including templates, for charities to use.
Please be aware that you will still need to refer to the Jersey regulatory and registry standards.
As a Jersey Charity you will also be registered with the Jersey Charity Commission or as not for profit organisation you will be registered with the Jersey Financial Services Commission.
Links:
https://knowhow.ncvo.org.uk/tools-resources/CGC_guidance_for_micro_charities.pdf
https://charitycommissioner.je/for-charities/guidance-and-legislation/
https://www.jerseyfsc.org/industry/forms/non-profit-organisations-forms/
Funding and Free Charity Resources and Templates (charityexcellence.co.uk)
Creating a safe and welcoming environment, where everyone is respected and valued, is at the heart of safeguarding. It’s about making sure your organisation is run in a way that actively prevents harm, harassment, bullying, abuse and neglect. It’s also about being ready to respond safely and well if there is a problem. Everyone in the organisation has a role to play in safeguarding. It should become part of your day-to-day activities.
Every organisation that delivers charitable activities has a duty to safeguard volunteers, staff members, participants and donors.
Five reasons to do safeguarding well
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Abuse, harassment and harm can happen to anyone – people we work with, staff or volunteers. It’s not always visible and often not spoken about
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Abuse, harm and neglect are wrong. We have a duty to do something about it.
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When everyone understands safeguarding and their right to be safe, people who have nowhere else to turn are protected.
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An organisation that does safeguarding well is an organisation that is trusted.
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The Charity Commission expects every charity to make safeguarding a priority.
Children and adults are best safeguarded when professionals are clear about what is required of them and how they need to work together. The Safeguarding Partnership Board’s role is to co-ordinate work locally which will safeguard children and adults and to monitor and challenge the effectiveness of Jersey’s safeguarding arrangements.
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Keeping up to date and improving the performance of an organisation is essential.
Training on improving the performance of your charity is available from the Association of Jersey Charities
Charity Essentials is a free NCVO online tool designed especially for charities as a way to do a basic health check on how your organisation is performing, identifying strengths and areas for development.
It is essential that all people working with 'at risk' groups are appropriately checked.
All staff and volunteers, including board (committee) members should hold a current DBS certificate before commencing work with a charity, and it is the charity's responsibility to make sure this is the case, and that the certificates are kept up to date.
You can apply for a Basic DBS Check yourself on the Scottish Government website or through other organisations who will assist with your application like Soapbox Training Trust
The Association of Jersey Charities
The Association of Jersey Charities is the representative body of the majority of charitable organisations operating in Jersey.
Volunteer.je
Volunteer.je is funded and operated by The Bosdet Foundation for the benefit of Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) and the people of Jersey.
Volunteer.je main aims are to help charities and other NPOs save on their spending and to help find volunteers to undertake the great work that they do. It provides a free gateway for NPOs to get their needs out there, especially the smaller ones, to effectively be seen in the community.
Jersey Charity Commissioner
The Jersey Charity Commissioner is independent of the States of Jersey and maintains a register of Jersey charities including community groups, religious charities, schools, grant-giving charities and major care providers. The Commissioner ultimately supports public confidence in charities and their work.
