We know from our members that numbers of charities are struggling to maintain their income; Treasurers are being asked to do more with less, often without help from the rest of the Board, who “don’t do numbers”.
Doing more with less
Cutting costs is always difficult, but it gives us the opportunity to look again at our mission and really understand where the impact of our charity is felt now. Services can grow organically and then become embedded.
Rather than trying to do the same things at reduced cost, how about involving the whole board in a realistic evaluation of how many people benefit, and to remind ourselves what lies at our core?
An example
One charity we know did this and discovered that the same few families were taking advantage of every service offered. Good for them, but not for the charity as a whole. The Treasurer was finally able to discuss the cost of delivery to individuals, and by refocussing, the Charity extended its reach and impact to a larger number of beneficiaries despite cutting some activities. It got the Treasurer out of the numbers corner, introduced impact reporting to the Trustee Board pack and, the initial intention, allowed costs to be reduced.
