Voluntary sector leaders need to do more to engage with local councillors in order to persuade them not to cut funding, according to Navca chief executive Kevin Curley.
Speaking at the CFDG Northern Conference this morning, Curley said that Reading Voluntary Action could be praised for helping to persuade its local council to actually increase voluntary sector funding from £6.8m to just over £7m.
He said the group had ensured good relationships with key council officers and councillors of all parties, and made sure councillors understand what voluntary and community organisations do and “why investing in them is such good value”.
He then added that while this is true of many other areas where councils are cutting funding, “I do find too often a reluctance on the part of voluntary sector leaders to engage with local councillors and to build the credibility which is so essential for hard times.
“If they have not had an opportunity for three months through normal activity to meet the leader of the council and the Cabinet member responsible for voluntary sector funding, make sure they create one.
“Twice a year, give councillors photo opportunities – presenting a cheque if it is council funding or receiving a cheque on the charity’s behalf if it’s funding from somebody else.
“No matter how much hard work the charity has done, always give the leader of the council the credit.”
Big cuts
Elsewhere, he highlighted the opportunities from the Department of Health, which is having its funding sustained this year, but acknowledged that in most cases, charities are facing up to big funding cuts.
He said it is “remarkable” that the UK has no neighbourhood-based regeneration fund for the first time since Harold Wilson’s government of the 1960s, and called for charities to respond to arbitrary cuts with “vigorous campaigning”.
On public service delivery, he said that while grants are preferable, smaller organisations should look at collaborating to win larger contracts.
He also urged charities to become familiar with the Merlin Standard, which aims to ensure big prime contractors deal fairly with smaller sub-contractors, saying that it could be more powerful than the Compact.
And on gift aid, he warned that too many local charities are not claiming it, speculating that as much as £500m could be being lost a year, which equates to 20 times the Grassroots Grants scheme.
