The Small Charities Coalition (SCC) is looking for an organisation to take over its support functions, as it starts to wind down its work.
Organisations interested in running the SCC HelpDesk and other services, which advise small charities on issues including regulation, governance and legal requirements, have until 2 March to let SCC know.
The SCC said that it was talking to funders about supporting this work, but added that any support is likely to be “limited”.
At the end of last year, the SCC board announced plans to close the charity after 14 years later this year, having “exhausted all possibilities” for securing future finances.
Demand
Demand for the HelpDesk, which operates five days a week online and by telephone, has grown fourfold since 2019, according to a statement by the SCC. Demand peaked in January 2021, during the second wave of the coronavirus, when it handled more than 600 queries.
The statement continued: “It is envisaged that the HelpDesk will have a distinct branding and be delivered in a way that provides advice and support free at the point of use for small charitable organisations.
“In addition, it is anticipated that the host organisation will provide ways in which the needs of those charitable organisations can be met through collaboration and sharing resources.”
Existing uncertainties
The SCC said: “There are funders interested in supporting the HelpDesk moving to a new host but we are in the process of confirming this.
“This funding will also be limited so any potential new host should think about its own ability to fund and support this going forward.”
Given “uncertainties that still need navigating” around the process, the SCC stressed that proposals were a chance for the board and potential funders to learn from the proposals.
Closure
Announcing its plans to close, SCC trustees said in December that the decision “has been taken after the trustees and SCC’s team have exhausted all possibilities to secure funding that would have put the charity on a secure, sustainable financial footing to continue its work in support of thousands of small charities.”
They added that “securing the financial sustainability of SCC has been a perennial issue. Like many charities, large and small, we faced our own challenges around finance and fundraising.
“Sourcing funding absorbs significant time which, with a small staff, made it difficult to meet our commitment to serve small charities”.
The SCC did not respond to queries about when interested parties would hear back on their proposals.
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