Kevin Jones argues that funders need to change their attitudes to collaboration between charities.

The article by Stewart Crocker in the May edition of Governance described the apparent lack of progress in charities collaborating to help them survive in the current difficult economic conditions.

One possible explanation as to why more charities are reluctant to explore collaborative options further is the fact that many of the major funders are simply not receptive to these new ventures.

The Riversiders Trust funds two clubs offering a wide range of leisure activities for adults and teenagers in Kendal, Cumbria. We have been running the clubs in collaboration with another Kendal-based charity, the Oaklea Trust, who provide a club leader, professional care staff, training and support for issues such as safeguarding and health and safety.

This partnership has worked very successfully for over 12 years but raising the £30,000 each year to run the clubs is becoming more and more difficult. Issues such as health and safety, safeguarding, training etc. make it increasingly difficult for a small charity to fulfill all the demands laid down by more complex legislation and regulatory demands. The economic situation means that the sector will become burdened more and more by these requirements.

As far as fundraising is concerned Riversiders have had a mixed reception from many of the major funders we have approached. We were successful with an application for funds from the Northern Rock Foundation. They made us work hard to convince them that outsourcing the running of the clubs to the Oaklea Trust was the most practical and economic method of delivering the service. They were prepared to spend time visiting the clubs and understanding the collaboration. They were very thorough and fair in their assessment of our application before agreeing to the funding.

Other approaches to funders have been more disappointing. An application to the Big Lottery ‘Reaching Communities’ fund was rejected at the first stage primarily because the “organisation applying for the grant must be the same organisation that will receive the funds, and manage the delivery of the project”. Despite our explanations and the success of the collaboration we could not progress beyond this point. Similarly when we visited a large funding fair we were told by Children In Need and Lloyds TSB that they would not fund organisations which then outsourced the delivery of the service to another organisation. End of story.

If other charities have had this reaction from funders before they have explored the possibility of collaboration it is no wonder that they have been discouraged from continuing along that path. When can we look forward to a more positive reception from funders who welcome and pursue the government’s initiative of collaboration instead of rejecting it at the first stage of an application? If I am wrong and there are funders out there who do have a positive approach to collaboration please announce yourselves to Governance to save many charities like Riversiders wasting a large amount of time on applications doomed to failure.

Kevin Jones is a trustee of the Riversiders Trust