Gifted Philanthropy’s Post

When clients approach us for help with their heritage regeneration project, we don’t see our role primarily as “cash chasers”. Especially in the early stages of the journey, the focus should instead be on developing programmes on which the fundraising will eventually be based; in other words, the programmes that will make the client ‘fundable’. Looking back on a successful 1st quarter of the year supporting Craigmyle clients, we look at what lessons can be learnt when developing heritage projects. https://lnkd.in/e3iFDz8j

5th June is #WorldEnvironmentDay 🌍 This year’s theme is #GenerationRestoration, so what better day to spotlight the impactful work of Den Danske Naturfond. We had the pleasure of speaking with Jonas Arboe Harild, CRM Manager & Fundraiser, about their innovative approach to transparent fundraising - and how that's supported their efforts in fostering a strong community dedicated to conserving nature across Denmark. Check out the case study: https://lnkd.in/ecC4GrX5

Growing up in Bath, the Roman Baths were a treasure, not just a tourist attraction. In 2022, Bath and North East Somerset Council took a significant step to protect this ancient site by discontinuing the tradition of tossing coins into the 2,000-year-old Circular Bath—a site even older than the Trevi Fountain! ⛲ This shift towards digital payments mirrors a broader trend in heritage conservation, prioritizing sustainability and efficiency. Despite a staggering £90,000 drop in contributions, this move reflects the Baths’ dedication to evolving with modern payment methods. Embracing these new technologies is key to preserving the Baths' historical significance for future generations. #ContactlessDonations #CulturalPreservation #DigitalPayments #RomanBaths https://lnkd.in/gxbTAdca

At Share & Care, we have long known that the key to sustainable change lies in community-led projects and decisions. You can be a part of this impact: https://lnkd.in/e7qw54qG

Another insightful report from Environmental Funders Network. I really recommend their reports for anyone who wants to better understand the challenges of fundraising in this sector. My favourite ideas here are: - Pooled and collaborative funds around a common vision (allowing easier match funding and bigger, longer-term projects) - Giving open opportunities for applicants to pitch ideas in brief before shortlisting, instead of invite-only funds or lengthy upfront forms (+ interesting suggestion to use AI for screening if overwhelmed by approaches, though I can't claim to know how that would work in practice) - Providing Word/Google doc versions of online forms (with word/space counts) to allow collaborative working offline (setting these docs up myself each time is SO time-consuming, but very necessary for collaborative bid writing) - Adding an unrestricted grant to all project grants (wow, love this) - Making funding available for pre-project research, development and partnership-building. Many initiatives I find most exciting (and ambitious) arise from an initial investment in these activities, but often only those well-connected with funders or with substantial unrestricted income can afford it, or (at grassroots level) those driven by very motivated/skilled individuals with the privilege to spend unpaid time on it. - Stop obsessing about innovation. My view is this is better addressed by asking applicants to justify their idea in the context of current conditions, rather than requiring innovation when the surrounding context hasn’t changed and existing good practice is still good practice. There is some potentially contradictory advice for funders here – keeping an open mind about approaches whilst also being clear on your fundraising criteria – but I think this can be addressed: - Focus criteria on a vision of what you want to achieve, not arbitrary restrictions on who/how - Stage 1: Keep the initial pitch brief (what/why) - Stage 2: If the pitch is of interest, raise any initial concerns or points to clarify (so ideas are not rejected for the wrong reason) - Stage 3: If reassured, invite a manageable number of the best ideas to apply in full. I would love to know how this report is received by funders. A lot of EFN's funder members already follow many of the recommended principles, but many don't (e.g. not accepting unsolicited applications), so it would be great to better understand the barriers from their perspective (or a nudge to stop making excuses...) - perhaps an online panel discussion, or follow-up report that anonymously explores and reports back on funder responses to the recommendations? #grants #fundraising #environment #charity #nonprofit

There are 100 reasons to spend time in nature. 🌿 From getting creative inspiration, to channeling your inner hunter-gatherer. 🦣 I get my fix from running through the parks of North London, seeing how the seasons change and letting my mind float along the way. 🧠 Today Hubbub is announcing 100 more: the winners of The Nature Hubs Fund. We’ve just funded 100 community nature projects across the country with grants of up to £6k thanks to the Starbucks 5p Cup Charge. All 100 #NatureHubs are unique. Things like: • Greening a car park at the aquarium in Hull 🐡 • A community garden on a housing estate in Sheffield 🧑🌾 • Woodland restoration (with a creative writing twist) in Worcester 📝 All will bring nature closer to people and people closer to nature. 🔄 Our polling shows that 37% of people in the UK spend less than an hour a week in nature. We're celebrating 100 more reasons to do so with this video. (Spot two of my kids in it at the start!) 🧒 If you want to talk about how to fund and support community-led green space, do drop me a line 📧 ++ P.S. I'm CEO of environmental charity Hubbub. We bring business, government and civil society together to create campaigns that inspire & support people to make choices that are good for the environment. Follow me - Alex Robinson - for insights on environmental change, leadership and more. #environment #sustainability #urbangreening #nature  

Worth a read for those funding (or fundraising for) environmental/climate issues - this new report from EfN really aligns with the importance of an Open and Trusting approach to grant-making

Every year, European philanthropic organisations provide €54.5 billion in support of projects which can advance and benefit our societies. Green Building Councils (GBCs) participating in the WorldGBC #BuildingLife project have been working with the programme partners Laudes Foundation, IKEA Foundation and the European Climate Foundation to convene a wide range of the private and civil society sectors across 12 European countries. Working with these industry and government stakeholders, they have developed national roadmaps which are aimed at delivering a carbon neutral Europe by 2050 by eliminating both the operational and embodied carbon (Whole Life Carbon) impact of buildings. Read more about the impact philanthropic foundations have here: https://bit.ly/3Snv5yu Philanthropic funding like this can help drive the momentum we need. We’re #BuildingTheTransition. Are you ready? #BuildingToCOP #BuildingToCOP29

I’ve loved helping Hubbub launch their Nature Hubs fund and winners and seeing some of the amazing projects up and running all over the country. On a personal note, community gardening is a topic very close to my heart. Not only am I part of the allotment-holding community, I also volunteer in a primary school, teaching kids how to grow food and look after nature. Every week I witness the pure joy these children feel from seeing their seeds germinate, observing insects and even sampling elderflower cordial from the elderflowers they’ve picked. We need to create a foundation for children to protect and work with nature in the future and I truly believe school and community gardening can play a big role in this. Academic research shows how access to gardens at school can help promote pro-conservation behaviour among pupils. So why is it not more of a priority considering the huge environmental challenges we’re facing? Well there’s no money. Most teachers aren’t trained in this area and just don’t have the capacity. Parent volunteers are scarce as they too are under pressure to work all hours and many don’t have the basic gardening skills needed. I don’t know what the answer is but I can’t help but feel there are solutions out there (local retired garden enthusiasts working with schools?). They just need resource and funding. I do hope the new government takes action on this… but I’m not holding my breath. In the meantime, it’s brilliant to see companies like Starbucks fund community gardening projects and help more people access green space and get closer to nature. Wouldn’t it be great for more of the private sector to help boost school gardening too?

💡 Read this great new report from Environmental Funders Network that our CEO Aoife O'Leary contributed to! Aoife said, "This report is much needed showing the way forward for effective environmental funding. We have limited resources and a huge challenge, it’s so important to have the practical tools to make sure the money moves as effectively as possible!" Get stuck into the report below to hear more about improving funder-fundraiser relationships, including some key recommendations for funders to consider going forward. 👇 #ClimatePhilanthropy #Philanthropy #Fundraising #fundraisers #GreenCharity #funders