What advantages do small charities have over their larger counterparts?

Debbie Pippard, head of programmes, the Barrow Cadbury Trust

Securing grants: small, flexible charities with hands-on experience attract funders

There’s no doubt that smaller groups applying for grants have some distinct advantages. For a start, while the impact of a modest grant of, say, £5,000 might be hard to detect in a larger organisation, it could have a significant impact on a smaller group, dramatically increasing their capacity.

Small groups often benefit from powerful local reach, giving them a robust understanding of a community’s needs, hands-on experience and credibility on the ground. Such organisations are more likely to be successful in delivering projects, and naturally that’s appealing to a funder.

Finally, because they are flexible, smaller groups are often more sustainable than big charities.

Of course, these aren’t virtues that all small organisations possess, nor are they by any means exclusive to small organisations, but they are perhaps things that small groups may have the potential to turn to their advantage.

Martin Hirst, PR and Fundraising Manager, InDependent Diabetes Trust

Legacy fundraising: benefactors know they can make a big difference to a small charity

The Independent Diabetes Trust (IDDT) is a small charity serviced by a staff team of just five people. The vast majority of the work of the trust is funded by gifts in the form of legacies, ranging from maybe just a hundred pounds to many thousands of pounds.

There are several advantages to being a small charity when it comes to legacy fundraising. Being small means that we are able to develop close relationships with our members. So if someone is minded to leave a legacy to charity, this relationship means they are likely to consider IDDT as a beneficiary.

People also like giving to small charities as they feel that the legacy can make a very significant difference, rather than being swallowed up in the administration of a larger charity.

Furthermore, being small means that the responsibility for securing legacies remains with one person, who can develop a highly targeted, focused approach.

Gemma, placement manager, PoD

Fundraising events: fewer participants allows for more personal interactions

When holding fundraising events, small charities have some distinct advantages over their larger counterparts. Generally you’ll have fewer participants, and this means you can go around and talk to each of your supporters individually, helping to make them feel truly valued.

You can tell your supporters, in person, precisely what your beneficiaries’ current needs are, and directly what the money raised at the event will go towards. You can also ask your supporters about their own ideas and suggestions for future fundraising.

Organising an event can be time consuming – especially in a small charity where you’re no doubt trying to juggle many other tasks.Done correctly, however, it can help you recruit new supporters, raise your charity’s profile and create publicity for your cause.

If organising your own event seems too big a task, small charities can join the FSI’s annual Charity Challenge Event. The FSI will do all the organising, which leaves you free to engage your supporters and motivate your fundraisers.

Vanessa Longley, director of fundraising & marketing, Havens Hospices

Telephone fundraising: small charities can forge strong local connections

We’ve found that the telephone is a very effective way to maintain relationships with our supporters: a friendly call to thank them for their ongoing support is quick and easy – and it saves on postage. Small charities can rarely afford to outsource their telephone fundraising, but this needn’t be a disadvantage: keeping the calls within your organisation means supporters can really connect with individuals at the coal face.

Similarly, when we need to find new donors, telephone fundraising is a good way to reach out to ‘warm’ potential donors; it really helps for them to hear a friendly human voice that matches the warmth and depth of the personal connection they have with the hospice. It also lets new supporters get a feel for the type of people, as well as the type of charity, we are.

Philippa Cox, fundraising manager, FRANK Water

Corporate fundraising: donations will have greater impact on smaller charities

In the world of corporate-charity partnerships, the dominance of some of the large charities can be daunting for smaller organisations. However, every charity has a strength that will work in their favour. Provided you can define how your charity is different from the larger charities that operate in the same field, in many cases you may find that being small is an advantage, not a barrier.
For both businesses and charities, being small means greater flexibility. By working with businesses that are of a similar size, you can develop a relationship that grows as they do. Finding businesses whose work also aligns with your own will really help when it comes to promoting each other to staff, supporters, customers and suppliers.
Furthermore, corporates know that their giving will have a far greater impact on small, local, grassroots organisations – particularly if their donation goes towards a tangible and specific project.

This article first appeared in The Fundraiser magazine, Issue 31, July 2013