CAF’s Third Sector Business Charity Awards Application Workshop

Agenda

1.45 – 1.55 Welcome

1.55 – 2.10 Presentation from Judy Foote, Senior Communications Manager, HSBC

2.10 – 2.25 Presentation from Isabelle Bryan, Projects Officer, The Co-operative Group

2.25 – 2.40 Presentation from Third Sector Business Charity Awards judge Klara Kozlov

2.40 – 2.50 Question and answer session

2.50 – 3.00 Break

3.00 – 3.25 Break-out session one

3.25 – 3.50 Break-out session two - the groups will swap

3.50 – 4.00 Wrap-up

Charities Aid FoundationWriting an award winning charity award application

Date: January 2013Prepared by: Judy Foote,Senior Communication Manager,Corporate Sustainability

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Business Charity AwardsCharity Partnership (Financial and Professional)

· HSBC Climate Partnership (2007-2011)

· Global environmental programme with

PURPOSE: To reduce the impact of climate change on people, forests, freshwater and cities

WWF The Climate GroupEarthwatch Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

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HSBC Climate PartnershipHow we achieved our goals

· Engaging HSBC employees in climate change

· Increasing the scientific understanding of the role of forests in climate change

· Securing and improving water resources

· Protecting the habitat of threatened species

· Accelerating the adaptation of low carbon policies

· Piloting clean tech solutions

· Influencing government environmental policy

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Stories from the HSBC Climate Partnership

HSBC Climate Champions conducting forest researchPicture Credit: Yifei Zhang

Trialling LED lights in Giuyang, ChinaPicture Credit: Jiri Rezac for The Climate Group

Satellite collects data on illegal deforestation in BrazilPicture Credit: Staffan Widstrand

Regulating soil erosion along the Panama CanalPicture Credit: Aaron O'Dea

Reducing pollution in Lake Araruama, BrazilPicture Credit: Damian Fleming WWF-UK

185 homes fuelled by pig slurry in Hubei, ChinaPicture Credit: Cheng Yong WWF-China

Sustainable irrigation in Uttar Pradesh, IndiaPicture Credit: Anshuman Atroley WWF-India

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Challenges for our entry

· Climate change is a difficult ‘sell’

· Wide range of objectives/achievements

· Making the entry cohesive

· Four partners – ensuring equal ‘airplay’

· Lots of visual material we couldn’t use on the application form

· The need to bring out the ‘people’ element

· Identify your challenges at the outset

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Getting the timing right…Why 2012?

· End of a 5-year partnership

· All partners had full opportunity to meet targets – and over achieve

· Lots of stories to tell

· Earlier would not do justice to the work

· Need buy in from all partners

· Ask – Is this the best time? Could there be a better time?

· Are there standalone aspects of the partnership? (eg employee engagement)

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Involving the charity partners

Essential!

· They may have more ‘award’ experience than you

· Need a view from all perspectives

Be mindful…

· Timetable the sign off process

· All partners must feel their work is showcased

· Team effort = team award

· Don’t over-engineer the process

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Hints and tips

MOTIVATION (Purpose)

INFORMATION

PROCESSING (Dialogue)· Supporting materials· Stats/MI

FEEDBACK

ACTION“I won’t act if Idon’t understand”

CONCLUSIONS“I Get It”

The Learning Cycle (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate)

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A few more hints and tips…

· Answer the question…do as you are asked

· Motivate the ‘audience’ to take action

· Engaging evidence/stories – people matter

· Imagine you are telling someone who knows nothing

· Ask the ‘so what?’ question

· If you’ve made a difference, prove it – statistics, examples

· Make every word work hard – be clear, be concise, use bullet points

· Avoid jargon, acronyms, clichés

· Ask someone who knows nothing to read and feedback

· Vital information MUST be on the entry form

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And finally…the experienceBenefits beyond the award itself

· Teamwork

· Recognition – internal and external

· Forces an evaluation of achievements

· Employee engagement

· Great for the charities – importance of corporate partnerships

Any questions please?

Isabelle Bryan, Projects Officer, The Co-operative Group

Background

The Co-operative runs the Charity of the Year (COTY) every two years to maximise charity fundraising and positively influence brand perception and communicate the Co-operative’s values.

In 2011 Mencap and ENABLE Scotland were COTY partners.

COTY: Background

Inspire Me Project

The Co-operative Ethical PlanInspiring Young People to change to change their world

The Ethical Plan: Inspiring the next generation

What is a walking Bus?Mencap and ENABLE Scotland

Work with people with a learning disability across the UK

The Programme : ‘Inspire Me’

The Inspire Programme

20,000 young people inspired to transform their own lives10,000 parents supportedProjects in communities across the UK

Co-operative Family of Businesses Involvement

Fundraising Activities

• Collected data of all activities linked to COTY throughout the year• Reviewed past award applications: learn from past successes and

failures• Key performance indicator• Used wording from Group published reports to convey the tone of

the business throughout the application• Conveyed what made the partnership significant compared to

others: - Depth of engagement- The variety of fundraising activities

• Communicated that the partnership was truly led by the employees • Impactful supporting material: ITV report of the closing celebration

Bringing COTY to life in the award application

Key successes

• £7million raised against a target of £5million• 25,000 young people with a learning disability to benefit • Mencap colleagues completed over 3,680 store visits. • The total opportunities to see in the media (OTS): 111,921,528• Colleagues became workshop volunteer or an Inspire Me mentor • 2 out of 3 colleagues and members participated in fundraising

activities• 46% of our customers - more likely to shop at The Co-operative• 63% of colleagues know more about the issues faced by young

people with a learning disability• 57% of colleagues are more confident in dealing with customers

with a Learning Disability

Tips and Advice

• Draft a list of Awards your company plans to apply for at the beginning of each year

• Establish a strong reporting mechanism at the beginning of the partnerships

• Set aside a budget for Monitoring and Evaluation, communications and promotions

• State facts and figures and be succinct• Get your charity partner to review and approve your application• Bring to life !

Writing a compelling award submissionKlara Kozlov

Senior Advisory Manager – Corporates

Charities Aid Foundation

Judges mindset

Mix of representatives with different viewpoints

Assume the judges know nothing about you or your work – tell your story clearly and simply

Impact matters

How points are accorded

Points are accorded in the following way: 60 points for answering questions relating to

your category 40 points for fulfilling judging criteria applied

to all categories

1. answered the questions

2. good fit

3. quality of the relationship

4. lasting benefits All requirements found at

www.businesscharityawards.com

Useful tips: Presentation

Language

Format

Create standout Concept to

outcome

Demonstrate

achievement

1: Answer the Qs: Demonstrate eligibility

Ensure that your entry makes clear that your organisation and your work is eligible:

Organisation: your company must have a UK presence – so say where/what UK presence you have

Your work: your entry must relate to work started, continued or concluded in calendar year 2012– so give start and (where appropriate) end dates for your work

1. Answer the Qs: Meet entry essentials

Ensure your entry meets all the essential requirements:

Word document Maximum 800 words First paragraph to be a summary of reasons why you should win an

award Answered all the questions in your category

1. Answer the Qs: Cover entry essentials

Think about which category is the best fit

It might not be the usual suspect!

Within answering the questions, ensure your entry covers all the essential content:

Specific to the category Addresses the category criteria and questions Provides the right amount of project details

2. Good fit: Define your objective and rationale

Explain the rationale for the relationship

Clearly set out what you wished to achieve from it

Thread from strategy to action to achievements

3. Quality of the relationship: Why and how it worked Explain why the relationship was important to both

parties

4. Lasting benefits: Impact and sustainability