Strategies for sustainability and funding

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Strategies for sustainabilityand funding
Jane Berry with material from Betsy Gray
King DirectSupport Programme 0800 026
0202 Lead partner ruralnetuk Tel [phone]
0691 Email info_at_directsupport.org.uk
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Workshop content

• Who are DirectSupport?
• Sustainability
• Through Social Enterprise
• Through Partnership
• Through new Project Funding
• Through Forward Planning

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IntroductionDirect Support Consortium

• Established November 2000
• Currently funded by DfES/Ufi to 2004
• Help for Vol. Sector UK online centres
• Helpline - 0800 026 0202
• Online network - Virtual ICT Centre
• Developmental toolkits for centres
• Mentoring, workshops, telephone/online help
• ICT for Fun for Regeneration for Participation

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DirectSupport www.directsupport.org.uk/
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SustainabilityWhat does your income model look
like?
NOF
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SustainabilityWhat does your income model look
like?Could you change it?
User participation
Outcome related funding
Grant funded ICT training projects
LSC funding
Time skills
Volunteer input
Trusts
Bureau services
Tutor time
In-kind income
Sale of services trading
Consultancy
Subsidised assets
User fees
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Where is the money?Grants or outcome related
cash income

• Mainstream/Accredited Learning
• UfI - learndirect delivery
• Learning Skills Council
• EU - ESF co-financing
• NLDC - New round expected.
• Basic Skills
• IAG Information Advice Guidance
• College/Other sector partnerships
• Learning development initiatives
• Niace TACL, TrEACL
• www.aclearn.net/news/newsdesk/tacl/

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Wheres the money Grants or outcome related cash
income

• Government/ GO /RDA initiatives
• See www.rcu.gov.uk/abi
• Crime reduction initiative
• Health promotion
• Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities
• Futurebuilders (80 capital), vol sector only
• Vol sector Infrastructure Support funds (ACU)
• Trusts
• 4 Lottery funds Community Fund
• Lloyds TSB
• 1000s of others..

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Where else?Trading, in-kind, volunteers

• Trading
• Charging users for services
• Rent out of assets or space
• Cross subsidy from other trading income
• In-kind income
• Internal
• Subsidised assets/resources from your core
  activity
• External
• Partner contributions, tutor time
• Neighbourhood Renewal, LEADER or SRB areas
• Volunteers
• Time, skills, outreach, engagement

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Social Enterprise

• Service delivery by third sector
• Health, Care, Crime, Youth, Community, Skills
• Mixing grant funding with trading
• Contracts for services, charging
• Both Futurebuilders and the ACU Infrastructure
  funds emphasise!
• Involving volunteers
• Working in partnership
• Adding Value

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Sustainability Social Enterprise
Community
Financial Assets
Nat Assets
Human Assets
???
Physical Assets
Social Assets
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Social EnterpriseThe 5 Capital Assets

• Financial Capital
• Money, funding
• Physical Capital
• Buildings, machinery, equipment
• Human Capital
• Skills, workforce, labour, time
• Social Capital
• Contacts, networks, knowledge, links, outreach
• Natural Capital
• The land, environment

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Sustainability through Partnerships
Combinations of.
Tips Find your strengths and added value Keep
it small, but be aware of the big picture
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Partnerships What benefits?

• Joint bidding?
• Access to wider sources?
• Shared workload?
• Shared costs?
• Expertise
• Strength in delivery? Strength in outreach?
• Cross-sectoral knowledge and good practice?

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Partnerships Make it work

• Clarify roles of each partner
• Roles must involve win/win
• Balanced roles
• Realistic and achievable contributions
• Structure should implement, not get in the way
• Only decision makers should attend meetings!
• GIVE IN ORDER TO RECEIVE

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Partnerships cover the ground
Development funds
Regeneration Grants
Learning Funds
E-GOVERNMENT
Timebanks
Social Grants
NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL
Buddying
Trusts
SKILLS STRATEGY
e-learning
Volunteering
VCS Infrastructure development
e-access
UK Online
e-trading
Bending the mainstream
e-services
Partnership Initiatives
Social Enterprise
LSPs
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Planning new projects and activities

• Sustainability through new bids for
• A themed programme of activity
• For an enrolled group(s) of people?
• To progress them through a project
• hobby/lifestyle/aspiration/local issue
• Agendas E-government, Skills for Life
• Use of ICT to achieve other goals
• gtgt Stealth Learning

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Build in what you needContribute to core costs

• Preparation Phase
• Planning, Staff training/recruitment and costs
• Marketing, outreach meetings, consultation
• Curriculum development phase
• Any new items, software or materials
• Trainee recruitment
• Open days, advertising costs
• Running the course (x times over x weeks)
• Trainer salaries, session trainers, co-ordinator
  time
• Evaluation time

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An activity.

• To promote discussion, sharing of experience and
  pooling of knowledge
• Choose one centre to be Case Study
• Divide the remaining Table Delegates into 4
  individuals or pairs of Advisers
• Voluntary Sector Funding Advisor
• Social Enterprise Trading Advisor
• Partnership Activity Advisor
• Learning Funds Advisor

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An activity. 2

• Case Study Delegate(s)
• Start the process by explaining to the group
• Your target group and location
• Your current activities
• Your current funding
• Your future aspirations and ideas for activities
  and funding
• You should take 5 to 7 minutes only

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An activity. 3

• The funding advisors take a few minutes to
  consult funding portfolio (their cards),
• while the Case Study summarises his/her centre
  outline onto a flip chart or sheet
• Voluntary Sector Funding Advisors
• Consult the green cards
• Social Enterprise Trading Advisor
• Consult the red cards
• Partnership Activity Advisor
• Consult the blue cards
• Learning Funds Advisor
• Consult the gold cards

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An activity. 4

• Each Advisor selects 2 or 3 cards to recommend
  activities and funding to the centre
• If time, the whole group retains (from those
  offered), a maximum of 5 cards to outline the
  Case Studys future bids
• Present to plenary