Why you should get involved in Small Charity Week 2016

2016 will see the seventh year of Small Charity Week, a week that has quickly become a major feature of the UK charity calendar. It engages policymakers, the media and the general public to support in the work of the UK’s vibrant small charity sector.

We support small charities because nearly one in five see possible closure as likely*, yet the demand for the services provided by small charities has never been greater, increasing 58% 2014-2015**.

Small Charity Week hopes to provide support that will enable struggling small charities to remain open and thrive. Whether it be in improving knowledge, fundraising skills, or social media know-how; the week has something for everyone.

13^th June 2016: I ♥Small Charities Day

I ♥ Small Charities Day is a day to raise awareness of the constant hard work by small charities across the UK. We are running three competitions on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where all entrants need to do is take a photo of yourself holding up a poster that reads: “I love (charities name) because (why they love them)”. There are cash prizes available for each and it is a great way to engage with your supporters. More details can be seen here.

14^th June 2016: Big Advice Day

Expert advice is not always easy to come by when resources are stretched and this can be a particular problem for small charities. Big Advice Day will see a national London event and various regional events where small charities can access expert 1:1 advice on a variety of topics. For more information click here.

15^th June 2016: Policy Day

Small charities are at the centre of Civil Society. It is important therefore that the voices of small charities are heard above the noise created by larger with better resources.

To mark Policy Day 2016, a policy reception will be held in Admiralty House, Westminster. It will be an opportunity for small charities to meet policymakers, MP’s, officials and other small charities to talk about key small charity sector issues. All the information on the day is available here.

16^th June 2016: Fundraising Day

Fundraising Day is action packed this year to help small charities engage with current and new supporters. Kicking off the activities is the Fundraising Conference offering small charities the opportunity to learn from experts at an all-day event in London.

Next up is the #GiveMe5 campaign, where Local Giving and the FSI have pledged to double 1,000 x £5 online donations made on Fundraising Day as well as offering a free membership to small charities who attend any FSI training events.

eBay for Charity and the PayPal Giving Fund have got involved with Fundraising Day too! They are offering small charities the chance appear to eBay users at checkout asking them to donate, as well as the chance to auction off prizes in the Small Charity eBay Auction which has up to £2,000 matched funding available.

We also have a Community Fundraising Guide and our ever popular Small Charity Week Quiz! Find all the information and importantly the deadlines here.

17^th June 2016: Volunteering Day

Many volunteers miss the opportunity to support small charities simply because they are not aware that they are needed.Volunteering Day aims to bring volunteers and small charities together by providing a platform for both parties to meet and share ideas.

This year, small charities are invited to attend a Speed-matching Event with Media Trust, a Trustee Networking Event with the I Am Group and an Advisory Panel with Reach Volunteering.

18^th June 2016: Celebration Day

Small Charity Week closes with a day to celebrate small charities everywhere. Celebration Day is a great big thank you to small charities for all the effort they put in to make the world a better place. Find out more about planning a celebration day here.

If you are a small charity and any of the activities taking place in Small Charity Week would be useful to your organisation, sign up today! If you’d like to think about it, you can keep up to date with all Small Charity Week news by signing up to our mailing list – email us on info@smallcharityweek.com or@SCWeek2016 on Twitter.

* FSI, 2015, Quarterly Report ‘Taking the Pulse of the Small Charity Sector’

** FSI, 2015, Small Charities Index November – September 2014