Toolkit for MOJ RASASF grant holders

Bespoke resources to support RASASF grantee charities

Building on the programme of organisational sustainability and resilience support for RASASF grantee charities we introduced in September 2023, we are pleased to offer you exclusive access to this toolkit of bespoke resources from Cranfield Trust in the following  areas:

• Financial management

• Sustainability and investability

• Business planning for charities

• Good governance

Our thanks to MOJ for partnering with us and providing the funding to allow us to deliver these resources.

During times of economic uncertainty financial management and controlling cash flow can become more difficult, yet more important, than ever.  Here we share practical suggestions, as well as ideas and resources to help support you.

On-demand webinar - Cash is King: The importance of cash flow forecasting

This webinar is designed for charity finance managers, bookkeepers and Trustees.  It focuses on the importance of cash flow forecasting for small and medium charities during a time of economic uncertainty. Attendees can follow a demo of practical suggestions, basic concepts and ideas that they can implement immediately.  

The class is presented by Cranfield Trust's South West Project Manager Marie Langan who is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of accounting and auditing experience in a variety of management roles in Big Four and Top 20 firms in the UK and US. 

Watch the recording of Cash is King: The importance of cash flow forecasting

On-demand webinar - Talking & walking through numbers - Financial focus, cash flow forecasting, funding

This is a financial session that will include going through what a robust cashflow model looks like, tools, packages that charities could use, tips, etc. It will briefly cover funding in the financial accounting context – where it comes from and mix – contracted, grants, enterprise, etc. Does this mix need to change to ensure sustainabilit

Watch the recording of Talking & walking through numbers - Financial focus, cash flow forecasting, funding

On-demand webinar - Understanding Grant Agreements: What Every Charity Leader Needs to Know

Grant funding is the core of many charities funding and grant funders hold the key to success or failure. Being able to read and understand their grant agreements is a key skill for any charity leader. This webinar will help you do just that. You'll come away with practical tips and a clear framework to review grant agreements to ensure your organisation maximises funding opportunities and avoids common pitfalls.

Watch the recording of Understanding Grant Agreements: What Every Charity Leader Needs to Know

Resources to download

Below are a range of useful resources to provide support and guidance with cash flow forecasting.  These are available for you to download and keep.

Useful articles and reading on financial management

The following articles provide further information and guidance to support you.

Seven finance questions every charity trustee should ask

Charity board papers - nine tips and one rule

Managing a charity's finances in a high inflation environment

You will find a wealth of other resources, articles and guidance in the financial management and sustainability section of our resource library.

‘Investability’ and sustainability is much more than a funding strategy; it is about how to put your charity at the forefront to attract interest, investment, and impact for your charity.

On-demand webinar - Investability: Why should I invest time or money in your charity?

Aimed at CEO’s, senior managers, fundraisers, and trustees, this webinar explains ‘Investability’, and why it goes way beyond a funding strategy. Packed with practical insights and ‘how to’ steps, learn how to put your charity at the front of this ground-breaking change and discover how to create unbeatable ways of attracting interest, investment, and impact for your charity.

Watch the recording of Investability: Why should I invest time or money in your charity?

On-demand webinar - Sustainable Fundraising - Reducing Grant Reliance and Growing Diverse Income Sources

Grantmakers provide vital funding for many charities. However, over-reliance on grants can lead to financial instability, exposing organisations to risks such as budget shortfalls, programme disruptions, and, in extreme cases, closure. As competition for grants intensifies, it is more important than ever for charities to diversify their voluntary income streams to safeguard their future.

Watch the recording of Sustainable Fundraising - Reducing Grant Reliance and Growing Diverse Income Sources

On-demand webinar - Cultivating Support - Engaging Donors and Trustees for Non-Mainstream Causes

For causes outside of the mainstream, charities and non-profits face challenges with cultivating tangible support. Without skin in the game, potential donors or trustees can be hard to reach and engage. This webinar addresses how to drive engagement with sensitive and less mainstream causes. Attracting support for these vital causes requires a more nuanced approach than traditional fundraising strategies.

Watch the recording of Cultivating Support - Engaging Donors and Trustees for Non-Mainstream Causes

On-demand webinar - Rethinking AI and its impact on businesses, charities and humanity

This webinar provides a radical new framework for thinking about AI, and discusses how organisations can practically adopt these technologies and avoid being seduced by the hype. The presenter argues that whilst these technologies are incredible at creating growth and streamlining operations, for organisations to stay innovative they need to also use AI to unlock the creative capacity of their workforce.

Watch the recording of Rethinking AI and its impact on businesses, charities and humanity

Resources to download

Below are a range of useful resources to provide support and guidance around investability.  These are available for you to download and keep.

Useful articles and reading on investability

The following webinars will provide further information and guidance to support you.

Covering the contract lifecyle

The art of the deal: why bidding and buying are two sides of the same coin

How to write a successful bid

Unrestricted Revenue without Tears

You will also find a wealth of other resources, articles and guidance in the leadership and strategic direction section of our resource library.

Our business planning resources will help you to revisit your approach to strategy and scenario planning and help you achieve twice the results with half the effort.

On-demand webinar - Business Planning for Charities

This webinar covers the ‘new realities’ facing the charity sector – what has changed forever and why you need to revisit your approach to strategy and scenario planning.  It provides a  structured and simple way to gain insights into the future and avoid being ‘blindsided’.  You will learn how to develop a punchy strategy that keeps your charity focused on the ‘things that really matter’ and how to use your strategy as a focus for funders, as well as how to do scenario planning and strategy with half the effort for twice the result!  

Watch the recording of Business Planning for Charities

Resources to download

Below are a range of useful resources to provide support and guidance with business planning for charities.  These are available for you to download and keep.

Useful articles and reading on business planning for charities

The following resources will provide further information and guidance to support you.

Six steps to reworking your charity’s strategy

Questions to ask to help you build your charity's business plan

An introduction to lean management

You will also find a wealth of other resources, articles and guidance in the charity strategy and business planning section of our resource library.

Learn all about good governance; what it is and why it matters, how to improve it and, importantly, how to let your funders know.

On-demand webinar - Good Governance -  why it matters

This webinar covers: 

• Governance – what it is and why it matters;  
• Risk - why it needs to be managed and how it should be managed; 
• Splitting strategic governance from day to day management; 
• How to evaluate how well your charity is governed and; 
• How to improve your governance and most importantly, let your funders know!  

Watch the recording of Good Governance - why it matters

Resources to download

Below are a range of useful resources to provide support and guidance with good governance.  These are available for you to download and keep.

Useful articles and reading on good governance

The following resources will provide further information and guidance to support you.

Guest blog: Desert Island Governance

Do your Trustees know their responsibilities and liabilities?

You will also find a wealth of other resources, articles and guidance in the governance section of our resource library.

Best practice guides and useful tools for measuring the impact of your charity.

On-demand webinar - Effective impact reporting: Improve how you collect and report on data

From this session, you will increase your confidence and knowledge in how to collect, manage and report on your data. You will also come away with tips to implement the Impact Wheel within your charity.

Watch the recording of Effective impact reporting: Improve how you collect and report on data

On-demand webinar - Introduction to Problem Tree Analysis & Theory of Change

The problems we seek to address as organisations are usually complex. In order to gain a deeper understanding and choose the approach that is most effective there are a number of different tools to help unpack problems and break them down, making them more manageable as well as helping us prioritise. One of those tools is a problem tree analysis, which will be introduced in this session. The result of this analysis can form the basis of a theory of change. 

Watch the recording of Introduction to Problem Tree Analysis & Theory of Change

Resources to download

Useful articles and further reading on data and evaluation

The following articles provide further information and guidance to support you.

10 ways to improve your charity's impact report and why it matters

Creating your theory of change

Principles of good impact reporting

You will find a wealth of other resources, articles and guidance in the impact and evaluation section of our resource library.