News / Member news
Why charity partnerships must remain strong in a post-Covid world
When the pandemic hit, many charities across the world felt a deep hit to funding and donations.
As a result, it was important for fundraisers to look at new ways to sustain new income and build mutually beneficial corporate partnerships.
Looking back, Amanda Gallagher who is the corporate partnerships fundraiser at Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW), explains the effects of the pandemic on fundraising: “Before the pandemic, we’d enjoyed working face-to-face with companies – large and small – from across the south west in a variety of ways.
“Our corporate charity partners were coming on to our hospice sites to take part in volunteering days, we were running successful in-person events sponsored by local businesses, and staff teams were enjoying the opportunity to assist our shops by volunteering on ad hoc days. In March 2020, it felt like almost instantly, the rug was pulled from under our feet and we could no longer do any of those things.”
“We had to be innovative and think outside of the box. We asked, how can we continue to make and foster the businesses relationships we’ve made in a meaningful and mutually beneficial way?”
—————–
This Bristol24/7 content is made possible by contributions from our members. In February and March, we are on a mission to get to 1,000 supporter members. Membership is £5 a month and allows us to continue our important work bringing you the best stories in Bristol. If you enjoy reading our articles, please consider supporting us and join today.
—————–
Amanda Gallagher, corporate partnerships fundraiser at Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW). Photo: CHSW
To address these changes, the CHSW Business Club was born to allow businesses to continue giving back to the communities they felt part of.
National Friendly Financial Solutions (NFFS) was one of the founding members of the Business Club and in 2020, it chose CHSW as its charity of the year.
“We couldn’t believe the response! The Club paved the way for like-minded companies, who were also in a state of flux, to come together and share ideas and strategic thinking. CHSW offered them a platform to navigate their way through an unprecedented situation, whilst also meeting their corporate social responsibility objectives,” said PR & Strategic Partnerships Executive at NFFS, Kurtis Reece.
The Business Club is now inviting members to join in 2022, you can find out more info here or join their next in-person event at The Harbour Hotel on March 9.
Main photo: National Friendly
Read more: The Bristol tech companies that raised record investment
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
