Take a chance: horizon scanning, seizing opportunities and embracing change

Reflections from our recent charity leadership forum.

Change can be both scary and exciting for charities. There are a number of opportunities which may arise in the next 12 months which charities may be able to capitalise on.

Government and legislation

The implementation of the Charities Act 2022 continued with the second tranche of changes coming into force on 14 June 2022, largely relating to charity land and permanent endowment. For further details on the latest and upcoming changes, see our article.

Looking further ahead, 2024 is set to be an election year. Whilst a great opportunity for charities to make their voices heard on the causes that matter to them, care must be taken if a charity wants to align with a particular issue. Keeping any campaigning activity strictly policy related, party neutral and in line with your charity’s objects is key. The Charity Commission has useful guidance here.

Funding opportunities

Anecdotally, we are aware of the closure of some funding streams which may have been relied upon traditionally for either core costs or a regular source of income. That said, we are also seeing new ‘pots’ opening up, encouraging change within the wider sector and/or emphasising a particular direction.  Delegates noted that particularly in the healthcare sectors there was an increasing focus on both creative health and ‘green/blue space’ health – both of which may tie into various other activities carried out by charities. Charities should always mindful of the balance between pursuing new opportunities and drifting away from their strategic focus.

Technology

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has hit the headlines recently – both good and bad. Charities may be able to make use of generative AI for, for example, press releases and communications, retaining a human presence to review the tone and audience suitability of any outputs. Comprehensive regulation of AI is still expected to be a few years away, so in the meantime charities should be aware of potential biases, factual inaccuracy and confidentiality risks.

This article summarises some of the practical discussion points covered in our recent Charity Leadership Forum: "Take a chance: horizon scanning, seizing opportunities and embracing change". Our Annual Charity Governance seminar takes place on 5 October 2023 in Leeds and the next forum will take place in Spring 2024. Watch this space for further details.