So far in 2024 we published over 70 blogs on the ACEVO website. In case you missed, below are the 10 most read ones.
A huge thanks to everyone who contributed to our blog. If you have an idea for a future blog, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you!
1. On parting
By Paul Streets, former CEO of the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales.
Being a CE is full on. As it should be. Privilege is an overused word but being the CE of a charity is a privilege. To sometimes not want to go work – but always know why you do. To place people and purpose at the heart of what you do – not wonder what the point is. To work with like minded people who are here because of the cause – not the paycheque (or yes – because of you!).
2. When is a director is not a director?
By Joy Allen, Leading Governance Ltd.
Directors and trustees take on legal duties when they sign up for the role. That’s what makes them different from senior managers of the charity. Even though our board members are usually unpaid, the word ‘volunteer’ can be misleading, implying that they can opt in and out ‘when they have time’ (actually, I can’t stand that phrase – we all have the same amount of time in our week, and we MAKE time for the things we have decided are our priorities!). It’s important that everyone involved knows what the term ‘director’ means, and why that’s important.
3. What do you need?
By Hannah Massarella, founder, facilitator and coach, Bird.
As charity CEOs face continued pressure, funding uncertainties, the anxiety of staff and board alike, and ever-growing to-do lists, it can be easy to slip into the same old approach of just keep on keeping on. Keep holding everything together and keep the ship moving forward. But what if we tweaked that approach a little. What if we brought in the question, what do I need?
4. Four ways you can support communities to vote
By Ellen Berry, head of The UK Democracy Fund.
Up to 8 million people who should be on the electoral register are missing. Meaning come election day; they will not be able to cast their ballot. The chances are they include the communities your organisation works with. Young people, those on low incomes and the insecurely housed, migrants and those from minoritized ethnicities are all less likely to vote.
5. What are the priorities for a new nonprofit CEO?
By Nick Grono, CEO of The Freedom Fund and author of ‘How to Lead Nonprofits: Turning Purpose Into Impact to Change the World’.
Stepping into the CEO role for the first time is daunting, whether at a start-up nonprofit or a big, well-established charity. The job becomes only marginally less daunting after you have been leading for a while. You are always hugely aware of all the responsibility that comes with leadership: to inspire staff and other key stakeholders with your vision for the organisation; raise enough funding to keep the doors open and, hopefully, grow; manage sometimes tricky board and staff dynamics; design and implement the strategy; and deliver impact. For me, the heaviest burden is the recognition that if I fail, those we serve—for the Freedom Fund, some of the world’s most vulnerable people—will likely not get the support they desperately need, and staff may be out of a job. The buck always stops with the CEO.
6. How CEOs can manage challenging conversations with colleagues
By Mark O’Donnell, employment law adviser, WorkNest
Managing challenging conversations with senior management can require a highly considered approach – one which takes into account both the complexities of the issue at hand and the broader organisational impact. Additionally, senior staff members will often have valuable insights to impart, and their perspective should be considered both during these conversations and when making any substantive decisions in relation to their employment.
7. Labour and civil society summit: what can we take from it?
By the ACEVO influencing team
On Monday 22 January key individuals from the Labour Party and from across the charity and voluntary sector came together at the Labour and Civil Society Summit in London facilitated and organised by Pro Bono Economics. The aim of the event was to set out a vision for a powerful partnership between civil society and a potential future Labour Government, if that is the outcome of this year’s election. The event explored the value of civil society in the successful delivery of Labour’s ‘Five Missions’ and achieving a better Britain for all.
8. Why we need to move beyond diversity
By the Home Truths 2 team.
Diversity has long been a hot topic in civil society and the wider world. It measures the extent to which a population exhibits various elements of human difference. Diversity and its bedfellows equity and inclusion have come to be seen as the answer to questions of ‘race’ and racism.
Equity helpfully refers to the outcome of ending (racial and other group-based) disparities and inclusion points to behaviours that foster equity. Tying diversity tightly to equity and inclusion can be powerful; however, it is diversity that tends to draw the most attention. And that can be a problem.
9. Assessing the risks of sharing an office
By Simon Hickman, CEO of Access Insurance.
Shared office setups usually come in the form of serviced co-working spaces or sub-letting agreements (with agreement from the landlord). There are a number of risks and challenges that you should look out for when considering sharing an office.
10. The watercooler myth
By Debra Allcock Tyler, chief executive at the Directory of Social Change.
Remote working is by far and away one of the best leadership decisions we have ever made at DSC. And our data shows that we are better and more resilient for it, our productivity is high, our relationships and creativity is strong and our staff are happy.
