Mentoring FAQs

There is no identikit perfect mentor. What we are looking for, for our scheme, is a mix:

• Experience: ideally over 2 years’ experience of being a CEO in a charity or similar organisation and with experience of mentoring and coaching others or supporting individuals on a one-to-one basis.
• Emotional intelligence: ability to really listen, reflect, empathise and give space to the mentee. to be able to communicate clearly and openly with congruence.
• Outlook: motivation to support another leader and willingness to learn and develop as a mentor.
• Commitment: time to respond promptly and head space to be present for the mentee.

For our one-off mentoring conversations, we are looking for members with particular expertise in an area of work, for example governance, communications, being an interim CEO or advocacy work. We occasionally also accept mentors that are senior leaders if they bring other specific expertise and experience.

The ACEVO programme is a peer mentoring scheme. We link members with other leaders who have experience of running a charity or non-profit organisation. Although it is a bonus to have formal training in mentoring or coaching, it is not a requirement to be a mentor on our scheme. What is required is the capacity, listening skills and a willingness to learn. Mentors may be more suited to longer-term mentoring or one-off information sharing conversations, we value both.

To become a mentor, visit the being a peer mentor webpage and complete the registration form. Once submitted our team administrator will be in touch to organise a phone call with you and the head of member support to talk you through the process and to get a sense of how you work.  

The information provided on your form and the phone call that takes place with the head of member support helps us get a sense of who you are, your experiences and your mentoring style. Mentees fill out a form and have a one-to-one conversation to discuss their needs. We then match mentees and mentors based on experience, expertise, and mentoring style. We do not put a timescale on allocating you a mentee, this depends on demand and the needs of mentees. Once a match is made you will be introduced to your mentee via email for an introductory conversation.  

It is up to you and your mentee how often you meet depending on the needs of the mentee. Be honest and open about any time constraints. Typically, mentees and mentors meet once a month or every 6 weeks. 

Our mentoring programme primarily operates online via video call on whichever platform works best for you both, this means that we can ensure you are matched according to experience and suitability and not just geographical location. You can always discuss with your mentee about the possibility for face-to-face meetings if your location and time allow.  

The first introductory session is important to see if both you and your mentee would like to work together. It is helpful to identify goals (for example what do they want to get out of the sessions), set boundaries (around what you are able to offer and capacity), confirm confidentiality and discuss practicalities (meeting schedule). Away from this, the most important thing is whether you feel the chemistry is right, and you feel you can be honest and comfortable speaking to one another. It’s worth checking in at the end of the first session to ensure you are on the same page and you both would like to continue. You can download the ACEVO mentoring agreement which is a good starting point and useful to fill out in the first meeting.

If you find that after your initial conversation with your mentee or after a few sessions that the relationship doesn’t feel right, just let ACEVO know by contacting Kitty at [email protected]. Sometimes mentoring relationships don’t always work out, it’s nobody’s fault but we need to know so we can find someone more suitable.

It is up to your mentee on what the focus is for your sessions. The spotlight for the sessions is on the mentee. Of course, as the mentor you will bring your expertise, examples and thoughts, but the session is not about your story, it’s about the mentees current experience. Sometimes sessions can be just a chance for the mentee to talk and share, at other times it can be helpful to have a more formal framing to help keep the discussion on track and to ensure all objectives are being met. Here is an example session template.

The simple answer is check with the mentee. It’s important to regularly check in with each other and to ask: how is it going for you? How can it be more useful? What would help to make the most of this time? We will be in touch every few months to see how it is going for both you and your mentee. The final session is a good opportunity to share what has worked for each of you, learning points and offer empathetic feedback to one another. After 12 months we will send you both a quick evaluation form, and within that there is an option to share any feedback for the mentor, that we can pass on if requested. 

The mentoring relationship will last for one year from when you let ACEVO know that you are happy with your match. However, this can be reduced if both parties feel the mentoring relationship has run its course, you just need to let ACEVO know. Conversely, it can be extended if both parties believe there is still benefit to be had, but this will no longer be overseen by ACEVO. It is recommended you check-in with each other 3 months before the end of your mentoring relationship to discuss progress and to ensure clarity between mentor and mentee around the ending. 

If you feel the issues experienced by the mentee have outstripped what could reasonably be expected of a mentoring relationship (for example, their job is at risk, their safety or a third party’s safety is at risk or they are struggling with their mental wellbeing) please contact [email protected] immediately. ACEVO has a range of services to support members in crisis. The responsibility does not lie with you. Just get in touch to let us know and we will take it from there.

We offer 3 types of mentoring:

• Peer mentoring is a professional development partnership that aims to foster personal and professional growth. You will be partnered with another civil society leader for a one-year relationship.
• Private sector mentoring is a mentoring relationship for business and financial mentoring where you are paired with a professional mentor from either Kilfinan Group or the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants.
• A one-off conversation is a singular conversation with another ACEVO member about a specific topic, for example fundraising, that the other member has particular expertise in.

Please fill out mentor request form, we will then arrange a call with you and ACEVO’s head of member support to discuss your needs. This is a chance to share what is going on for you and your priorities. Together you will decide what might be the next steps, this might be mentoring or coaching, an individual support call or an alternative. If you decide that a mentor is the best option, we will then look for a mentor who has the appropriate experience and works in the way that will suit you. No matching process is ever 100% perfect, but we will endeavour to find as good a match as possible.

A mentor can be helpful at any time. It can be especially useful when you are going through a period of change. This might be a new role, expansion of your organisation, adapting to a new situation or a change in personal circumstances.  

It is important you know why you want a mentor and be able to in some way articulate what you want to gain from mentoring i.e. realistic goals. It is also important that you have the head space to really commit and put any actions you decide on into practice. Your mentor is there to help guide you, but they are not there to do the work for you. As a mentee, you are expected to be the driving force in the relationship, open to listening and learning to improve or adjust your way of doing things. Being proactive, dedicated, and curious will allow you to get the most out of the relationship.  

The mentor’s role is to support your thinking, offering a confidential space for you to check-in, share and reflect, and where appropriate to offer their own examples, experience and thoughts to help your development. They are not though a consultant that can be called on at any time to provide an answer. They are a peer, another leader in the sector and are donating their time to benefit others. The responsibility for any decision or action lies with you.  

It is up to you and your mentor how often you meet depending on your needs. Be honest and open about any time constraints. Typically, mentees and mentors meet once a month or every 6 weeks.  

Our mentoring programme primarily operates online via video call on whichever platform works best for you both, this means that we can ensure you are matched according to experience and suitability and not just geographical location. You can always discuss with your mentee about the possibility for face-to-face meetings if your location and time allow. 

The first session is important to identify goals, set boundaries and discuss practicalities so it is key you come prepared with an idea of what you want to gain from the relationship and some ideas with how your mentor could help with this. You can download the ACEVO mentoring agreement which is a good starting point and useful to fill out in the first meeting.

The mentoring relationship will last for one year from when you let ACEVO know that you are happy with your match. However, this can be reduced if both parties feel the mentoring relationship has run its course, you just need to let ACEVO know. It is recommended you check-in with each other 3 months before the end of your mentoring relationship to discuss progress and to ensure clarity between mentor and mentee around the ending. 

If you find that after you have talked with your mentee that the relationship doesn’t feel right, just let ACEVO know by contacting Kitty [email protected]. Sometimes mentoring relationships don’t always work out, it’s nobody’s fault, but we need to know so we can find someone more suitable to mentor you.  

In addition, if you feel you need additional support (for example, your job is at risk or you are struggling with your mental wellbeing) please contact [email protected]. 

This is possible but we ask you wait 6 months before requesting another mentor. This is to ensure you have had enough time to put your learning into action and to reflect effectively on what you would need from another mentor.