By Jeannette Thomson, Fundraising Committee Chair
On 30th October 2021, I attended the 1st Executive Board (EB) meeting and presented how to increase the FWA-UK funds by taking advantage of its registered charity status. It was emphasised that the Association has been in existence for over thirty (30) years, and it needs to keep evolving and be sustainable.
The Committee recommended the ideal way to acquire funding is to use an external consultant called Fund My Venture (FMV.) FMV has been operating for over 11 years now and has a stellar reputation. Their website enumerates a handful of the projects and clients they have worked within the past. FMV mainly works with small not-for-profits/charities and has built extensive experience in supporting these types of organisations. They do not do any marketing activities as all their work comes through word-of-mouth, which is a testament to the kind of company they are.
FMV can only work with projects that focus on the UK. In this regard, the Association UK projects in the proposal include the following:
- Support Services for the Senior Citizens of the Community Project.
- Providing Support and Assistance to Vulnerable Women including Victims of Domestic Abuse:
- The Membership and Personal Development Committee Project – FWA-UK has over one hundred members and it continuously strives to encourage all members to take an active role and participate in all the activities of the association and the wider community. The members are incentivised to attend various training programmes to improve their own development whether for their career and / or their personal development. Some training programmes offered include the following:
– Leadership: Positive Leadership by Reed UK
– Emergency First Aid at Work by St John’s Ambulance
- International Women’s Day (IWD) – is an international celebration commemorating the cultural, political, and socio-economic achievements of women. The Association commemorates IWD as a tribute to women for their achievements.
It was reiterated that FMV has fees that FWA-UK will need to approve to acquire one-year funding from Awards for All. The following options are detailed below:
- £950 + VAT upfront only or
- £350 + VAT upfront and £950 + VAT on success
After queries and deliberation, the Board approved the second (2) option.