If your business is looking to help people in need across Birmingham City, then you may wish to consider supporting VCFSE organisations who work with them, with any of the following:

• Fundraising
• Donations
• Grants
• Sponsorship
• Products
• Services
• Resources
• Procurement

 

Choosing Which Good Causes to Support

There are thousands of good causes relying on support, and the choice of which organisation to provide support to can be overwhelming, particularly when there is so much need.

When choosing the causes for your business to support it is important to consider the following:

• Shared Purpose, Values & Target Groups – It makes sense for your business to support a VCFSE organisation which shares similar purpose, values and/or target groups, enabling a good fit for your brand and employees, customers, clients and communities served
•  Research – It is important to carry out research both with your organisation and stakeholders on the sort of causes and communities they would like to support, but also on the VCFSE organisations themselves. As well as looking at their website, any social media accounts and annual report, you should speak to them about their organisational structure, successes, mission, aims and plans. You should also carry out basic checks on their legitimacy and financial status. This can be done through the Charity Commission (only if they are a registered charity –  VCFSE organisations hold wide ranging governance models) and/or Companies House searches. If they are a smaller or newer organisation, then references and bank statements and other information from them may be required instead.
• Speak to BVSC – BVSC work with thousands of VCFSE organisations across Birmingham City and may be able provide your business with some suggestions for potential VCFSE partners which you may be a good match for your business– though it is still important for you to carry out your own research! Contact our Strategic Partnership Manager Elizabeth Goodchild [email protected]
  
  
  

Ways to Support VCFSE Organisations

Also depending on how you would like to support an organisation, there are several different routes which can also provide you with a ‘menu’ of VCFSE organisations your business could support in a wide variety of ways:

 

Birmingham Community Lottery

Your business could help the VCFSE sector by promoting the Birmingham Community Lottery amongst your employees, customers and clients who can choose which good cause they would like to support.

 

The Birmingham Community Lottery was set up as a fundraising platform for Birmingham’s good causes and charities to raise unrestricted income to support their work.  It’s supported by a national lottery company called Gatherwell, and managed locally by BVSC (licenced by Birmingham City Council).

 

Currently there are more than 150 causes participating in the Lottery and it’s set to raise £20,000 in the first year (our target is £100,000, so there’s still a way to go). Tickets are £1 each, available online as a direct debit.  50% of the ticket price goes directly to the cause the player chooses to support. An additional 10% goes to BVSC’s central fund which will be given back to the VCFSE sector as grant funding. Cash prizes of up to £25,000 can be won in the weekly draw, plus monthly super draw prizes of shopping vouchers, experiences or tech such as i-phones.

 

You can find out more on the Lottery Platform:  https://www.birminghamcommunitylottery.co.uk/support/find-a-good-cause

 

Easyfundraising

If your business, employees, customers or clients like to shop online, or your business sells products online, you can help VCFSE organisations raise much-needed funds through promoting or supporting Easyfundraising.

Sign up to Easyfundraising and see your favourite brands donate to a cause you care about when you shop with them.

 

Financial Donations

If your business, employees or clients would like to get involved in one-off, or short-term financial giving to a particular VCFSE organisation or other good cause there are many ways to do this.

Many VCFSE organisations have donation buttons on their websites to enable a direct payment to be made.

If you would like to make a donation to BVSC to help us to support thousands of VCFSE organisations across the City please click here.

Individual givers are encouraged to gift-aid their donations where they can. Donating through Gift Aid means that charities can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give. It will not cost you any extra. 

 

Sponsorship

Your business may wish to consider sponsoring a VCFSE organisation event, activity or service, which can help the VCFSE organisation, as well as promoting your business.

BVSC also organise a number of events, activities and services to support VCFSE organisations across Birmingham City and we would welcome business sponsorship to support these.

If your business is interested in supporting BVSC or another VCFSE organisation with sponsorship of an event, activity or service, please speak to our Strategic Partnership Manager, Elizabeth Goodchild [email protected]

 

Grants

Your business may already have a grant scheme or foundation set up for giving to good causes. If so, BVSC would be very happy to promote this to VCFSE organisations across Birmingham City who may wish to apply to this.  Please speak to our Head of Funding and Sector Development, Ian Henshaw: [email protected]

If your business would like to set up a grant scheme or foundation and would like to have more information, or be supported on setting up a process to distribute this funding, please contact our Head of Grants and Partnerships Rosa Spawton-Rice: [email protected]

BVSC is a member of the West Midlands Funders Network and currently is contracted to distribute grant funding to both VCFSE organisations and households in need on behalf of a number of organisations, including Birmingham City Council, and either could support you directly with this process, or can direct you to appropriate partner organisations to enable this.

 

Product Giving

If your organisation has surplus products then you may wish to consider donating these to people in need. There are a wide variety of opportunities for this including:

 

West Midlands Multi-Bank

BVSC are working in partnership with Amazon to deliver a West Midlands Multi-Bank.

Multi-Banks represent vital community donation hubs where businesses generously contribute surplus products to assist individuals and families facing challenging circumstances. Through a network of charity groups and dedicated care professionals, including teachers, midwives, and social workers, these donations find their way to those in need. The Multi-Bank is not open to the public but rather accessible to frontline professionals tirelessly addressing the needs of those experiencing poverty and its interconnected issues.

At the BVSC Multi-Bank, all items are provided free of charge at the point of collection. Our partners can request specific items needed by those that they support ensuring that assistance reaches those who need it most, efficiently and effectively.

For more information visit https://www.bvsc.org/News/west-mids-multi-bank or speak to our Head of Children, Young People & Families, Lianne Shakespeare: [email protected]

 

In-Kind Direct – BVSC are working with In-Kind Direct, which works with charitable organisations and companies to enable product giving and ensure everyone has access to the products they need to keep clean, safe and well. Visit https://www.inkinddirect.org/ to find out more.

 

Food Giving

If your business has surplus or leftover food, either from what you sell, or from a catered meeting or event, you can donate this to VCFSE organisations across Birmingham City who will distribute this to people in need.

There are also VCFSE organisations who provide catering services, which you may wish to use for business meetings or events.

For further information please contact the Food Justice Network.

 

Match My Project

Your business can sign up to a digital platform to provide resources and expertise to a local VCFSE organisation. For more information click here

 

Neighbourly Lab

Neighbourly Lab are exploring how retail businesses such as local shops and supermarkets can build social connection in communities through their ‘Unlocking Social Connections in Shops’ programme.

They are currently testing ideas in Birmingham.

If your business is involved in retail and are interested in exploring developing social connection please visit Neighbourly Lab contact Annette Holman, Neighbourly Lab at [email protected]

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