When was the last time you had the opportunity to really feel like your work was contributing to a better world?
Is it an everyday occurrence for you? Or hardly ever?
For those whose profession is more noble than mine, I would expect the odds are higher that this is an everyday feeling. At least I hope so.
How do we know if our work is benefiting society? If I were a doctor or a fireman, the results would be right before my eyes. If you work for a charity, you may also feel that way. I would hazard a guess your personal trainer, local politician and child’s teacher, also feel the same.
On Tuesday I met a woman who should never question her contribution to society when she closes her weary eyes at night.
Her name is Pauline Broomhead.
She is the CEO of the U.K.-based Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI), which she founded in 2007, alongside British philanthropist Emma Harrison… no relation to moi unfortunately!
The FSI was created to provide support to the nearly 170,000 small charities in the U.K. with capacity building, training, and strategic guidance. They also provide group fundraising campaigns, regular call-in support and regional outreach. One of their most important activities is the FSI “Sharing the Best” Forum, which is attended by 250 delegates who apply from small charities. The lucky delegates all attend for free, as the conference is underwritten by corporate partners.
The delegates ranged from a wide variety of causes, missions and backgrounds. One such group represented was The Makaton Charity, an organization dedicated to helping individuals with learning disabilities learn to communicate through a language program comprised of signs and symbols – sort of like sign language with a twist.
National Literacy Trust was another one in the house – their mandate is to help those struggling with literacy in order to transform lives through the power of reading.
Another one was Act4Africa, a non-profit dedicated to helping combat the still-rampant problem of HIV/AIDs in Africa.
At the other end of the spectrum was Contact the Elderly, which seeks to address the issue of loneliness and isolation experienced by many elderly citizens. How? By inviting them to regular tea parties, of course – simple, but effective and positively British.
On the more youth-oriented side of things, the Youth Research Forum aims to raise awareness and encourage discussion about a variety of issues related to youth – be they local, regional, national or international.
This is just a small sampling of the constituents Pauline and her team support, and as you can tell, they each work towards unique – but equally important – causes. The FSI itself is a charity, so their message when engaging partners is simple. As an organization, they feel that they leverage one pound of investment from a partner into nearly five pounds, given their vast network of contra, in-kind, and supplier partners. A convincing ROI in any currency.
But as Pauline explained to me, that’s not even close to the real magic the FSI does. The true ROI happens when one of their clients applies something they’ve learned from the FSI – such as how to solicit a major donor gift, or how to conduct a local fundraising campaign – and using this knowledge, generates tens of thousands of pounds for their charity. At this point, the ROI calculation would far exceed the screen capacity of your TI-35 calculator you have been holding onto since your undergrad days at Trent.
I was lacking this appreciation when I agreed some time ago to be the keynote speaker at the 2011 Forum held at Canary Wharf this week. Going in, I knew the audience was “small charities.” I suppose my unruly ego thought this would be a piece of cake. Michelle, former intern extraordinaire, now our new marketing coordinator, and Taylor, our current marketing intern, built me an eye-popping deck. I read up on the audience members. I rehearsed on the plane over, with four red wines telling me I rocked. I rehearsed again in my hotel room and the mirror soberly told me to keep practicing. I rehearsed my opening on my wife’s cousin. I rehearsed in the cab.
While you were still asleep back in Canada, I entered center stage of the auditorium in the Credit Suisse building. It was only then that I realized I was a small fish in a big pond. This pond was filled with multitudes of small, yet extremely important, charities. Together their eco-system serviced tens of thousands of people with a vast array of needs, wants, and desires.
Not all of the groups were heartbreakers. One group, Settle Stories, organized a storytelling festival. Another, The Pirate Castle, ran a community boating club. Another, Street Kids International, helped teach street kids the entrepreneurial skills required to start their own business in order to earn a proper living.
But one stood out for me. It was a woman working for a charity – Batten Disease Family Association – dedicated to supporting families, raising awareness and funding research towards Batten disease. This rare, neurodegenerative brain disorder affects children as young as six months, and slowly causes them to lose sight, speech, mental and motor abilities. It was explained to me as being similar to Alzheimer’s in children. The condition is fatal. This particular woman told me how inspired she was by not only my message, but others she had heard that day, and was ready to tackle the world. Her conviction was contagious and the enthusiasm genuine.
I was pleased that my presentation ignited some ideas for her to apply towards her cause at BDFA. It was amazing to hear how grateful she was to the FSI. She thanked me profusely and asked if we could discuss her sponsorship solicitation plans at some point. By then, I could see how truly important the work the FSI does, is.
But there is more. For this woman, it’s more than her job. Her daughter has Batten disease. She has just joined this organization, never having set foot in any other charity before, full of energy to make her personal battle also her professional battle.
This brief exchange was my last of the day with delegates at the Forum.
But I was so struck by it and how I suddenly felt, that I was tempted to race back upstairs and tell Pauline Broomhead that she truly, without a doubt, is helping create a better world.