Despite the barriers to fundraising thrown up by Covid-19, we at Stefan Lipa Consultancy see reasons for optimism as charities emerge from lockdown.

2020 will be a memorable year for many reasons but for our Hampshire-based consultancy, it marks a quarter-century of helping charities to raise money for both landmark and community projects.

Over that period, we have helped charity groups raise funds for projects ranging from conservation and development work in Norwich Cathedral and the Winchester Theatre Royal to refurbishing Stockbridge Town Hall and building new church rooms for St Mary’s Church in Kings Worthy. We calculate that we have helped raise around £100 million for good causes.

Covid-19 forced us to cancel plans to mark Stefan Lipa Consultancy's silver jubilee but we remain upbeat. We have seen national, and global, economic crises come and go over the years, not least the 2008 credit crunch. However, despite the severity of the current recession, we are already seeing green shoots in the voluntary sector, alongside the businesses emerging from economic lockdown. Charities took longer to get out of the 2008 crisis than seems the case at present. Furlough has helped this time by keeping on essential staff and there seems to be less reticence now to get going again.

The landscape for charities will be challenging as many of them relied on running events or renting out premises to raise funds, all of which was suspended during lockdown. However, we also believe that the charity sector is adapting. Charities are having to do things differently: we can see that by the way they have moved effortlessly to things like Zoom, but they are also looking at new ways to fundraise, and are already starting campaigns. They are doing this without panicking because they know that it needs to be done; it’s no use bemoaning what might have been.

At Stefan Lipa Consultancy, we are optimistic - we are taking on new clients, for instance a theatre which wants to raise money to extend its reach into the community. This shows real optimism for the future. Charities are looking for new income streams to get going again, but it’s about taking one step at a time and that’s where we can help.

This year has thrown up numerous challenges for the business and voluntary sector alike, as well as enterprises which straddle both. However, we look forward to a positive, if different, future continuing to help charities add to the fabric of the nation and to society.

23.09.2020

For more information, call us on 01264 860003 or send an email.