presentation about the work of Liverpool CVS, the United Way in Liverpool, to improve the capacity of local non-profits to create community impact. Presented at United Way Community Leaders Conference 2015.

1. April 29 - May 1, 2015
Developing the capacity
of non-profits

2. Developing the capacity of non-profits
How at LCVS – the United Way in Liverpool - we embarked on
developing capacity of local non-profits and built a strategy to
deliver support and measure their impact.
Covering:
The Where
The Why
The What
The How
The Impact

3. The Where: about Liverpool
• City 800 years old
• Huge heritage as ‘second city of the British Empire’, The
Beatles and Football….but so much more!
• Population of 460,000 in the city
• 2.2 million in wider metro area (Merseyside)
• Population in the city declined consistently from 850,000 in
1930s
• …… until last 10 years (up 5%)
• City of huge contrasts….and inequality

4. The Where: Liverpool and inequality
Levels of deprivation and child poverty in Liverpool are
extremely high:
•Liverpool is the most deprived local authority area nationally.
•Just over a third of Liverpool children (34.4%) live in poverty and in
some areas of the city three fifths of children live in poverty.
•In some schools in the city 73% of children are eligible for Free
School Meals.
•More than a third of Liverpool wards have unemployment rates that
are twice the national average and Liverpool's incapacity rate is
nearly twice the national rate.
•Liverpool has a larger proportion of the working age population with
no qualifications than nationally.

5. The Where: about LCVS
• LCVS established in 1909 to “help charities co-ordinate their
efforts”
• At the forefront of social action in Liverpool, and nationally, for
over a century
• Diverse range of services and activities with an underpinning,
clear, aim:
• Together – for Liverpool – for Good

6. Slide Example With Medium Photo

7. The Why: Why focus on capacity building?
• United Way puts lots of focus on raising money – and community
impact through programs
• Not enough focus on supporting the organisations that deliver
those programs?
• Why?
More effective organisations
= better use of resources
= increased impact in communities
• More focus needed ‘in the middle’ – helping non-profits be more
effective = more impact

8. The United Way model
Bring
partners
together
Raise
money

9. More focus on Capacity Building = more impact
Bring
partners
together
Raise
money

10. The What: What is capacity building?
In summary - Providing services to:
•Develop the skills of those frontline non-profits (and people
working in them) delivering services
and
•Enabling them to focus on delivering quality services to their
communities

11. The How: What do we do?
A range of activities and services:
Funding advice
Business planning support
Practical services: managing payroll for their employees, providing
financial management services; accounts auditing etc
Providing office space (151 Dale Street)– and IT and telephony
services to tenants
Assets and resources:
151 Dale Street
Dedicated team of experts on paid staff – including qualified
accountants qualified solicitor, experts in organizational development

12. The How: What do we do?
Funding capacity building activities
Some external (government) funding – significantly reducing
Majority of services now charged directly to non-profits
organisation
Charges cover cost, we aim for small surplus, but generally below
commercial rates

13. The Impact and Reach
 There are 2,000 not for profits in Liverpool - we will directly
work with 500+ annually
151 Dale Street
 30 not-for-profit organisations as tenants in 151 Dale Street
 Good quality office space charged at market rate – hotdesks,
large and small office suites
 Building purchased using mix of own trust funds, European grant
funds and a small mortgage
 Building full – because of not for profits wanting to be there, not
because its cheap!

14. 151 Dale Street

15. The Impact and Reach
 130 organisations accessing financial management / payroll
services
 Support with compliance and legal obligations
 250 organisations accessing support and development service
 We help not for profits with bid writing, securing them £1.5m of
external funding annually
 Working with staff and trustees on building effective governance,
business plans etc
 Training and events programme – building skills and knowledge

16. The Impact? Positive about Play
 Play Simply – children are kept
safe and engaged in positive
activities which contribute to their
social and educational
development
 Play Healthy – children have
access to healthy food and get fed
when free school meals are not
available to them
 Play Advice - provides a
dedicated advice helpline for
families attending the play
schemes

17. The Impact: Liverpool Homelessness FC
 Set up in 2007 –volunteer run
 Significant growth in last 3 years
 LHFC recognises the power of football (soccer) to bring people
together and engage them in a healthy and social activity.
 5-a-side league, women’s team etc, teams from local homeless
organisations
 Matches provide opportunity for health promotion etc, with
partners
 http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-homeless-foo

18. The Impact: Liverpool Homelessness FC

19. Liverpool Homelessness FC: our role
 We gave them their first ‘home’ at 151 Dale Street
 A hot desk – and an address gave them legitimacy
 Capacity building support helps with funding advice / bids
 Major grant from local foundation achieved
 Accounts etc

20. The Impact: Liverpool Homelessness FC
“Without the help of
LCVS we would not be
where we are today.
Getting a home was a
huge step for the
organisation.
The team have been
brilliant in all sorts of
ways”.
John Finnigan, Liverpool Homeless Football Club

21. More information
Tony Okotie
Chief Executive
Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (LCVS)
Email: tony.okotie@lcvs.org.uk
Web: www.lcvs.org.uk
Twitter: @lcvsuw / @tonyokotie