Starting again needs vision, energy, and a very particular set of governance skills. If I had my time again, I’d believe in reincarnation….
What are the options when a charity or project collapses, perhaps through no fault of its own? Say – a large charity decides to close a major project, or a charity’s principal funding source is withdrawn. Perhaps a charity or project runs out of steam or struggles to realise its potential under its hitherto arrangement? There are also times when a gap in services or a community need is identified but no current provider steps up. If there are individuals with determination to develop the work, there may be a way ahead.
What all these situations have in common is a desire for something better, to develop the work for the benefit of the community it serves, to rise above difficulties which have held it back. To relaunch. And if so, then how? There is a route map of sorts, in that the following points are amongst the minimum considerations needed to get going:
Status: charitable status has advantages but is not suitable for all situations
Structure: corporate or not; this depends largely on risk profile
Funding: you’ll need a way to fund the beginning and the continuation of the work
Governance: trustees or a management group are necessary, possibly also staff
Communication: you’ll need to explain your work to the public, partners, regulators
Strategy: the first projects, the first year and beyond will need mapping out
For more reading, have a read of my free guidance on Starting Up
