Different Scale, Familiar Challenges: What Working with Charities Has Taught Me
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Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity to work with several charities and foundations through Good Folk.
It's been one of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of establishing DPW Solutions.
After more than 35 years working with businesses, consultancies and major international programmes, I wondered how much of that experience would translate into the charity sector.
As it turns out, quite a lot. And I've learnt a few things along the way.
A different kind of enthusiasm
One of the first things that struck me was the enthusiasm.
I've worked with some brilliant, committed people throughout my career, but there's something particularly refreshing about sitting around a table with people who are there because they genuinely believe in what they're trying to achieve.
Often, they're founders, trustees or volunteers juggling the charity's needs alongside jobs, families and everything else life throws at them.
They don't necessarily have all the answers, or the resources they'd like, but they have the determination to make something happen.
And that enthusiasm is infectious.
Making a tangible difference
I've been fortunate to support three very different organisations.
The Rose Ayling-Ellis Foundation is preparing for its launch in 2027, with the aim of improving opportunities for deaf people and their families. I've been helping put some of the foundations in place, including planning, governance and the practical systems needed to get the charity ready for launch.
Through the Sentence supports children affected by having a family member in prison. I've been working with the team as they develop their plans, governance and the arrangements needed to get their services up and running.
Little Ripples is a charity supporting children and young people affected by cancer. It has achieved a huge amount in a relatively short space of time, thanks to the enthusiasm and determination of its founder and trustees. My involvement has been about helping bring some structure to that progress, developing a practical plan, agreeing priorities and working out how to tackle what can sometimes seem like an enormous task.
As the saying goes, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!
Each organisation is different, but they share something important.
They're addressing gaps in support and opportunity that might otherwise go unfilled.
That's something I find particularly motivating. You can see why the work matters, and you can often see quite quickly how a little practical help makes a difference.
It might be agreeing a set of priorities, putting a simple plan together or helping a board make a decision that's been holding things up.
Nothing particularly glamorous. But sometimes that's exactly what's needed.
Different scale, familiar challenges
The similarities with my corporate work have surprised me.
Whether you're leading a major infrastructure programme or helping a charity get established, the questions are often much the same.
What are we trying to achieve? What needs to happen first? Who's doing what? Where will the funding come from? And how do we know we're making progress?
The difference is usually the resources available.
In a large organisation, there may be whole teams supporting finance, governance, communications and programme delivery.
In a small charity, those responsibilities might fall to a founder and a handful of trustees.
So I've had to remind myself to keep things simple.
There's little point introducing elaborate processes or complicated plans if nobody has the time to use them.
Sometimes a conversation, a few agreed priorities and a straightforward plan are enough to get things moving.
And then there's Good Folk
I should say something about Good Folk, because none of these opportunities would have come about without them.
What I particularly like is the idea of bringing together people with different professional backgrounds who are willing to give their time and experience to help organisations doing worthwhile things.
It's a fantastic group of people, with a real mix of skills, perspectives and experience.
There's no shortage of enthusiasm, but there's also a willingness to get involved, share ideas and help with the practicalities.
For me, it's been a great way to meet interesting people, learn about organisations I might never otherwise have encountered and contribute something useful.
And I've thoroughly enjoyed being part of it.
Coming back to what matters
When I established DPW Solutions, I wanted more freedom to choose the work I took on and the people I worked with.
My experience with Good Folk and these charities has reinforced that decision.
I still enjoy the challenges of major programmes and developing businesses. But there's something particularly satisfying about helping a small organisation take its next steps, knowing that what it does could make a real difference to someone's life.
I've also been reminded that you don't always need a big team, a large budget or an elaborate strategy to make progress.
Sometimes you just need the right people, a clear idea of what you're trying to achieve and a little help turning it into reality.
And that's something I'm very happy to be part of.
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