Show your Value for Money to funders

Last year every £1 that you spent on items unlocked £10.50 in value. Collectively, we estimate that we were able to unlock a total of £27m across our charitable network.  You’ve told us that with the money you save you can help more people and improve your existing services and activities.

Derbyshire Positive Support are a great example of this.  They have been running for over 31 years, offering Well for Life services for people diagnosed with HIV.  They are open every day for drop-in, and invite people on Wednesdays for a meal, to chat with others and meet their volunteer social worker if there is anything they are worried about.  All too commonly, people who are HIV positive struggle with their mental health, experience abuse due to the stigma still associated with HIV, and employment difficulties.

They have been a part of our In Kind Direct network for three years and benefit most from toiletries and cleaning products to both give out and use themselves to keep their activities going. They’ve even received gardening equipment which a volunteer used to create a vegetable patch in their courtyard. Out of this, the volunteer was able to secure an allotment, and the vegetables she grows are served up in the meals cooked up on Wednesdays.

Katy, their fundraiser, helps secure the revenue income and grant funding to sustain the charity’s activities. She has just completed a funding report for the Henry Smith Charity and included a description about the partnership with In Kind Direct as feedback on how they managed to stretch their budget to achieve more.  Katy recommends that all charities mention the partnership with In Kind Direct in funding applications too: “Many funders will ask about value for money or maximising income.  We explain how accessing items through In Kind Direct to supplement our activities is cheaper than the high street or through wholesalers.”

Have a look at our signpost to new funding sources and let us know how we can help explain the savings that we help you unlock, and support your own funding applications and reports.