The Chapel and York Mission

So far we've been using our blog to discuss issues in the non-profit world and to share tips and advice with anyone who's reading. To be a little bit different with this post we want to talk about ourselves, Chapel and York, and what it is that we do.

Our Mission

In short, our mission is to help charities and non-profit organisations of all shapes and sizes exceed their goals. We do this by offering creative ways to introduce them to, and enhance, their international fundraising. We also help with the daunting administrative and legal sides of starting a charity.
Chapel & York provides Cross Border Compliance, Operational & Management Support for Charities & Non-Profits. We have headquarters in London, England and we also have an office in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. We have assisted our clients to raise over $1 billion for projects all over the world.

What we do In the UK 
We provide a variety of services tailored to help organisations outside the UK set up a UK charity to support them. Chapel & York does everything you need to establish a registered charity, from initial discussions and setting up as well as ongoing maintenance and additional support services.

We can set up an organisation that is easy to operate and as cost effective as possible and crucially, a UK registered charity that can accept donations from UK taxpayers and reclaim Gift Aid on those donations and make grants to non-profits outside the UK.

We ensure that all the technical and financial activities are undertaken efficiently. You can concentrate on the important part of the work - finding the funds to support your organisations.

Don't Forget About Crowdfunding!

If you're involved with a non-profit organisation or charity you will, hopefully, have heard of crowdfunding. It's a powerful resource used throughout the world of non-profits to gain financial support. Last year (2013) crowdfunding raised an estimated $5.1billion worldwide. This was a 50% increase from the number of acquired charitable donations by peer to peer fundraisers the previous year.

So, clearly it is an incredibly successful tool. But how does the average non-profit organisation tap into it? And what does it mean for the overall money raised by charities?

What is Crowdfunding?
Crowdfunding is a simple and effective way for non-profits to raise money for their causes and also to spread awareness of their goals. Here's a simple breakdown of how it works:
(courtesy of crowdfunder.co.uk/) 

Getting Gift Aid To Work For You

If you're setting up a charity in the UK you will hopefully be aware of Gift Aid. This is a scheme enabling registered charities to reclaim tax on a donation made by a UK taxpayer meaning that the amount of the donation is increased. It is a very powerful scheme but it can seem daunting to people unfamiliar with the ins and outs of it.

According to HMRC's website:
"Gift Aid increases the value of donations to charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) by allowing them to reclaim basic rate tax on your gift. If you pay higher rate tax you can claim extra relief on your donations. If you claim higher Personal Allowances or tax credits, Gift Aid donations can sometimes increase your entitlement."

Social Media For Your Non-Profit

As well as being a free platform on which you can base an entire marketing structure, social media is essentially unavoidable for any modern organisation. Pick any company you can think of and I guarantee they have some kind of social media presence. Some organisations, famously, have had huge success with using social media. You can see some of the brands using social media site Twitter to their advantage here.
But what makes a successful social media campaign? And what does that mean for non-profit companies?

Regular Updates - There are few things more disheartening than a disused Twitter page, or an out of date LinkedIn. Social media is a long term commitment. You should post regular updates that remain fairly consistent throughout the week. 1 or 2 posts a day should be enough to keep you social media pages topped up and your audience interested. Do be cautious of too many posts as this can be counter productive.

Non-Profit Identity Building

New charities and non-profit organisations are being established across the globe every day. Even if you have the passion and drive required to create one for yourself, you may still need a few pointers on where to start. One of the first things that will need to be considered are the legal and administrative sides of the process. This is something that Chapel and York provide training and support with. However, just as important as the paperwork side of things is building the brand identity for your organisation.

This is where your charity will come to life. Choosing a name is one of the most important steps you will take towards the success of your brand. (Whilst charities aren't necessarily the traditional "brand" that thinks in terms of profits and expansion, the identity of your organisation is still as crucial in influencing your success.) Here are some examples of names taken from charities we've worked with in the past:

Modern day charity fundraising

This year has seen some landmark events in the world of charity fundraising.  

First, in March, there was the unprecedented success of the No Make Up Selfie campaign for Cancer Research UK, which involved women across the world taking photos of themselves with no make up on and making a donation to the charity. This was followed in May by the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls which saw hoards of Twitter users and celebrities joining posting the hashtag and whiclst this campaign wasn't aimed to directly raise money for an organisation it did a brilliant job of raising awareness. Then there was also the unforgettable Ice Bucket Challenge (which became so widespread it now has its own Wikipedia page) that swept the world in September. This campaign involved A-list celebrities along with students, office workers, retailers, barmen and even cartoon characters drenching themselves in icy cold water before nominating other people to do so.
But what was it that made these examples so popular? And what does it mean for newly established charities?

How To: Setting Up A Registered Charity

Setting up a charitable organisation can seem like a confusing process. However, with the right planning, guidance and organisation, getting registered need not be complicated or time consuming.

Here at Chapel & York we have the years of experience necessary to guide you through the registration process with ease.

From the first steps of getting your charity registered, to maintaining effective fundraising strategies and further training - we've got it all covered.

We also offer a comprehensive range of training resources to enable you to effectively manage your organisation with confidence. We run regular seminars, workshops and webinars and you can check our calendar for the full training schedule.