Case study: Tomorrow's People

Like many charities, Tomorrow's People has had to take a long hard look at its funding over the last year or so. A national employment charity that helps excluded and disadvantaged people to get and keep a job, the majority of Tomorrow's People's income has come from government. However, changes to government funding streams mean that it may not be able to count on this money in future. Last year the board decided to undertake a strategic review with PricewaterhouseCoopers to reassess its priorities. This involved reviewing each of Tomorrow's People's programmes, the outcomes those programmes achieve, and their financial sustainability in the absence of government funding. The chair, David Stewart, says this "challenging but constructive" process has resulted in a significant shift in the charity's priorities towards services with promising results funded by private money. "We are now pretty clear as a charity on what we can do and where we can make a difference," he says. "So I would say that our main challenge at the moment is getting the finance in to enable us to do it." The board of Tomorrow's People knows fundraising will be far from easy in the current environment, so it is looking beyond traditional fundraising sources. Trustees are getting actively involved in this new fundraising drive. For instance, a specialist sub-committee of trustees with financial expertise has been established to investigate alternative financing, including forms of social investment and partnerships with venture philanthropy organisations. Meanwhile, a couple of trustees with relevant experience have made themselves available to attend important funding meetings with the chief executive, while others will advise on complex contractual negotiations. David recommends that charities going through challenging times should "look very hard" at their boards. They should check that they have people with the right skills and attitudes – and that those people have sufficient time to invest in helping the charity. After all, "If your charity is going through a period of change, then it is probably going to require a greater input of time and expertise". This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. Become a Public Leaders Network member to get our weekly update direct to your inbox