In this blog, SMK Associate, Rosemary Forest, gives an overview of her involvement in the design of a session for trustees on guiding you through the campaigning governance landscape.
SMK undertook a survey of trustees, with Governance & Leadership magazine in late 2023, which found that support for campaigning amongst trustees is high, but levels of confidence do not currently match.
In response, SMK has produced a free short guide for trustees called Navigating charity campaigning that points to some essential conversations boards should have to support their organisations in confidently campaigning. The guide usefully highlights the fundamental points of regulation and law all trustees need to be aware of and raises critical questions for consideration. But SMK recognises that only some boards are actively discussing campaigning.
This is where I come in. As an experienced facilitator and campaigner, I have worked alongside SMK to design a session for trustees to help guide these conversations for you.
What do I bring as a campaigner and facilitator?
I am a seasoned campaigner with demonstratable successes influencing UK and UN policy. In the last few years, I have increasingly focused on encouraging and supporting organisations to campaign. My roles have ranged from helping organisations understand technical guidance – such as electoral law, the Charity Commission’s guidance, and the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme – to co-convening the award-winning Police Bill Alliance. Through this work, I have developed a strong understanding of the political, legislative, and regulatory environment’s impact on campaigning, and the challenges individuals and organisations face in achieving positive social impact.
I am a skilled facilitator and a member of the International Association of Facilitators. I enjoy supporting groups to build connections and have game-changing conversations. My approach is inclusive and participatory. Recognising that each organisation may be at a different place when it comes to understanding the rules and regulations guiding charity campaigning, I co- designed these workshops to be responsive and flexible to your organisation’s culture.
So, what would a guided conversation look like? We will use the SMK guide to lead you through the campaigning governance landscape including Charity Commission guidance, electoral law, public communications, and risk appetite. We will support you to have an open dialogue and a productive exchange of ideas across your board. This includes exploring how your organisation approaches campaigning, any concerns about the rules and regulations, and what actions you may wish to take to address these. The length of the session is flexible depending on how much time you have and how in-depth you want the conversation to go – at this stage, we are suggesting either a one-hour or three-hour board conversation.
By the session end, your whole board should have a broad overview of the regulatory environment and will have identified any knowledge gaps and actions you need to take to address these. But above all, we want you to start getting comfortable talking about campaigning law and regulation. The more confident boards are, the greater ability they will have to support their charity’s campaigning within the rules and, ultimately, to increase their social impact.
Please register your interest for a guided conversation with your board by emailing SMK’s Head of Programmes Kath Christie.