ASPIRE
As many as 50% of charities are concerned that, at a time of most need, they may actually have to reduce services due to lack of capacity and funding.
None of us can go back in time, but we can look to make our organisations stronger for the future.
West Dunbartonshire CVS has over 20 years’ experience supporting the third sector and has helped to secure almost £18 million in financial resources for local organisations in that time. We have now used that experience to develop the ASPIRE health check.
The Importance of Health Checks
Organisations, like yours, have never been more needed. You bring connection. You deliver services that help communities thrive and grow. But strong communities need strong organisations. And it’s important to regularly step back and take a critical look at what you do and how you do it.
Health checks are a good way of doing this. They quickly help identify strengths and also areas for improvement. They help you address a problem before it gets out of control or reassure you things are going well. Involving the full team is important to make sure you have the complete picture of what is happening.
Why Choose ASPIRE?
ASPIRE has been developed with local organisations. We understand you’re busy. We understand resources are tight. We want to support you, not overload you, so ASPIRE focuses on resilience. Resilient organisations encounter problems just like any other, but they have the strength to get through them and continue delivering.
There are many health checks on the market, ranging in price and time commitment. Most best suit larger organisations, but ASPIRE has been developed to be used by organisations of any size. There is no pass or fail in the ASPIRE system, just an honest assessment of where you are and what you could do to build better.
A first ASPIRE review is free of charge, to any organisations based and operating in West Dunbartonshire, offering individualised support and the chance to network with other ASPIRE users in shared training and development sessions.
How It Works?
ASPIRE is a guided self-assessment, led by a trained facilitator, bringing together your committee and staff, to review, debate and score the organisation against 8 factors – Governance, Succession Planning, Volunteering, Profile, Flexibility, Mission, Funding and Compliance. The system is straightforward and usually takes around 2 hours to complete.
ASPIRE helps identifies strengths and opportunities to improve in each category, then provides an overall measure of your resilience. But more than that, it is a development tool. Based on your responses, your facilitator will compile a detailed session report and action plan to help you become a stronger organisation.
The plan we offer will be proportionate. We will not overload you and we will support you to work through the plan at your own pace.
Taking part in an ASPIRE review is a positive commitment to the success of your organisation. By investing a small amount of time, your organisation will gain a lot.
To sign up or just to find out more, contact us at info@wdcvs.com or call us on 0141 941 0886 and we will chat you through the next steps.
