With the closure of the SCC, then the FSI, we are the last of the small charity infrastructure bodies that support all UK 'smalls'.  Our systems work for any non profit, but each is optimised for small charities and marginalised groups. 

What We've Achieved So Far

Our hugely successful #SurviveAndThrive campaign launched in Autumn 2022 and was the only comprehensive cost-of-living crisis support programme for UK charities.  We launched our first AI service in late 2022, the month after ChatGPT, and in June 2023 our Charity AI Steppingstones strategy to catalyse AI adoption across the sector. 

Operational Impact. With 40,000 members (Jan 23), growing at a rate of 3,500 a month, we are the largest and fastest growing UK charity community: nearly half rate us 10/10. We support tens of thousands of individuals annually, tens of thousands more charities and our charities support in excess of 10 million beneficiaries.   All credit for that is due to the charities themselves, not us, but supporting beneficiaries is what the sector exists to do, so that number is a key target for us. 

Strategic Impact.  We use our Big Data to provide data and insight for sector leaders.  We used this to inform our Covid response - our initial toolkits were downloaded 38,000 times.  And again during the cost-of-living crisis.  Our sector resilience forecast very accurately predicted the path of the crisis and identified key threats long before these materialised.       

“Undoubtedly, we would not still be here without this brilliant resource.  For smaller charities you are an absolute lifeline”.

Federation of Disability Sport Organisations 

What We're Going To Do Next - 2024/25

Charities remain very hard pressed and our charity sector resilience forecast indicates limited likelihood of recovery until 2025 - we must do more and we must do better.   We see meaningful sector level collaboration as a huge missed opportunity and AI as potentially the biggest opportunity for charities in years. 

The next step change will be to deploy CEF master systems to 100 CEF owners across the UK to create a single consistent objective UK charity data set.  We don't have the capacity, specialist expertise or influence to exploit our Charity Big Data, so we'll give it to those who do.  We will augment this with a significantly upgraded master dashboard and import external APIs to create predictive analytics that will take sector decision making to the cutting edge.  In 2025, we will finalise migrating our remaining non AI systems to create an AI concierge service.  A single incredibly simple to use gateway to everything in the UK non profit sector. 

However, we have no plans to build an empire and will remain a sector enabler and very small.  We will do that by bringing partners' functionality into the eco system and also 'outsource' ownership of key elements of the CEF functionality using our social franchising framework. The charity, supported by a sector strategic leadership group, will manage the social franchising network and develop our strategy.    

Web based and scalable at very low cost and, with the charity remaining very small, longer term costs are estimated to be circa £200k pa.  This will be funded by a small contribution by very large group users, sponsorship, advertising and other income. That is projected to generate revenue far in excess of our needs. 

Increasing Your Funding   Every one of our systems supports fundraising.  Assess your fundraising online in 30 minutes, with access to all the fundraising resources, including its 100+ downloadable funder lists.  Plus, its unique Funding Finder grants directory, Help Finder directory for companies that make donations and Data Finder for funding bids and fundraising research.  Looking for fundraising ideas or have a question about fundraising - ask an AI bunny.. 

An incredibly useful tool to broaden our search for funders during these challenging times. ...having a free resource like this available to us is a game changer.

Providing Assurance We're subject to a wide range of laws and regulations. You can’t be an expert in everything, but you don’t need to be, because the CEF enables you to quickly assess every area.  The dashboard reports 21 key metrics and the Critical Health Check table provides trustees with 'at a glance' oversight of key areas, including impact, sustainability, fundraising effectiveness, compliance and keeping people safe. 

CEF is a brilliant "everything in one place" help, for charity, their trustees, staff and volunteers, whether you need 'beginners level' or 'advanced'. 

Increasing Your Impact The dashboard Impact score reports how effectively you are maximising the impact you could have and identifies opportunities to achieve even more. 

All was really thought out well, massive impact. 

Yes – it creates a unique set of questionnaires based on the individual needs of each user, including micro-charities, CICs and schools, and requires no expertise or training to use

Thought provoking and superb resources. Sunnyside Community

The 8 questionnaires enable you to assess every area of activity.  These are strategy, governance, income generation, risk, people, operations, finance & resources and communications.  These enable you to ask and answer all the questions you need to, including those you may not know about.

"The questionnaire identified issues I had never even considered”. Endcliffe Playgroup

Rate each questionnaire statement using a simple 5 star rating, then click next.  That’s all you have to do. You can health check your whole charity in half-a-day.

'The questions were very clear and helpful to understand the gaps and areas where we need to concentrate more’. MumsAid

Jargon free descriptions of all aspects of performance – the resources available, activities undertaken, what these produce, the outcomes delivered, the impact created, and the overarching management and planning systems. 

‘Questions were very clear and easy to understand’  Justice is Now

How Do Statements Assess Critical People Factors?

We have very few resources, but one huge asset – our people, and they are the key to driving improved performance. It assess key issues, such as leadership, innovation, wellbeing, culture and decision making, by taking into account not only what is done, but who does it, how well, their capacity and expertise, and how motivated they are in doing so.

How Many Statements Are In Each Questionnaire?

Usually between 10 and 40, depending on the questionnaire, and your charity’s size, sector, where it operates and the activities it undertakes.

The system uses what you tell it to convert your results into your priorities for action, using a traffic light system.

How Does It work?

As you score questionnaires, the CEF will automatically assess you using its Diversity Excellence Standard in a range of areas, from culture, to procedures, targets and outcomes, across your charity. Your results are reported on your dashboard. Click ‘Diversity’ to access your detailed results.

This is an amazing tool. 1000 out of 10. Race On The Agenda  

The ‘Export’ function saves time and reduces workload, by enabling you to download reports as action plans, for meetings or planning, or create reports for the Board, or others.

"Clear and logical approach that focuses us on what we are doing well and what we need to improve. The links to source material are great". Watford Sheltered Workshop Ltd

Registering and Set-up

• On trying to register - my organisation already exists. Someone has already registered your organisation.  They can add you to the account using the ‘Additional Users’ link on the left of their screen.  If you can't find out who it is, contact me.
• The system won't accept my name. It can't accept any non-alphabetic characters or spaces, remove these. 
• It tells me that my e mail already exists?  You are already a system user.  Login using your e mail and 'Forgotten Password', if you can't remember it. Your e mail is your account login, so you would need to use a different e mail, if you wish to have 2 accounts.   
• I did not receive an account activation e mail. Check your spam folder.
• On login – user does not exist. There are 2 reasons you may receive this message.
  • You have registered using another e mail address.
  • You registered and did not use your account. Unused accounts are deleted from time-to-time.
• It won't accept my password. A password must contains at least 8 characters, including at least one number and both uppercase and lower letters, but with no special characters.
• I’ve forgotten my password. Go to login and click ‘Forgot Password’.

To find out more about how Charity Excellence enables charities to improve impact, income and save money, watch this video (2 mins). and, or click the link for an introduction on how to use it (3 mins) or this one for how to get the most from the Funding Finder database (3 mins). 

If you still want help, call me on 07595 371 444 or e mail me at charityexcellence@gmail.com  

"..this has helped us to address the areas that we are not quite there, and it is amazing to have all the resources we need to support us in one place. I really can’t believe you have pulled this together single handedly. Thank you!" President, The Learned Society of Wales

Using The System

• My set-up (My Profile) page won’t let me Save. The system uses what you tell it to create your unique questionnaires, but can’t do this until it has all the information needed.  Make at least one selection in each area.
• I don’t know how to use a part of the system. There are ? symbols throughout the system. Click any of these, to find out what that area does and how to use it. Alternatively, click the CEF User Guide Video, Funder Guide Video for the database, or the FAQs link. All 3 are at the top of your screen.
• The video versions of the guides are great, but where can I find all of them?  Go to the CEF You Tube channel and select a playlist. 
• Why do I keep getting e mail reminders?  Some people register, but don't score questionnaires, which blocks others from their charity from joining. The system sends reminders, then deletes non-users.  Score questionnaires to stop these. 
• There's an assessment statement for an activity that doesn't apply to us.  Select the 'Not Applicable' box, on the right, and the system will ignore this in your assessments. 
• There questionnaires are very long, or there are activities we do that are missing. The system uses your My Profile page to create your questionnaires. Go to your page, click Create Questionnaires and amend this. You won’t lose the scores you’ve already entered, except those that no longer apply.
• How do I download a report as an action plan?  Click the Export button.
• There's a word or phrase I don't understand.  There shouldn't be, so let me know but, in the meantime, click the Charity Terms button at the top of your screen for an interactive list of 100s of charity and management terms, explained in plain English. 
• Do I have to keep scoring questionnaires to find the resources?  No. Once a questionnaire has been scored, you can click the relevant score in your interactive dashboard or run a query. 
• How do I find this guide again?  Click the Troubleshooting link on the left of your screen. 

Funding Finder Database

• How can I get the most from the system?  Watch this short video. 
• What are funding finders? The system has links to 400+ other free funding databases and online funder lists, giving you click through to a huge range of funders. 
• How do I find core funders?  Select 'core funders' in the Category menu; there are 170+.  
• How do I find the most recent funders?  The funders are updated every week.  Select New Additions, as a search category. 
• Is there are list of all the funder lists and free funding finders on the system?  Yes, click here.  There are 50+.
• How do I download the funder lists?  From the income questionnaire statement on finding new funders.  It has FUNDER LISTS typed into the text, so you can't miss it.