Tag Archives: Not For Profit

TES posts record year after supporting the charitable sector’s digital transformation drive

Helping charities and Not for Profits (NFPs) deliver their vision through the power of digital transformation has seen a Rugeley-based business management software specialist secure a record year.

Total Enterprise Solutions (TES), which celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2022, has secured a string of new contract wins, including supporting the activities of Age UK in Birmingham and Lancashire, the West Midlands Safari Park, the Spinal Injuries Association and, most recently, the Green Party.

The firm’s strong focus on this sector has seen it leverage the power and capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 to tailor solutions that help organisations with cyber security, fundraising management, SORP/SOFA compliance, Charity VAT and volunteer management.

It is an approach that is paying dividends with orders up £1m to £5.6m and a recruitment drive that has created 18 new jobs over the last twelve months.

“Charities and NFPs are facing extremely tough challenges, with the implications of Covid-19, combined with escalating energy and operating costs, causing a cocktail of difficult issues,” explained Paul Faulkner, Chief Executive of TES.

“Now, more than ever, they need to be able to achieve new efficiencies and use technology to try to find ways to save costs, increase revenue and free up capacity so staff can do more.”

He continued: “This is where TES is adding real value by solving problems, starting with our team of experts who have significant experience in the NFP sector. They sit down with organisations to understand their requirements and then use our knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics 365’s Business Central and CRM software platforms to find ways of streamlining complicated processes and methods.

“The idea is to get them to embrace digital transformation to deliver essential services and to support their social impact.”

TES, which donates 5% of its annual profits back to charity customers, continues to work with the sector to develop new solutions and, in the past twelve months, has developed a suite of add on apps that expand the power of the Microsoft Cloud for Not for Profits.

The Rugeley-based company has spent valuable time with clients to design and develop applications that accelerate the rate at which charities and organisations can embrace and benefit from digital transformation, increasing their Return on Investment (ROI) in the shortest time possible.

Powered by the Microsoft Cloud, the additional TES solutions address specific issues including membership management, fundraising, legacy management, subscriptions, tax efficient giving and document approvals – all helping to reduce project risks and unforeseen costs, whilst accelerating the benefits and efficiencies they set out to achieve.

These apps will be promoted and explained via a series of free to view webinars that will be rolled out over the remainder of this year.

Paul went on to add: “Part of our relationship with Microsoft involves working closely with Microsoft Tech for Social Impact (TSI), which is a Not for Profit organisation who match dollar for dollar spend by charities by donating it back to them.

“Last year, this equated to $2billion dollars so charities know that when they choose the Microsoft platform with TES they are benefitting both their own operations, whilst also driving social impact through the world through TSI.”

Total Enterprise Solutions, boosted by the new applications, is targeting £7m sales by the end of 2022, with a three-year plan to take this to £10m through organic increases in revenue.

 

 

UK charities struggle to reach recipients as two thirds are at risk of administration

Almost two in three (62%) NPOs say they will be less able to reach the recipients who benefit from their services, despite a 25% increase in demand for their services, according to new research from Sage Foundation.

Over two thirds (68%) say they are at risk of going into administration, while four in five (80%) cite a continued lack of funding as the sector’s biggest obstacle. This amounts to 72% of NPOs who say they will be less able to deliver their projects or undertake work in 2021.

Almost a third (31%) of non-profits expect their funding to decrease by as much as half from 2020, a year in which financial support was already heavily depleted due to COVID-19.

Funding across multiple channels, including government and public fundraising, has dramatically dropped. Just 11% received the majority of their funding from public fundraising in 2021, versus 20% of those who received the same in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similarly, just 12% received the majority of their funding from commissioned services, for example government awarded funds or contracts, versus 21% pre-pandemic.

Some NPOs have identified ways in which they could overcome these challenges and could get access to better funding. Over two thirds (67%) say better skills at pitching for funding, including better organisational financial literacy could improve their funding chances in 2021.

NPOs often lack specific skills such as financial management due to resource constraints, with 65,000 job losses in the sector in 2020 compounding this issue.

In response, Sage Foundation today launches a programme to support non-profits to have confidence for the future by building stronger business and financial planning into their organisations. Sage Foundation NPO Success offers eligible non-profits discounts on Sage Business Cloud product subscriptions, free financial management tools, training opportunities and an online support community.

Paul Struthers, Managing Director, Sage, UK and Ireland said: “It would be another sad legacy of this pandemic if two in three UK charities go into administration, particularly when demand for their services is at an all-time high. Organisational financial literacy is key to supporting NPOs to adapt and build confidence for the future.

“Our NPO Success programme will help non-profit organisations successfully unlock more opportunities by supporting them to save time, reduce costs, eliminate errors, achieve compliance and most importantly be more effective at gaining and managing financial support so they can support their communities.”

Kate Welch OBE DL, Trustee of Acumen Community Buildings and Sage non-profit customer said: “This is the most challenging time I have known as a charity trustee or Chief Executive.

“Having good financial management and forecasting is crucial to our survival as well as our mission to continue to make a difference in our community. We welcome these resources and the help Sage can offer and I know many other charities will be able to make good use of this to help with raising funds and diversifying their income.”

Non-profit organisations can utilise the free information resources and check eligibility for the product offer.