Introducing the Charity Mentoring Network

How do you fancy upskilling your fundraisers, for free? You can, thanks to a new charity mentoring scheme.

Launched on October 27, the Charity Mentoring Network (CMN) is “a community platform that connects organisations, staff, and volunteers together so they can support one another and share their knowledge and expertise”.

The UK’s first nationwide mentoring scheme, it aims to connect people working across the sector and help them become more effective in their roles.  

How does it work?

Any organisation in the UK’s third sector can join the network.

Membership is priced on a sliding scale:

• Small charities (under 50 employees) will be able to use the service free of charge. (The cost will be covered by corporate sponsorship)

• Medium-sized charities: £500 a year

• Large charities: Either £1,000 or £2,000 a year, depending on income. 

Once signed up, members can invite staff and volunteers to register either as mentors, mentees, or both. They’ll then be automatically matched to a selection of people either offering or looking for support in specific topics.

The network is also open to corporates, who can use their volunteering days to mentor third-sector employees while accumulating CPD points.

What’s included in the membership?

Mentor Matching: Charities will be able to match staff and volunteers to mentors and mentees across the third sector, via the network’s mentoring software platform, PushFar. 

Reporting: Members can monitor the progress of their mentoring activity via bespoke reports that track engagement.

Support and resources: Monthly mentoring training will be included in the package, plus access to technical support during working hours.

Opinion

Thirty charities have signed up for the initiative, including the Royal Voluntary Service, St John Ambulance, Shelter, Alzheimer’s Society, and Epilepsy Action. And they’re welcoming the launch of the scheme.

Mary-Anne Fiorini, director of people and culture at Quo Vadis Trust, a provider of social housing, care, and support for people living with mental health needs, believes the network will benefit the charity sector.

“Having someone you can turn to for guidance and support is essential for acquiring confidence in your own abilities and encouraging leadership skills to grow. Developing a network within our charitable community can only help strengthen our sector as a whole, as the collective knowledge and experience shared from mentor to mentee helps underpin new ideas and decisions whilst forming alliances and sharing best practices.” 

Another proponent of the scheme, Heather Blanchard, learning and development business partner at housing association CHP, said, “having the Charity Mentoring Network available to our employees gives us a greater range of experience that our employees can tap into, both for growing in their own careers but also sharing their wealth of knowledge with others. We aim to use the CMN platform in particular to support our apprentices and graduates, as well as employees who are progressing into new roles internally.”

Final Word

Mentoring is an effective way to develop your workforce, particularly if you’re a small organisation with a limited training budget.

Drop CMN a line to find out how mentoring can benefit you.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a fundraiser, we can help. Give us a call on 020 3750 3111 to get started.