Risk Management Policy
Elsie Ever After is governed by a board of trustees who bring their knowledge and experience and are passionate in their desire to provide bereavement support, raise awareness of the charity and its work with families in need. The Trustees delegate the day to day running of the charity to Helen Lyons – Elsie’s mummy and the founder of the charity. Helen is supported by a team of trustees. The Trustees are consulte don and involved in all major decisions, including expenditure and regular communication is maintained with all trustees including quarterly trustee meetings.
Potential risks
Elsie Ever After considers the quality, future and impact of the work of the charity is of utmost importance and therefore have considered potential risks to the charity.
Risks and measures put in place as result:
Low donations – the charity is reliant on donations and grants to carry out the work that we do. It is essential we have enough funds to protect the sustainability of the charity and ensure there is always funds if approached. We have detailed accounts and understanding of the main sources of income to Elsie Ever After and differing income throughout the year. We plan 12 months in advance and ensure there is always some ring-fenced necessary funds. This be periodically reviewed by the Chief Financial Officer and used to steer our fundraising efforts and ensure the smooth running of the charity finances.
Low referrals – the charity will try to assist all those who contact us, regardless of location or circumstance to access bereavement support of their choice, as long as within the remit of the charity’s work. Should we face a lack of referrals we will embark on promotional activities to engage with our target groups. We also liaise with other charities who provide bereavement support to ascertain if we can support their work if it is aligned to Elsie Ever After principles.
Failure to achieve measurable outcomes – The charity has clear and defined objectives that underpin all activities. We keep clear records of number of packs delivered and activities provided. As the charity grows we will need to continually assess objectives and outcomes.
Volunteer lifecycle – Trustees and volunteers have been and will continue to be essential to the success and future proofing of the charity. It is accepted that at times trustees will come to then end of their agreed posts or may need to step down for alternate reasons. It is agreed within the constitution at time of conception that each trustee has a different time in post to ensure not all trustees completed their trusteeship at the same time. Further each trustee has a skillset that would need to be considered when appointing new trustees.
Failure to attract new supporters – The charity is reliant on supporters for continued success. The charity has invested in an up to date website and commenced targeted Facebook campaigns and updates. The charity has also requested feedback from beneficiaries to evaluate the effectiveness of support and raise awareness. The charity has begun Amazon Gift and Virgin giving as a way of making supporting the charity more accessible.
Lacking resilient infrastructure – The charity has invested in procedures, policies, IT and finance systems to underpin the efforts of the charity and ensure we adhere to relevant legislations and contractual obligations. Those systems will continually be reviewed by the trustees and revised if necessary.
The charity will review the risks and measures required to be put in place and this document will be updated annually if necessary.