Blog Layout
Sustainability in a COVID 19 world
16 June 2020 / Ann McKechin
Home
/ News & Views
/ Sustainability in a COVID 19 world
Ann McKechin works with BTA to support charities become more aware of sustainability issues.
After a substantial career in private legal practice she was elected in 2001 as Member of Parliament for Glasgow Maryhill and from 2005 to 2015 represented the Glasgow North seat. Between 2008 and 2010 she was appointed as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Scotland Office and from 2010 to 2011 was Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland in the Labour Shadow Cabinet.
Her recent experience includes being Executive Director of the ScottishPower Foundation as well as Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Scottish Power which she left in 2019 and the former chair of Scottish Grantmakers Association. She currently works as a consultant and is a member of the General Optical Council Hearings Panel, the Board of Public Health Scotland, the University of West of Scotland Court, the advisory panel of IPPR Scotland and a trustee of UN Women UK.
As the COVID-19 emergency continues with the economic and social costs becoming more acute, charities face the prospect of managing continual uncertainty over a prolonged period.
Time for reflection and analysis is short and frequently non-existent as crisis management takes hold but it is vital that charities continue to exhibit sound governance, be able to react quickly to new challenges, retain the trust of their stakeholders and understand their funders’ strategic priorities if they stand a chance of remaining sustainable and credible.
The impact of COVID has also resulted in a pronounced shift in public opinion which is focused as never before on those who do not act in a socially responsible manner – no organisation or individual is exempt from scrutiny.
Funders in turn will want to ensure that their support is provided to organisations that are ethical, transparent and can evidence their benefit to the communities they serve.
So a proactive approach to sustainability is one of the key factors that charities must tackle. Handled properly it can be more of an opportunity than a threat, offering the chance to re-shape, re-priorities and recharge organisational mission and operational approaches.
And the good news is that a roadmap is readily available. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched in 2015 and are already widely used by governments and the private sector. The SDGs offer a robust set of management and communication tools that provides an effective route map to guide your organisation through this time of unprecedented change and increase its resilience.
BTA are determined to support charities in developing a strong awareness of the SDGs and how they can help them deliver their mission, develop new partnerships and increase their funding opportunities.
I’m therefore delighted to be presenting the latest BTA Webinar – Sustainability in a Covid-19 world. This webinar will introduce the key principles behind the SDGs, their relevance to the funding landscape in Scotland and how they can be adapted to the needs of not for profit organisations both large and small.
For further information and to book your place click here
