If you are a charity board trustee or part of the senior leadership team, your challenge is to find that vital space away from your day-to-day pressures to be able to plan for a sustainable future and to seek out new sources of income. In this tough fundraising climate, your charity needs to be in the strongest position possible to compete in the race for a share of available funds. Now is the time to strengthen the core of your organisation, build your partnerships with stakeholders and rally your people. 

The Scottish business sector, Scottish Government, local authorities, and major philanthropic funders are increasingly using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a significant indicator to measure the social, environmental, and economic impacts of the organisations that they fund. This makes sense. The measurements that underpin the SDGs are a particularly useful guide when used to achieve greater consistency in analysis across different sectors, stronger performance, and enhanced public accountability. 

In Scotland, the SDGs are incorporated as part of the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework which guides their priorities for both their budget and policy direction. It also underpins much of the criteria used to achieve a net zero society.

Regardless of an organisation’s size or purpose, the SDGs provide a common language that immediately shows support in the fight for a better future. Having a clear ethical purpose attracts and retains donors; minimises risks to your reputation and gives confidence to your funders and investors.

Meeting the SDGs requires the ability to record and evidence that your charity can add value through a mixture of environmental and social action with the ability to work in new collaborations and partnerships. To support organisations in addressing them will require skills and expertise in both areas. 

At BTA we have been involved in spreading the message about Sustainability and the SDGs for several years. In our experience, many Scottish charities are significantly behind other sectors in embracing the SDGs. This gap is becoming more acute as charities face a real threat to funding, particularly statutory funding, if they cannot clearly evidence their social and environmental sustainability. 

BTA has developed a cost effective and pragmatic solution through our new Sustainability Audit and Reporting service which is specifically targeted for the needs of small and medium sized charities. As part of our service, we also offer training and implementation support. Please get in touch to discuss how we can help you on your Sustainability journey. 

Ann McKechin is Senior Associate Consultant with BTA (Bruce Tait Associates), the leading Consultancy and Recruitment specialist for the Charity sector. BTA’s approach intertwines passion with professionalism, ensuring every organisation they partner with is poised to make a lasting impact.

Ann is a Policy and Communications specialist with a unique range of transferable skills gained from being a member of the senior management team in a multinational company, a charity director, a non-executive Board member, a former Government Minister and experienced parliamentarian and with a past legal career in the private sector.

For more information, please contact Alison Weir, Business Services Manager at BTA on a[email protected]