London, November 30, 2023 - Charterpath, the UK’s largest community of professionals with financial skills volunteering in the non-profit sector, today announced the launch of its new campaign, #EveryHourCounts. The campaign addresses the critical need for financial skills in the non-profit sector, struggling amid the legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic and current cost of living crisis.
With over 100,000 trustee vacancies across the UK and finance skills the most in demand, currently only 10% of finance professionals contribute their skills on a voluntary basis to the non-profit sector. This ambitious campaign seeks to dramatically increase this percentage by showcasing the tangible difference every hour of volunteer expertise can make to charities, schools, and community groups.
To kickstart the campaign, Charterpath will be launching its inaugural Charterpath Festive Countdown - an ‘advent calendar’ of social media content. Each day a new 'door' will reveal inspiring stories from non-profits and finance professionals, emphasising that this holiday season, the greatest gift you can offer is your time.
The campaign is informed by industry research and Charterpath’s latest whitepaper, produced in collaboration with Marks Sattin, the leading executive search and recruitment specialist. This highlights the acute need for financial expertise in small charities struggling amid the cost of living crisis - with 75% seeing an increase in demand, yet charitable giving has halved and volunteering levels continue to fall.
In response to the whitepaper findings, Charterpath is also proud to introduce a series of new initiatives as part of the #EveryHourCounts campaign to help better chart a path between non-profit organisations and volunteer financial skills:
Charterpath Volunteer Hub: A new digital hub for peer support and advice, powered by Whatsapp, enabling finance professionals to connect, share experiences, and collaborate on volunteer roles or projects
#EveryHourCounts Podcast: Hosted by the Charterpath co-founders, in the new monthly podcast, Alex and Alice will take you behind the scenes of Charterpath to profile both professionals with financial skills and non-profits in our community who are making a difference
Charterpath Mentoring Scheme: This pilot program will pair finance professionals new to volunteering with experienced treasurers and trustees, offering guidance and support - with applications opening in January 2024
Charterpath Employer Roadshows: Coming to a finance team near you! Building on recent sessions with ASDA, JD Sports and Close Brothers, Charterpath is going on the road in 2024 to highlight the mutual benefits of skills-based volunteering to employees and employers
The whitepaper and associated #EveryHourCounts campaign is a call to action for professionals with financial skills to step forward and make a difference. Every hour of volunteering not only aids those in need but also enriches the lives and well-being of the volunteers themselves - with 77% of volunteers reporting that volunteering improves their mental health.
"Our research shows that while professionals with financial skills are keen to give back, many don't know where to start,"
said Alex Marsh, Co-founder of Charterpath.
"The #EveryHourCounts campaign and our suite of new initiatives are set to change that, making it easier and more rewarding for financial experts to lend their skills where they're needed most."
Visit Charterpath on LinkedIn and Instagram to follow the Charterpath Festive Countdown and get involved with the #EveryHourCounts campaign.
About Charterpath
Alice Clementi and Alex Marsh co-founded Charterpath as a community interest company in 2020, with a mission to increase the proportion of professionals with financial skills volunteering from 10% to 50%. Charterpath has already built a diverse and highly engaged community of over 2,000 professionals with financial skills, having successfully connected over 150 non-profits with volunteers, ranging from The Trussell Trust, to the Together Coalition founded by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Scouts and Manchester Deaf Centre.