Increase your capacity – build other people’s
We all know the question. ‘How will you sustain your project’s impact when the funding stops?’ Interestingly, although many funders ask it, most don’t know why. I know, because I’ve…
Invest in capacity
We are now inviting applications for this year’s action learning programmes. [Closing date 27th April] These are special six-month leadership and organisational development opportunities. Developed by the Lasting Difference team,…
Same storm, different boats
Case study: Sustainable mental health for all The pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of people all over the country. But people who already experience inequality…
Tame the octopus: idea screening and selection
We’ve always said the way to cope with the sustainability paradoxes is to screen new ideas. But we’ve not shared a ‘Lasting Difference’ way to do this. Until now. Our…
Feeling summary?
Everyone is busy. But no-one is too busy for our quick read summaries! We began adding 50 word executive summaries to our guides a while ago. We know people are…
System capacity and leadership
Wherever you work, you’re part of a wider ecosystem. It’s made up of other people, communities, partners, funders and policy makers. You probably think that things would be better if…
Effectiveness in international development
Scotland’s International Development Alliance were our first partners in online learning, reaching their members from all over the globe in 2018. Things have developed rapidly in the sector since then,…
Victors of our own success
Update from Graeme Reekie and the Wren and Greyhound directors. This is the hardest blog I’ve had to write, even though I’ve known for a few weeks that it’s been…
NEW: Guide to Managing Capacity
Managing capacity by getting resources to match demand is the number one sustainability challenge for the sector. Our new guide offers fresh, practical ways to think about and take action…
New workshop programme open – and offers!
Bookings are now open for our three core sustainability workshops in May-June: Understanding sustainability in a recovering world Thursday 6th May 10am-12.45pm Developing the five capabilities Thursday 20th May 10am-12.45pm…
Mission invisible: the value of single focused goals
Imagine if there were a simple way to make decisions in a complex world. Imagine being able to manage your limited capacity. And wouldn’t it be great if your whole…
The 7 domains of sustainable impact: Part 2
In the first article of this series, we identified the ‘seven domains’ of sustainable impact – the different ways in which you can make a lasting difference. The first domain…
Who knew? Your guide to managing knowledge better
You know when you study something because it’s interesting, but you’re not sure how relevant it will be? That’s how I felt about knowledge management when I did it as…
Succession is inevitable – success isn’t
Around a fifth of voluntary sector leaders are currently seeking a new opportunity. Three quarters of non-profit organisations do not have a succession plan in place[1]. In this blog we…
Lasting Leadership launch
There is no sustainability without sustainable leadership. We’ve been researching the topic for the last 12 months and will be launching our inspirational new ‘Lasting Leadership’ guide with a one-off…
The Octopus and the Shipwreck
Over the last five weeks I’ve explored the four paradoxes of sustainability: The Change paradox: Only by changing can organisations be sustainable. The Yes/No paradox: The things that an organisation…
Making the case for inefficiency
The first in a special series of posts to by Graeme Reekie to mark the release of ‘Making a Lasting DIfference – sustaining nonprofit organisations and their impact’. Without efficiency,…
Introducing the Sported ‘Frisbee’
Sported have developed a comprehensive model of capacity and sustainability. ‘The Frisbee’ helps the organisation and its members to plan – and evidence the impact of – capacity building support….
The principles and paradoxes of sustainability
The principles and paradoxes of sustainability One of the core principles of sustainability is that it is about more than just money. Finance is only one of the sustainability challenges...
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The meaning behind the myths
Sustainability is a growing concern for third sector organisations. Demand on services continues to increase, resources continue to dwindle. How can we talk about third sector sustainability in this context?…