2into3 are Celebrating our 300th Customer
2into3 are delighted to announce that we are celebrating our 300th customer. After 15 years in business, across 3 offices in Dublin, Belfast & Cork, we continue with our mission, to help transform nonprofits throughout Ireland. As a team we are thrilled to arrive at this important milestone. We work with some truly fantastic organisations, who undertake amazing work for the people of Ireland.
2into3 300th Customer
“We are delighted to be developing a strategic plan for County Kildare LEADER Partnership, our 300th customer. Kildare LEADER delivers rural, enterprise, social inclusion and community initiatives in the county of Kildare.” – Dennis O’Connor, Director, 2into3.
How Nonprofit organisations benefit from a strategic plan:
- Gives a clear sense of direction
- Identifies priorities and aids clear decision making.
- It’s a living document, which is owned by the people of your organisation. Therefore, motivating your employees with a sense of purpose
- Enables your organisation to be proactive, rather than reactive.
Special word of thanks to all our customers, who partner with us on some of the most impactful and strategic projects in their organisation’s history. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to share insights, learnings and feedback to help add capacity and grow the potential of each and every one of these organisations.
If your nonprofit would like to develop a strategic plan, or avail of our consulting, recruitment or research services, please contact Dennis@2into3.com.
About County Kildare LEADER Partnership
County Kildare LEADER Partnership is one of over fifty local development companies in Ireland. They are a nonprofit Local Development Company that has been operational since January 2009 and is the result of an amalgamation of a number of organisations and their activities including KELT, the Kildare Community Partnership (KCP) and the County Kildare based section of OAK Partnership.
County Kildare LEADER Partnership is now continuing this work through the Rural Development Programme (LEADER), the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and other supporting programmes in empowering local communities to improve their quality of life.
Celebrating Our Team’s Growth
Staff News
2into3 are delighted to announce that our graduates, Claire Anderson and Rebecca Droop, have been promoted to Recruitment Coordinator and Analyst. They have worked continuously during their graduate traineeship and we are thrilled to announce that they will be progressing within 2into3.
Claire Anderson joined 2into3 as a Recruitment Assistant in 2020, upon graduating from Sociology & Germanic Studies at Trinity College. Claire joined the recruitment team, assisting our Recruitment Manager, Fergal O’Sullivan, in screening and interviewing candidates for the nonprofit sector. Claire noted, “I’m delighted to be appointed as Recruitment Co-ordinator upon completion of my graduate traineeship with 2into3. My manager, Fergal, and everyone at 2into3 have given me great support throughout and a solid foundation for my future career. I cannot wait to see what lies ahead in the coming years with 2into3.”
Rebecca joined the team as a Research Assistant, after completing a degree in Economics and Political Science at Trinity College. Throughout her traineeship, Rebecca assisted Dennis O’Connor, CEO, in researching for the Irish Giving Index, as well as hosting a series of webinars. Rebecca has made significant contributions during her role as a Research Assistant and noted, “I am looking forward to embarking on my new position as an Analyst. This past year has been an excellent learning curve and I am excited for my future career within 2into3.”
2into3 New Team Member
We also would like to take this opportunity to welcome Shannon Barrett, our new Recruitment Assistant. Shannon has just completed her MA in HR Management from National College Ireland and will be working across 2into3 and For Purpose. We wish Shannon all of the best in her career here at 2into3.
After this difficult year, we are extremely pleased that our team is expanding and would like to thank all of our clients who have made this possible. We look forward to transforming more nonprofits in the remaining months of 2021.
For more information on our team, click here.
2into3 Partnership with NI Sports Forum
Senior consultant, Patricia Keenan, met with our partners, NI Sports Forum, to discuss how sports clubs can benefit from 2into3’s services. We work with schools, community groups, voluntary groups, and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to help maximise their potential. Additionally, 2into3 also advise clubs on how to develop their strategies, fundraising, sponsorships and communications.
The Northern Ireland Sports Forum was originally established in 1955 as the Northern Ireland Council of Physical Recreation, and in 1997, was renamed the Northern Ireland Sports Forum. They exist to promote amateur sport and physical recreation, which results in improved physical and mental health.
Our partnership with NI Sports Forum is crucial, as we deliver webinars in conjunction with their organisation, focusing on inclusivity, gender, mental health, and much more. As the NI Sports Forum act as the, “Independent Voice of Voluntary Sport in Northern Ireland”, 2into3 also acknowledge a variety of sports and aim to assist voluntary sporting organisations to reach their full potential.
Patricia outlines how several clubs operate on an annual basis, but do not have a strategic plan for their long-term goals. Patricia discusses how having a long-term view is crucial for club development. At 2into3, we advise that each committee should be continuously proactive in every aspect of their sporting organisation. Clubs and sports organisations are communities of people, and are encouraged to actively seek development in all aspects of their club.
As Patricia describes during the video, we recently worked with a National Governing Body (NGB). Initially, they wanted to achieve additional equipment and we aimed to provide advice on equipment grants. Instead, we evaluated their overall organisation, to gain a better sense of their long-term goals. On evaluation, it was evident that their national centre was no longer fit for purpose. Their initial equipment grants developed into seeking large-scale funding. Now, they’re in the process of developing a plan for a €2 million national training centre. 2into3 has transformed this nonprofit to reach their full potential. What may have started as a small goal for an NGB, has now turned into a huge development project and asset to their organisation.
For more information, visit here, or contact Patricia Keenan.
Irish Giving Index Webinar
2into3 are hosting an Irish Giving Index webinar on Tuesday 27th April 2021 at 11am. Sinead Price, Director of Fundraising from Pieta House, will be joining us. Sinead will explain how the fundraising team in Pieta House use insights from the Irish Giving Index to enhance their fundraising strategies.
The content of the webinar is based on validated research from our Irish Giving Index, which will include a Q&A and a copy of the webinar recording.
Did you know:
- Fundraised Income from the ROI increased by 16% in Q3 2020 when compared with Q3 2019.
- Average cost to raise €1 was €0.19, 10c less than Q3 2019.
(source: Irish Giving Index Q3 2020)
Current subscribers include: Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland, BelonG To Youth Services, Brighter Communities Worldwide, Concern Worldwide, Cork Simon Community, Focus Ireland, GOAL, Self Help Africa, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, Merchant’s Quay Ireland, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, NCBI, Oxfam Ireland, Pieta House, Rehab Group, Sightsavers, Society of the Little Flower, Special Olympics Ireland, St. John of God’s Foundation and Trócaire.
Register for our webinar to get an insight into the latest findings and how you can use the Index to invest in the future of your organisation. We will explore more of these findings, including fundraising by subsector and organizational size.
Niamh Carruthers promoted to Consultant
2into3 are pleased to announce Niamh Carruthers’ promotion to the role of Consultant and Strategic Planning Lead within the company.
Niamh originally joined 2into3 in 2017 as a Consulting Team Trainee before becoming an Analyst. In her Analyst role, Niamh managed a number of strategy-driven projects, facilitated workshops and supported the delivery of numerous Strategic Plans and Fundraising Strategies. Niamh has worked with organisations across the not-for-profit sector, including Sensational Kids, the Irish Academy of Engineers, TASC, the Irish Advocacy Network, Teach Tearmainn and KDYS. Since joining, 2into3 Niamh has published several research reports, including the annual “Giving Ireland Report” which is the only not-for-profit fundraising income performance report. Niamh co-authored “Actions you can take to manage the impact of Covid-19”.
In her new role, Niamh will concentrate on Strategic Planning and Organisational Reviews. She will lead her clients through the 2into3 strategic development process, to support organisations in introducing transformational change and increasing their impact.
Please join us in wishing Niamh well in her new role. You can contact Niamh 086-0462358 or Niamh.Carruthers@2into3.com
Belfast office now open – Led by Patricia Keenan
We are delighted to announce the opening of our Belfast office, headed up by Patricia Keenan, Management Consultant. Patricia has been a consultant for over a decade after a career in the public and voluntary sector across the island of Ireland and in London. She worked for local authorities, government departments and social enterprises at a senior level before embarking on a career in consulting in 2005, for a diverse range of public and private sector clients. Patricia will lead the business in Northern Ireland and the border counties.
Patricia is an experienced project manager and has led on a number million pound EU funded projects. She has extensive experience in the rural development sector and LEADER funding across Northern Ireland, having previously sat on the Board of the regional LEADER company. She also oversaw the completion of an all Island diversity training programme within the public sector, a first of its kind. With Patricia on-board we are looking forward to offering a full Island of Ireland service to our clients and working more closely with not-for-profits in Northern Ireland and Northwest region.
In March 2020 we opened our Cork office, led by Rob Foley and now 5 months on we are delighted to continue our expansion northwards. Since starting in 2006, we have expanded our service offering to include Fundraising Strategy, Strategic Planning, Organisational Reviews, Recruitment and Research. We have a wealth of knowledge from working across the diverse range of not-for-profit sub-sectors from Social Services and Health to Education and Sport.
2into3 Quarterly Recruitment Monitor – Q1 2020 Review and Initial Thoughts on Covid-19
Q1 Review
Like everything else right now, the 2into3 Quarterly Recruitment Monitor for the first three months of the year has a somewhat different feel to it than usual. Under normal circumstances, we would be looking at January to March this year versus last year and seeing how this might tell us about the trend for the year ahead.
However, as the country took a turn for home in the last few weeks of March, these figures are now to be seen as a historical record rather than a guide to the future. Having said that, we still feel it is important to track what has happened and to see what else we have learned in the month since, so we have decided to publish the Q1 2020 statistics as normal, but with some additional, interim analysis on April alongside it.
The big number to take away from the first quarter of 2020 was the 35% increase in the number of senior roles in the not-for-profit sector that were advertised, up from 108 to 146. This covered a range of different sub-sectors, with Social Services accounting for the highest number (26%), followed by Local Development and Housing (18%). Health (16%) and Education & Research (12%) were also well-represented.
It was also interesting to note that the number of organisations advertising also rose in this period, up from 85 to 110, or 29%. Of this 110, Social Services (25.5%), Local Development & Housing (21%) and Health (18.2%) were the most active areas. Further analysis showed that one-third of those recruiting had an annual income of over €10 million, while just under one-fifth were working with an income under €1 million per annum.
In terms of the roles that we identified, there were twice as many at CEO/Executive Director level (22, up from 10) and a 30% increase in the number of Service Delivery roles. Most of the other roles remained at similar levels, with the notable exception of Finance, which jumped from 2 to 15 year-on-year. Fundraising (29%) and Service Delivery (27%) accounted for the biggest share of roles advertised.
April 2020 v 2019
Moving away from the pre-Covid-19 world, we have also been tracking recruitment activity in April versus 2019 and, unsurprisingly, our data shows a drop in the headline numbers, with 40% fewer senior-level roles advertised during April 2020 (37) than in April 2019 (62).
This reduction was experienced across almost all functions, with just CEO (8 versus 7) and Finance roles (3 versus 1) bucking the trend and increasing year-on-year.
Almost every sub-sector experienced a drop in recruitment, with a few (local development and housing, philanthropy and voluntarism and religion) remaining static. The biggest drops were recorded in social services and education and research.
While the number of smaller organisations (<€1m income) that were advertising fell significantly, from 11 to 5, the reduction in larger organisations (>€1m) was slightly less pronounced: 23, down from 27.
We recognise that such a snapshot does not in any way represent a detailed an empirical analysis of the current situation. Indeed, our own experience in 2into3 has been quite different, with 4 new senior recruitment assignments commenced since the lockdown began. One of these was for a CEO role, while the other three were all fundraising and development positions.
With that in mind, we remain hopeful and quietly confident that there is cause for optimism in the sector. Now, more than ever, not-for-profit organisations need to have the best possible people leading them and driving their missions forward. Gaps in this leadership can offer a short-term respite in terms of cost savings, but it is a false economy if these gaps lead to longer-terms issues once we come thought the other side of these challenging times.
Thanks Brian and Donal
Thank you to Donal Kitt, National Fundraising Manager with Enable Ireland and Brian Walsh, Account Executive with Saleforce.org, who joined our expert panel, for the insightful discussion during our Webinar on ‘Corporate Donations’. This webinar was part 2 of our webinar series “Actions to manage the impact on COVID19 on Fundraised income”.
Part 3 will focus on ‘Regular Giving and DM’, taking place next Thursday 7th May 2020 at 3pm.
Joining our expert panel will be Suzanne Cole Nowers, CEO of Nexus Direct and Eleonora Meghetti and Cliona Martyn from Oxfam.
Darren McMahon Awarded Certified Management Consultant (CMC) Accreditation
2into3 are delighted to announce that Consultant, Darren McMahon, has achieved Certified Management Consultant accreditation with the Institute of Management Consultant and Advisors (IMCA). 2into3 is a registered Management Consultant practice with IMCA.
Darren joined 2into3 in January 2018 and has become a core member of the Consulting & Research team. To date, Darren has led our Irish Giving Index (previously known as Quarterly Fundraising Monitor), Capital Consulting Projects & Masterclasses.
Going forward, Darren will still manage the above services, as well as continuing his work in Fundraising Strategy Development, Capital Consulting and sports club supports. He will also expand on our new webinar services, making them more accessible and available to organisations around the country.
We wish Darren every continued success in his role. Contact Darren on +353 86 792 4696, or Darren.McMahon@2into3.com.