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Setting up an Organisation – Initial Community Southwark Assessment

Community Southwark can help you set up an organisation as long as it has charitable aims and is based in Southwark. Before we provide support, however, we ask that all prospective organisations complete this initial assessment so we can better understand the scope of your organisation and to make sure that you've considered what it take to run it from scratch.

Community Southwark can help you set up an organisation as long as it has charitable aims and is based in Southwark.


Before we provide support we ask that all prospective organisations complete this initial assessment so we can understand the scope of your organisation and make sure that you’ve considered what it take to run it from scratch.

The form asks the following questions which you must answer before returning the form to us for evaluation:

  1. What is the motivation behind starting the organisation? i.e. explain how you got to the point where you wanted to start up.
  2. a. What is the need/problem that your organisation aims to address? i.e. what is it you are trying to change and how do you this is an issue?
  3. b. Do you have the skills/expertise/capacity to address these needs? Please explain. i.e. why are you/your organisation best placed to help?
  4. a. Have you checked whether there are any other organisations already providing the services you aim to deliver? i.e. tell us what you know about similar organisations in the area, how you know about them, what they do, whether you have contacted them etc.
  5. b. If yes, have you considered collaborative working arrangements or volunteering for them etc.?
  6. Who will be the main beneficiaries of your organisation? i.e. who/what will be the focus of your organisation and where?
  7. How much personal financial risk are trustees/committee members prepared to take? i.e. there is always a financial risk when starting any type of organisation; at certain stages of an organisations life this risk will fall mainly on the individuals involved. How great a risk are you willing to take?
  8. Will the organisation be employing staff, taking on contracts or leases or owning property? i.e. will the organisation be doing anything now or in the future that will be a high financial risk to those involved.
  9. Will any of the Directors/Trustees require any entitlement to such remuneration as the directors determine, for services which they may undertake for the organisation? i.e. will anyone want to be paid to work for or deliver services on behalf of the organisation when they are also trustee/directors?
  10. What will be the level of user involvement? i.e. how will you ensure that users are involved in some way in the design/delivering/management etc. of the organisation? (consultations and surveys on new projects, co-production, volunteering opportunities, advisory boards, a number of users on the trustee board etc.)
  11. How do you intend to fund or finance your organisation? i.e. Will you be relying on grants, public donations or do you intend to use loans or trade?
  12. How do you intend to monitor, evaluate and measure the impact your work has on your beneficiaries and the wider public? i.e. how will you know if what you are doing is working/successful? What changes do you want to see in your beneficiaries and how will you measure whether or not these are taking place?

DOWNLOAD INITIAL ASSESSMENT


Support

If you would like any support with setting up an organisation and picking a legal structure or any other issues facing your organisation, please contact the VCS Support Team at Community Southwark: info@communitysouthwark.org or 020 3848 6540


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