Stakeholder management

Arguably, stakeholder management is even more challenging for charities than for organisations in other sectors.

The diverse mix of relevant parties - funders, commissioners, users, staff, Trustees, volunteers and regulators -  all feel passionately about your cause. As Jim Collins says in ‘Good to Great and the Social Sector’, working with such stakeholder groups requires tact, gentle persuasion and finding shared interests to help navigate the way forward. 13 years working at Hospice UK, a national membership charity for the sector, has given us great experience of developing such skills. 

db associates worked with Hospice UK and the Forum of Hospice Chairmen to research the challenges facing Trustees of their member hospices and to learn how they could support them to overcome these.

The project involved developing and circulating an online questionnaire, undertaking around 20 telephone interviews and leading a one-day workshop with a group of hospice Trustees to review the findings. The resulting report produced a wide range of recommendations. 

"David expertly managed the project, ensuring that Trustees were able to fully participate in the research and have their voices heard. The workshop proved particularly successful, mixing Trustees new to the hospice world with those with more experience. The final report identified a large number of opportunities which we are now looking to take forward." Kate Tompkins, Chair of the Forum of Hospice Chairmen