Small charities and voluntary organisations play a crucial role in their communities but often need support to strengthen their strategic direction and operations. South Yorkshire Charity Mentors (SYCM) meets this growing demand by providing free, tailored mentoring to voluntary sector leaders, helping them build resilient and effective organisations.
SYCM connects leaders with experienced mentors from diverse sectors like marketing, legal services, healthcare, and manufacturing. These volunteer mentors offer bespoke guidance, empowering leaders to unlock their organisations’ full potential. After a successful two-year pilot, SYCM became a registered charity in 2023. So far SYCM has supported 60 leaders through a network of 41 mentors, delivering an estimated £66,000 worth of free mentoring.
One leader shared how their mentor transformed their charity “from a sinking ship to a thriving strategic player,” while another credited the programme for helping them exceed their perceived potential. These stories underscore how targeted support can drive meaningful change, enabling organisations to better serve their communities.
Funds from the John Good Group will help SYCM expand into new areas, and meet the increasing demand for mentoring. With £80 sustaining the programme for a day, a grant of £2,500 could support an entire month of invaluable mentoring for voluntary sector leaders, ensuring more local organisations can thrive and better serve their communities.
Being shortlisted is incredible. We are a small, high impact charity open to all voluntary sector leaders across South Yorkshire. Many of the charities we support are small or medium sized organisations, the smallest being a food bank and community larder operating from the founder’s own house.
Support for us means support for a wide range of diverse charities from across the region, resulting in a significant impact for a large number of communities and service users.
At the Matthew Good Foundation, we are deeply committed to supporting small charities, and through our firsthand experience, we understand the challenges they face. South Yorkshire Charity Mentors is an incredibly valuable and innovative initiative, offering essential support to voluntary sector leaders. With some of the senior management team at John Good Group already personally mentoring local charities in Hull, we recognise the power of business leaders sharing their expertise. This initiative not only helps charities thrive but also fosters meaningful community connections, creating lasting impact for all involved
Latest Project Updates
December 2024
Granted £2,000
After employees at the John Good Group voted for their favourite causes, South Yorkshire Charity Mentors received a grant of £2,000.
December 2024
Grants for Good Finalist
South Yorkshire Charity Mentors has become one of the top five finalists in the latest Grants for Good round, and will receive a grant between £2000 and £5000 after employees at the John Good Group have voted on their favourite causes.