AVOCADO+ 2022-23: “A turning point in our journey”

We’re delighted that twelve brilliant BAMER-led non-profit organisations completed the AVOCADO+ Accelerator Programme in 2022-23: Active Horizons, Ashoks Vision, Breadline London, Bridging Barriers, Da’aro Youth Project, Minority Matters, FAST London, Five X More, Get Rid of and Donate, Out & Proud African LGBTI, Santé Refugee Mental Health Access Project, and Soccology. 

Sarah Robson, Project Lead at Da’aro Youth Project, said: 

“Since we were awarded the first prize from the Money4YOU grant in December 2022 [following Dragons Den], our organisation marked a turning point in our journey. We owe a great deal of our success to our dedicated mentor, Hemant Mistry, from AVOCADO+, who provided invaluable guidance and support throughout the application process for the Community Lottery Fund. As a result of our collaborative efforts, we have been awarded a substantial grant of £245,000, which will be spread over the next three years. 

“The courses and resources offered by Money4YOU have played a pivotal role in our achievements, equipping us with essential knowledge and skills. This newfound support has empowered us to take significant strides towards establishing a robust organizational structure and governance, driving our efficiency, and honing our focus on delivering high-quality services to young asylum seekers and refugees from the Horn of Africa.”

Headquarters locations for organisations in the 2022-23 AVOCADO+ cohort. Map imagery from MapCustomizer, © OpenStreetMap contributors.

The organisations we support through AVOCADO+ vary greatly in annual income, from just-formed groups with zero income and micro-groups under £5k turnover to small charities over £250,000. All the organisations on the 2022-23 cohort turned over significantly less than £500,000 a year.

The confidence scores on a numeric scale (1 – Low to none, 2 – Fair, 3 – Good, 4 – Excellent) improved by 71.5% on average. We saw the greatest increases on corporate, major donor, and events fundraising, income generation strategy, and building a case for support, and the smallest on bid writing, financial management, and prospect research. Generally, the smallest increases in confidence were in more generalist areas that attendees are more likely to have come across outside of the charity sector, and the most significant were in more specialist charity-specific areas. 

On average, participants rated aspects of the training as ‘Excellent’ 54% of the time, ‘Good’ 45%, and ‘Poor’ 1%. No participants rated any aspect of the #BootCamps as ‘Very poor’ at any point in the year. 

The most highly-rated aspects by far were the trainer’s knowledge of the subject area, confidence responding to questions, and interaction and relationship building with learners. The lowest-rated aspects were the quality of resources used and the range of training methods, although the vast majority of responses still rated the latter two as ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’.

The responses suggest a low level of familiarity before the course with the terminology and jargon of fundraising techniques, methods, and avenues. The survey results, along with our observations at events themselves, suggest that the AVOCADO+ course helps relate technical and bureaucratic terminology to people’s existing experiences and work in their community.

This link helps non-profit leaders navigate the funding and regulatory environments in which they work, strengthening their income generation, legal compliance, and long-term sustainability.