Power of Purpose – The Binks Hub

The Power of Purpose workshop series

Led by Take Note and produced in collaboration with The Binks Hub and The Centre for Research on Families and Relationships (CRFR), The Power of Purpose workshop series is based on the simple idea that the ability of charities and grassroots social change organisations to clearly articulate their “why”, their “what” and their “so what” is the bedrock for effective impact and long-term survival. In other words, in a time of deep financial challenge with the pressure on funds and fundraising at an all-time high, an organisation that can clearly articulate their “why”, their “what”, and their “so what” will have a greater chance of lasting and even flourishing in this climate.

Over a series of three 1-hour online sessions aimed at Scotland-based organisations, Take Note’s Lead Consultant, Marianna Hay MBE, will introduce attendees to the Power of Purpose approach. With over 15 years’ experience designing, building and delivering high impact, award winning arts and social change organisations and initiatives, Marianna has developed the Power of Purpose series on behalf of the Binks Hub to share and scale the strategies she has learnt and deployed along the way.

These sessions are for:

Scotland-based small-medium charities and grassroots social change organisations
All roles but ideal for trustees, senior staff or workers with responsibility for strategy development
Workers and leaders steering organisations through significant financial challenge and uncertainty

The initial three-hour sessions will cover:

“Telling Your Story”: An introduction to Impact Map Making and honing your message
“Understanding Your Impact”: What difference does your work make and how do you know
“Making it Happen”: Setting your strategy, building the infrastructure and raising the money

Attendance at all three sessions is strongly encouraged but the ability to attend all three is not required for registration.

Follow-up support opportunity

Having attended the initial online sessions, organisations can apply for follow up support based on a particular aspect of the Power of Purpose approach, tailored to your specific organisational needs.

With this opportunity, funded by the Binks Hub, we can offer successful organisations up to two days (16 hours) of Take Note 1-1 support. Your work will have the most impact if the support you request is targeted, timebound and focused with a clear output.

The menu of support on offer includes:

Clarifying the Why, What and So What
Developing an Impact Map
Honing the pitch
Designing evaluation frameworks
Supporting strategic planning
Setting organisational goals and priorities
Values development
Strengthening fundraising capabilities

NEA worked with Take Note when developing our current strategy and business plan. Marianna's understanding of the context within which we work, and ability to draw out and distill our thinking was useful and reassuring. She was able to get to the core of what we do, and why we do it, before guiding us through a framework that is succinct, clear and pins down aims to actions. This has been a wholly positive and enabling experience.

Director North Edinburgh Arts

As well as this follow-on opportunity with Take Note, in-kind support from Binks Hub staff (or relevant people within our network) will also be on offer if an organisation would benefit from our specific input. This could include supporting you with:

Choosing and employing creative research methods internally or with others, to help identify your organisation’s purpose
Using creative research methods in evaluation
Advice on collaborating with academics and artists
Advice on community-led research and working with community researchers

Submit your expression of interest via this link or through the form below

(Please note – If you need support to complete the follow-on support application in a different format, such as a spoken or signed submission on video, then please get in touch via binks@ed.ac.uk letting us know your needs.)

Time frame

The three introductory Power of Purpose online sessions will be delivered between 1-2pm on 22nd May, 5th June and 17th June 2025.
A simple expression of interest form for the follow-on support will open on the 17th June to align with the delivery of the third and final introductory online session.
Applications will remain open for five weeks and close at midnight on Friday 25th July.
These expressions of interest will be reviewed in August. Successful applicants will be invited to a brief ‘chemistry call’ with Take Note, offering the chance for both parties to get to know one another and ask questions about the support needed/on offer in an exploratory and open environment. Please note there is no obligation for either party to process after this point if the fit and proposed way of working is not right.
All applicants notified of the outcome by the end of August.
The follow-on support for successful organisations will be delivered in September/October/November 2025 and planned on a case-by-case basis.