Impact Booster: Workshop 1 of 3: Understanding Social Economy Organisational Business Models

Impact Booster Programme is a fully funded initiative designed to equip small community organisations, charities, and social enterprises across South Kesteven with the tools, confidence, and support they need to thrive. Delivered by Harlaxton College in partnership with South Kesteven District Council,

Impact Booster focuses on the essentials of developing a resilient social economy organisation. The programme provides a structured but highly practical blend of face-to-face workshops, online sessions, and tailored one-to-one mentoring. Across the course, participants will learn how to:

• Build strong and sustainable business models using the Business Model Canvas
• Define and refine their organisation’s value proposition and income streams to avoid mission drift
• Explore the importance of social impact measurement, why it matters, and how to apply suitable tools and methods
• Develop clear and realistic strategies using approaches such as the Theory of Change and logic models.
• Engage stakeholders effectively, set measurable outcomes, and embed continuous improvement
• Strengthen funding approaches, from proposal writing to project planning, partnerships, and revenue diversification

In addition to workshops, the programme emphasises experiential learning: participants will complete practical activities in their own organisations between sessions, directly applying the concepts covered. This will be reinforced by individual mentoring sessions and informal virtual drop-ins, ensuring each organisation can tailor the learning to its unique context.

Previous participants on the Impact Booster Programme have said:

“You learn things you didn’t know you needed to know and it gives you a confidence in what you are doing,”
“The tailor-made support and expert-led guidance help clarify strategic priorities, enhance operational effectiveness, and foster sustainable growth.”
“this has been probably the most impactful ‘business development’ training I have ever attended” across their 40 year career.

Who is the Impact Booster for?
The programme is designed for small charities, grassroots groups, pre-start-up and early-stage organisations (e.g. operating for up to 5 years), delivering social impact within South Kesteven’s social economy. This includes:

• Charities and voluntary groups delivering vital community services
• Emerging social enterprises looking to strengthen their business model and funding base
• Pre-start organisation planning their social economy organisation and not knowing where to start.
• Community-based organisations wanting to build resilience and plan for long-term sustainability
• Not-for-profits and foundations that are keen to measure and communicate their impact more effectively

The programme is best suited to organisations that may be small in scale but are ambitious in outlook, those ready to clarify their purpose, strengthen their foundations, and improve their ability to attract funding, partnerships, and community support.

Delivered by Harlaxton College in partnership with South Kesteven District Council, funded by the UK Government Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Places are free, booking is essential. Open to organisations based in or serving communities in the South Kesteven District area.

The programme runs from 10th November 2025 to 28th February 2026. To complete the course, sign up to our other two Impact Booster workshops ‘Strategy in a Box‘ on 1 December and ‘Funding and access to financing a social economy organisation‘ on 12 January 2026.