A one-stop-shop for small charities and not-for-profit groups on the hunt for funding, Charity Excellence Framework has over 40,000 members and is growing all the time. We talk to Ian McLintock - the man behind the money and the bunny.

When did you set up Charity Excellence and why?

"For my middle-aged man crisis, it was either build Charity Excellence or use the money to buy myself a Harley Davidson motorbike and my wife said no to the bike. I began full-time design work in 2016 and launched in June 2018."

Who is the site aimed at? And does it cost anything to access your advice and resources?

"It responds to user input, so it works for any non-profit of any size. And it's completely free - because those who most need help are usually least able to afford it." 

What can groups find on your website?

"What everyone wants is funding, and you can use both the 'Funding Finder' and 'Help Finder' on the website. But the system also has policies, access to a huge range of free goods and services, guides and downloadable templates. It's a one-stop-shop for anything a non-profit needs."   

You send out regular newsletters - what kind of information can people expect to find in there?

"There are far too many charity newsletters with CEOs talking about dialoguing with senior colleagues and how great they are. Life's too short to waste time reading that sort of thing. So we just give people what they want, including lots of new funding, free stuff and images of bunny rabbits. 

You do a lot of research into funding opportunities - from everything you've learned, what is the biggest bit of advice you would give to a small group that's trying to raise funds?

"Quality has always mattered, but with competition so intense it now matters more than ever. A bit like job hunting, it's better to send fewer well-researched and well-written bids than to send lots out to everyone."

Visit www.charityexcellence.co.uk to register and access all of the free content on offer.