What it’s really like: practical lessons about innovation at a national charity

Over the last 10 years, Prostate Cancer UK has gained a reputation for being a forward thinking, innovative charity. During that time we’ve developed and delivered services which have supported tens of thousands of people, campaigns which have engaged hundreds of thousands of people and fundraising products which have raised millions of pounds.

Charities are rooted in problem solving - they mostly exist to fix an issue - which can be a great environment for innovation. There is also a great well of creativity, passion and empathy for their audiences from which to draw from. However, there are also many practical, cultural and financial barriers to successful innovation within charities which all the strategies and frameworks in the world can’t always prepare you for!

I’ll share with you the biggest lessons I’ve learned from the realities of making innovation work at a mid-size charity. My experience of working at different levels within Prostate Cancer UK means there should be something for everyone. From those just about to start out to those trying to steer an organisation-wide innovation programme.