Lesson 5 of 8
Community programmes
Learning objectives
- Define a community programme that fits your delivery capacity
- Pair community work with a real revenue model (not just goodwill)
- Use Module 10's trust pack to land community contracts faster
- Decide whether community work belongs in your commercial entity or a separate CIC
What community programmes are
Repeatable delivery to a defined community — youth boxing, women's strength, post-cancer rehab signposting, refugees' walking groups, prison release programmes. Not a one-off charity workout. A programme with a curriculum, attendance and outcomes.
Pair impact with revenue
Community work funded by goodwill alone burns coaches out. Fund it via: small grants (Module 11), commissioned delivery from councils / charities (Module 10), or a commercial cross-subsidy from your paid client base. Pick the model up front.
Where does it live structurally
If community is most of what you do, the CIC pathway (Module 11) may fit. If it's 10–20%, keep it inside the commercial entity with a named programme. Either is valid — decide before launching, not after.
Founder insight — Derrick Twum
The community programmes that survive are the ones with a funding model written down before week one. Goodwill alone is not a model.
Key takeaway
Community programmes need a defined cohort, a curriculum-light structure, and a funding model on day one.
Reflection questions
- 1Which specific community would your programme serve?
- 2What's the funding model — grant, commission, or cross-subsidy?
- 3Does this belong in your commercial entity or a CIC?
- 4What attendance + outcome would you report on?
Action task
Draft one community programme: cohort, weekly format, funding model and entity choice.
Worksheet
Work through these prompts. Answers save to this device.
Answers are saved to this device only. Cloud sync coming soon.
Related MEM tools
- Impact Reporting
- Funding Templates