ACF leaders forum 2024
Learning gallery

Share your learning with other funders in the ACF leaders forum learning gallery
Closing date: Friday 16 August   

The learning gallery is a digital exhibition space for ACF members to share knowledge, ideas and learning at the leaders forum. All members are invited to share their learning stories through a PowerPoint slide, which will be on a rolling display during the event. This opportunity is open to all staff at ACF member organisations - not just senior leaders.

Get involved   
We have a thriving membership community of more than 450 organisations across the UK who together cover the full range of foundations, from small to large and operating in many different fields of grant-making, including social change, the environment, research, heritage, education and the arts, across the UK and overseas. We have much to learn from each other.

Share your story on a single PowerPoint slide. Simply select and download the best PowerPoint template to tell your learning story as a 'case study' or 'flash insight'.

The gallery is focused on sharing your learning stories – what you wish you knew before or what you want other funders to know now.

  • This may be something that’s surprised you, something that’s gone well for your foundation or a lesson you want others to avoid
  • Your learning story might be about exposing hidden assumptions, unexpected outcomes or missing the mark in brave new attempts
  • Some stories might be about light bulb moments or learning big things from small mistakes.

All of them are important to share and ACF members can submit as many learning stories to the gallery as they would like.

Email your completed templates to [email protected] by Friday 16 August. Please send any questions to [email protected].

Disclaimer: ACF may make minor formatting edits to submissions, we will not make any substantive changes. 

Templates   

We want the opportunity to share learning to be accessible to all our members and so have created two easy to use templates, both available in a range of colourways.  

Case study template

Use this template to share a learning journey with other funders. 
This is our longer template – it has more space for you to write about the context, your actions and what you are doing with the learning.  

 

Simply click on a link to download your preferred PowerPoint template. Each template includes an instruction slide and a blank slide for you to populate. We recommend using a minimum font size of 14.

Case study template v1 - blue
Case study template v2 - green
Case study template v3 - yellow
Case study template v4 - brown
Case study template v5 - dark blue, landscape

What to include in a case study template   

This template – available in a range of colourways - includes spaces to explain:

The challenge you were facing

  • Use this section to give a brief overview of the context of this work.  
  • What was the problem you were trying to solve / what was your initial challenge? 

How you approached it

  • Use this section to explain what you set out to do with this work.  
  • What do you wish you knew before you started?  
  • Or what assumptions you had.

What you learnt

  • Use this section to consider how did this work surprise you?  
  • How did this work challenge you?  
  • What was the ‘light-bulb’ moment? 

The outcome
Use this section to explain any of the following: 

  • What was the outcome / impact? Anything unintended?  
  • What would you do differently next time? 
  • How do you plan to take this work forward? 
  • What do you want other funders to know? 

Flash insights template

Use this template to share an important insight with other funders. 
This is our shorter template – it shines a spotlight on a key learning that
you want other funders to know.    

 

Simply click on a link to download your preferred template. Each template includes an instruction slide and a blank slide for you to populate. We recommend using a minimum font size of 14.

Flash insights template v1 - orange 
Flash insights template v2 - green
Flash insights template v3 - purple

What to include in a flash insights template   

This template – available in a range of colourways - includes spaces to explain:

A brief overview

  • Use this section to give a brief overview of the context of this work.
  • What was the problem you were trying to solve / what was your initial challenge? 

Telling ACF members about one of the following:

  • What surprised you?  
  • What went wrong?  
  • What was the ‘light-bulb’ moment? 
  • How did this work challenge you?  
  • What did you wish you knew before you started? 

What's next

  • What will you do differently?
  • What's next? 

Submission process   

  1. Review the templates and decide which is best for your learning story 
  2. Select your preferred colourway and layout and download the correct template 
  3. Add your content
  4. Email your completed templates to [email protected] by Friday 16 August  

No matter your learning story we recommend: 

  • being concise in your example 
  • thinking about what the audience needs to hear 
  • using images to bring your story to life, if appropriate  
  • focussing less on what you did and more on what you learnt    
  • highlighting why you want other funders to know this 
  • using a minimum font size of 14.

Remember to submit your template by Friday 16 August. Please send any questions to [email protected].

Disclaimer: ACF may make minor formatting edits to submissions, we will not make any substantive changes. 

Further information   

The learning gallery opportunity  

Members told us that they wanted new and manageable ways to share their learning with other funders. This is the key opportunity at the ACF leaders forum to raise the profile of projects and organisations and is open to all staff and trustees working at ACF members. 

The learning gallery will be visited by senior leaders from ACF members on the day and will be made available to all ACF members after the event. 

Learning stories do not have to be connected to the climate and nature emergency and can be on any element of foundation work or practice.  
We want the opportunity to be accessible to all our members, and so mindful of busy workloads, we have created two easy to use templates to submit something for the learning gallery. See more details below to decide which one is right for you and your learning story. 

ACF members can submit as many learning stories to the gallery as they would like.  

An overview of what to include

The gallery is focused on sharing learning – what you wish you knew before hand or what you want other funders to know now. 

This may be something that’s surprised you, something that’s gone well for your foundation or a painful lesson you want others to avoid.  
Your learning story might be about exposing hidden assumptions, unexpected outcomes or missing the mark in brave new attempts.  
Some stories might be about light bulb moments or learning big things from small mistakes.  

All of them are important to share.  

ACF leaders forum 2024 is supported by our Official Partners