Trustees’ 2023/24 Annual Report
Charity Registration No.: 1203808 For the Period 1[st] July 2023 to 31[st] August 2024
This report is the resubmission on 4[th] September 2025, to correct an error in the reported Income on page 21, for the period up to 5[th] April 2024. The correction has also been made on the SheCanEngineer Charity Commission webpage.
Statements from the Trustees & Committee Co-chair
The Trustees are proud to present our first annual report as a charity.
Having registered as a charity in 2023, SheCanEngineer has used this opportunity to refocus on the vision and goals of the organisation, creating a strategy for the activities we want to carry out. Our driving goals are: working to close the gender gap in engineering industries by showcasing the accomplishments of female engineers; raising awareness around issues relating to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I); and promoting engineering to students.
In the past year we have pushed forward with these aims, while working to build up a robust organisational structure to support the charity in the future.
Part of the new responsibilities of being an independent organisation were to ensure that we could provide sufficient funds for all of our planned activities, and to build up financial reserves for the future. This led to formalised partnerships with our sponsors and collaborators so that we could deliver effective benefits to our partners and use funds efficiently for our activities.
In the past year we have increased our exposure to a wider audience and have been able to provide events at the same quality and quantities as the organisation has been known for in the past few years. In the future we plan to continue with this work, and further proceed with our goals for the public benefit.
~Frances Radford, Chair of Trustees
It’s an absolute thrill to be able to say that we’re officially a charity! While we’ve grown significantly this year, at our core, we remain a passionate, dynamic group of individuals dedicated to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering.
SheCanEngineer is entirely composed of volunteers – all of whom have day jobs. It’s been truly inspiring to witness everything our volunteers have accomplished since the group's creation in 2016.
This year, we focused on building and strengthening partnerships, while not forgetting our foundations of INWEDfocused events aimed at students and professionals interested (or not!) in the industry. If you attended, we hope you had a great time and learned something valuable; if not, we hope to see you in 2025!
As we look to the future, we’ve spent countless hours refining our strategy – identifying what we do well, where we can have the most impact, and how we can leverage the support of our members, partners, and allies. We’re expanding our STEM outreach geographically, targeting more age groups; and formalising partnerships with long-term collaborators. We’re also deepening our collaboration with member PEIs, and looking at how we can amplify our message – starting conversations at conferences, through online media, and in internal workshops.
SheCanEngineer is in it for the long haul, and we’re so excited to have you join us on this journey.
~Poppy Harrison, Co-chair of Committee
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The SheCanEngineer Vision: Gender Parity in Engineering
2021 2022 2023 10.5% 16.5% 15.7%
*Statistics from EngineeringUK Women In Engineering & Technology May 2024 Update Report: female representation in engineering.
Organisational Values
I Inclusion
C Connection
An accessible initiative that is open-to-all. Bringing men to the table, and showcasing intersectionality.
A network of collaborators, professional engineering institutions, academic institutions, corporations, volunteers and the public.
E Engagement
A Advancement
Expanding the stakeholders in engineering. From corporations (engineers, management, leadership), to schools (students, teachers, parents), and universities (students, staff).
Extending the narrative of the business case for diversity in engineering from one of “the right thing to do” to one of profitability and innovation.
Charitable Objects
▪ The promotion of equality and diversity for the public benefit by providing initiatives designed to address the underrepresentation of women in the engineering industry. ▪ The advancement of education across the UK in the subject of engineering.
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SheCanEngineer Overview of Activities
Activities in furtherance to the Charitable Objects and Values
DE&I Conversations
Celebration Events
Unique Approach
Utilising, evaluating and articulating the lived-experience of engineers within the SheCanEngineer committee.
A
Male Presence
Raise Awareness
Public & private events Representation of designed to engage guests “majority” groups – as around inspiring themes, often guests and contributors; guided by the Women’s promoting allyship and Engineering Society. engagement.
DE&I Presentations & Workshops
Curating and delivering interactive content tailored to the audience – engineers, managers, senior leadership, HR.
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I C E A
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E A
Networking
Opportunities for guests and contributors to connect.
I E
Accessible
Free to attend and open to all.
C I
Conference Exhibitions
Increasing public engagement and exposure.
STEM Outreach
C A
Press
Strategic partnerships with publications, conference organisers and institutions; sharing content, and increasing exposure of the charity.
E
Unique Approach Raise Awareness Live Free-of-charge STEM Promoting the range Events activities that focus of engineering In-person on the Engineering disciplines and team education and careers, technical workshops, showcasing skills, and softer skills debates women’s roles in the – among school and field. students, teachers networking. and parents.
Podcasts
A series of conversations with engineers, DE&I experts and collaborators.
E
Social Media
A consistent presence and following on LinkedIn and Instagram platforms.
E I C E
A
Webinars Competitions Exhibitions Live-streams and An effective Collaborations retrospective approach to deepen with other recordings of engagement among initiatives, female-led panel participants, and broadening the debates on widen the reach. connections. engineering topics.
C E
I E A E I C E
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SheCanEngineer 2023/24 Activities
Achievements & Performance
SheCanEngineer has demonstrated itself to be a stable and effective organisation in its first year as a registered charity, meeting the obligations to public benefit and partners.
The CIO’s activities are run by ~20 volunteers who dedicate their spare time to the charity’s work, without paid staff, making the accomplishments of the last year all the more impressive.
SheCanEngineer entered the year aiming to deliver the annual INWED events to their high professional standard, to increase exposure through conference exhibitions, and to improve engagement through presentations, articles and interviews.
The charity signed up 23 Sponsors (21 corporations and 2 Engineering Institutions), an increase on the 17 of the previous year; and enters 2024/25 with £8,250 in reserves.
Celebratory Events
Once SheCanEngineer was registered as a charity, the committee planned a launch event, with the aim to celebrate the achievement with long-standing supporters, and to announce ourselves to a new audience to set up future partnerships.
The charity launch event was held on 29[th] January at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Approximately 100 people attended by invitation, including representatives from Professional Engineering Institutions, past Sponsors, potential Sponsors and other supporters including speakers from past events and collaborators. The event was a successful launchpad for the year, highlighting what we hoped to achieve and energising our supporters to join us on that mission.
A key part of SheCanEngineer has always been the celebration of International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) in June of each year. The focus of this celebratory occasion for SheCanEngineer is to deliver a free-ofcharge, in-person event aimed at professional engineers, and to provide an environment where women in engineering feel valued, inspired and motivated.
For INWED 2024, SheCanEngineer held an event at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly on 21[st] June, with the theme “Engineering: Behind the Scenes”.
The programme included a welcome speech from Jennifer MacDonald, highlighting her experience with neurodiversity in engineering; a panel discussion from engineers in different industries (featuring Nintse Dan-Thé, Simon Daniel and Laura Kershaw); and a keynote speech from Katy Deacon illustrating how engineering can be used to enhance everyday life, from her perspective as a disabled person. Following the inspiring talks, discussions continued at the drinks reception in the networking portion of the evening, where guests could meet the speakers, Sponsors and members of the SheCanEngineer committee. Sponsors were invited to exhibit their projects and showcase achievements of their female engineers, leading to further interesting discussions for attendees.
The event was a great success, with 175 attendees and a diverse crowd of people representing a range of engineering careers, and a strong showing of our male allies. With men making up 83.5% of the engineering workforce – as the directors, managers and peers of women in engineering – by engaging each other in conversations around what it means to be a female in engineering, they can help SheCanEngineer achieve their vision.
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SheCanEngineer 2023/24 Activities
STEM Outreach & Awareness
SheCanEngineer held their annual STEM event for International Women Engineering Day on 17[th] June 2024, at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London. Nearly 80 students aged 11-14 from seven different schools attended the event, making it a full day of hands-on learning, creative teamwork, and exposure to diverse engineering careers.
The day began with an ice-breaker activity that immediately engaged students by encouraging them to work in teams. Each team was tasked with building the tallest free-standing tower using only the recyclable materials provided. The exercise set a positive tone for the rest of the day, fostering a spirit of competition and camaraderie.
The students participated in two workshops throughout the day.
A "Space Station Design Workshop" was created and delivered by SheCanEngineer volunteers and was highly engaging. This workshop gave students an insight into the various roles within an engineering design team and the skills required to deliver a project. Teachers and volunteers took on the roles of stakeholders during the activity, challenging students to consider diverse needs and preferences in their decisionmaking process. This involvement added an additional layer of realism to the exercise, helping students appreciate the complexities of designing solutions for real-world problems.
The second workshop was delivered by Hyett Education. They led a robotics workshop that captured the students' imagination. In this hands-on session, pupils were introduced to the fundamentals of robotics and coding, encouraging students to develop critical thinking, problem solving and creativity: sparking curiosity in this field.
One of the day’s highlights was a panel debate entitled, "A New World: Which Engineer Would You Send to Enhance Life on a New Planet?". Moderated by awardwinning medical engineer Ama Frimpong, the panel featured a diverse lineup of engineers: Bianca Wheeler (Civil Engineer), Ioana Price (Structural Engineer), Anjola Adebowale (Data and AI Engineer), and Isabelle Kipling (Mechanical Engineer). The debate was designed to showcase the broad spectrum of engineering disciplines and how each contributes to solving critical global challenges. The panel discussion, which was also streamed live as a webinar, allowed students to see the wide variety of career options available in engineering and the range of routes into engineering, helping them envision potential career paths.
The event concluded with a careers fair, where students had the opportunity to interact with representatives from various Engineering Institutions and organisations, such as the London Fire Brigade. This segment of the day helped students gain insight into the multiple career pathways available in the field.
Overall, the event was a tremendous success, with students providing positive feedback about their experience. Several prizes were awarded throughout the day to recognise outstanding participation and teamwork, further motivating the students.
The SheCanEngineer event effectively combined learning, fun, and career exploration, leaving students with a greater understanding and enthusiasm for the possibilities within STEM and engineering careers.
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SheCanEngineer 2023/24 Activities
Event Testimonials
“I recently had the privilege of attending the launch event for SheCanEngineer, and I must say it was an exceptional experience. This is the first event I’ve attended where every individual present genuinely shared a common purpose, there was an undeniable sense of solidarity. The genuine unity and shared dedication to the cause was truly inspiring.”
~ Ruth Parker, Alexander Assoc.
"SheCanEngineer events are remarkable because they not only attract a broad range of participants from all reaches of the engineering world and beyond, but because they blend it with an artful and generous conviviality that enables people to easily connect with strangers and find shared interests. The care with which they plan and host their events brings an essential, and universal, human anchor to community building and networking."
~ Giles Lane, Royal Academy of Engineering
A lovely opportunity! The girls really enjoyed it – lots of hands-on activities and really helped the girls to understand what engineering is. Thank you.
~ Teacher at STEM INWED Event
Press & Publicity
SheCanEngineer’s social media presence has been growing, with a current following of 1,735 for Linkedin and 2,059 for Instagram (as of August 2024). From January 2024 to August 2024, the SheCanEngineer website had over 1,500 unique visitors, with over 2,300 visits. After the success of the SheCanEngineer INWED celebration, the charity featured in online newsletters and blogs, including Electronic Specifier and M4S.
A number of organisations are becoming interested in the SheCanEngineer mission, furthering reach, visibility, and influence.
Workshops/Conferences
With the SheCanEngineer volunteer-base and board of trustees consisting predominantly of engineers, the charity has been able to pull on lived-experiences and expertise to curate appropriate content for DE&I workshops.
The workshops have been designed to engage delegates in eye-opening conversation, and provide a space in which people can speak openly about their experiences. Uniquely designed interactive activities promote honest discussion, with delegates coming away with new insights and motivation.
Digital Media
The SheCanEngineer podcast is growing in popularity, despite the decrease in new content, due to resource constraints on the team. The podcast has 11 published episodes, with a further four episodes planned for publish by the end of 2024. The podcast has had nearly 400 unique plays, with the main impression source being using Spotify Search (63%). The SheCanEngineer podcast channel has 45 subscribers, who are notified when new episodes are published; a feature that has not been effectively promoted so far, but forms part of the digital media strategy.
Sessions have been run for corporations, Professional Engineering Institutions and conferences; with content tailored to their requirements and audiences.
SheCanEngineer has designed and delivered talks and workshops to senior leadership, management, engineers and HR.
In line with the 2023/24 strategy, SheCanEngineer has been increasing the charity’s exposure to engineering industries and engineers, through conference exhibitions. These have frequently included speaking opportunities, contributing to the conference organisers’ agendas and paving the way for long-term collaborations.
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SheCanEngineer 2023/24 Impact Report
Nearly 30 20+ volunteers; partnership including 5 trustees, statements signed 8 associate members
Data has been presented for the SheCanEngineer calendar: 1[st] Sept 2023 to 31[st] Aug 2024.
Celebratory Events
2 celebratory events targeted & delivered; doubling previous years’ output
108 175 7 university attendees at attendees at students Charity Launch INWED Event in Targeted 100 Targeted 140 attendance at INWED
21% male attendance at Charity Launch 27% male attendance at INWED Targeting 25-35% of guests & contributors 40 people 84% turnout rate at Charity Launch attending INWED 81% turnout rate at INWED on behalf of 13 Targeting >75% of # registered Sponsors
Digital Media
1547+ unique 799 new LinkedIn followers website views 388 podcast 1735 LinkedIn, 2059 plays Instagram followers 53+ new website 67% (f) / 33% (m) subscriptions gender split on Instagram 19 attendees at INWED who heard about the event through the Social Media campaign
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STEM Outreach
1 STEM event targeted & delivered
79 5 engineering
disciplines
students at INWED showcased at INWED
STEM STEM debate
Targeted 100
5 Engineering
Institutions exhibiting
37 students
wanting to work in 94% (f) / 6% (m)
engineering gender split
~30 students viewing 61 views of
webinar live-stream webinar
An effective awareness campaign
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Partnerships
2 PEI 3 Official
23 Sponsors
Members Collaborators
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External Collaborations
Workshops
Representation at 3 webinars, interviews & podcasts hosted by external collaborators
3 conference exhibitions
5 workshops, presentations or roundtables delivered for 1 PEI, 1 corporation & 3 conferences
~55% male attendance at workshops, presentations & roundtables Targeting 40-60% of attendees
5 articles published by external collaborators
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Over £40,000 in sponsorship raised for SheCanEngineer activities
2023/24 Financial Review
Data has been presented for the SheCanEngineer calendar: 1[st] Sept 2023 to 31[st] Aug 2024. The appendix also includes the Accounts for 30[th] June 2023 (date of registration) to 5[th] April 2024 (financial year end) in accordance with the Charity Commission’s requirements.
The Trustees keep income and expenditure under close review. SheCanEngineer operated within its income for the year up to August 2024, and they expect to do so for 2024/25. It is also the Trustees’ intention to change the financial calendar for the Charity in order to be more aligned with the funding cycle.
Financial Results
The charity registered a total income for the year of £41,849.09 , of which £40,348.12 in Sponsorships, £1,000.00 in Partnerships from Institutions, and £500.97 in Donations. Total expenses amounted to £41,715.73 , with the biggest expenditures being Celebratory Events (£30,013.77) and the STEM Outreach (£9,869.17). Running costs were very low (£357.77). SheCanEngineer has no employees and is completely run by unpaid volunteers, who can claim back some of their expenses in accordance with a strict Expense Policy.
Reserves and Reserve Policy
SheCanEngineer started the year with a carryover from the previous year of £8,117.67, and closed the 2023/24 year with reserves of £8,251.03. The trustees consider the current Reserves to be acceptable, especially given this was the first year for the charity.
The Reserve Policy is to build up reserves over the next five years, to reach around 80% of the expected running yearly costs in a best case scenario. This will be achieved by adding a value equal to approximately 15% of the income to Reserves, every year. The reason for such a level is to ensure a smooth running of the charity’s main events and activities should a prolonged downturn of income occur.
The charity also has a plan to reduce overall expenses in the event of reduced income, to ensure its continuity.
Restricted and Unrestricted Funds
The charity currently does not hold any restricted funds, and currently does not plan to maintain any.
Guaranteed Income
One of the Sponsors has signed up for a 3-year sponsorship, valued at £2,850 p/a. The invoice for the three years has already been paid. This will be accounted for in the next two years as sponsorship income for the given year.
Going Concern
The Trustees considered all available information as presented, and are satisfied with the financial performance of SheCanEngineer.
The sponsorship income was remarkable for a first-year charity, and the expectations in a base case are that a similar income will be achieved in the following years.
It was highlighted that the Reserves are still not at a level that the Trustees would consider completely safe for the charity, however, a clear and feasible plan has been implemented to ensure that Reserves reach the required level.
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Structure, Governance & Management
The charity’s governing document, the Constitution, can be provided on request. Details held by the Charity Commission can be accessed here: register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/
Structure
SheCanEngineer is not a members’ network, rather a volunteer-led initiative exclusively serving the public interest that depends entirely on funding from corporate and Institutional Sponsors, and volunteers.
The Charitable Incorporated Organisation’s Constitution details the Association Model that allows for Members to oversee the governance of the CIO. SheCanEngineer offers the Professional Engineering Institutions (PEIs) the opportunity to join the CIO as Members on an annual subscription. The PEIs will be responsible for providing a representative, and will have voting rights at all General Meetings, including the appointment and replacement of trustees.
by personal messages, acknowledgement at meeting, etc.
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Ensuring all SheCanEngineer meetings are conducted in a welcoming and inclusive manner.
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A positive and inclusive atmosphere where volunteers feel valued, useful and part of a community dedicated to the charity's mission.
Policies
The following policies have been published or will be published before the end of the calendar year:
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Data Protection Policy
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Conflict of Interest Policy
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Induction and Training of Trustees
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Bullying and Harassment Policy
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Complaints and Grievances Procedure
Individuals who volunteer with SheCanEngineer may qualify to apply for Associate Membership, without fees or voting rights.
Volunteer Management
SheCanEngineer is a volunteer-led charity, and its volunteers are the key and driving force of its success. Therefore, it is vital to ensure volunteers are supported, heard and valued within the charity, and a volunteer support strategy will be developed in the coming year, which will focus on the following goals:
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An organisation structure clearly defining responsibilities and reporting structure.
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Training and setting of clear expectations to volunteers taking on a new role.
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Expenses Policy
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Volunteer Management Policy
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Risk Management Policy
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Financial Controls Policy (to include financial reserves and investing funds policy)
Election & Appointment of Trustees
At every annual general meeting of the Members of the CIO, one quarter of the charity trustees will retire from office. Members of the CIO are able to put forward anyone who meets the criteria for eligibility for trusteeship. The retired trustee is then able to stand for re-appointment should they wish, alongside any other candidate put forward. The members will vote at the AGM to appoint a trustee into the vacancy.
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Improved communication, with regular check ins, guidance, encouragement and constructive feedback.
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Recognition of efforts of volunteers either
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Structure, Governance & Management
Trustee Responsibilities
The five trustees of SheCanEngineer are responsible for ensuring the charity meets its legal obligations and operates with ethical standards in meeting its mission.
The key responsibilities of the trustees are:
1. Governance and Legal Compliance: The trustees are responsible for ensuring that SheCanEngineer operates within the requirements of the Charity Commission. This includes adhering to the CIO’s constitution, filing accurate and timely annual reports and financial statements, and ensuring that all activities align with the charitable objects. The trustees are responsible for authoring, maintaining ,and adhering to policies and procedures.
2. Strategy, Leadership and Support: The trustees work closely with the charity’s Committee Co-chairs with setting and maintaining the strategic direction of the charity. This involves developing a longterm strategy, monitoring progress and ensuring that the charity’s activities continue to meet the needs of its members and beneficiaries.
3. Finances: The trustees hold the ultimate responsibility for the charity's financial health. This includes approving the annual budget, monitoring income and expenditures, establishing appropriate financial controls and management of reserves.
4. Risk Management: The trustees regularly assess the risks facing SheCanEngineer from financial and operational risks to reputational risks. The trustees are responsible for implementing appropriate policies and procedures to mitigate these risks, ensuring the charity's sustainability and integrity.
5. Safeguarding: Safeguarding the welfare of our beneficiaries, particularly those who are vulnerable, is a paramount responsibility. The trustees ensure that all
safeguarding policies are up-to-date, and that staff and volunteers are adequately trained to recognise and respond to any safeguarding concerns.
6. Accountability and Transparency: The trustees are accountable to the charity’s stakeholders, including beneficiaries, Sponsors, volunteers, and the public. The trustees are committed to transparency in all aspects of their work, providing clear and accurate information about the charity’s activities, financial status, and impact. Regular reviews and evaluations of its work help ensure that the charity remains focused on delivering its mission effectively.
These responsibilities are distributed across the five trustees as follows:
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Chair of Trustees – this trustee is also responsible for data protection and the management of the communication and data channels used (e.g., Google docs, Google Drive, Whatsapp community) and leading risk management activities.
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Trustee Board Secretary – this trustee is also responsible for the management of members, Sponsors and partners.
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Trustee Board Treasurer.
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Ordinary member of the trustee board – this trustee is responsible for volunteer management and oversight on STEM (pre18) Activities.
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Ordinary member of the trustee board – this trustee is responsible for the development of policies, as well as oversight on digital media, press and publicity and management of collaborations.
In addition to the above, trustees can take on roles in the committee. The organogram detailed in the appendix offers an insight into the structure of the committee.
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Strategy & Future Plans
Treasury
The CIO is targeting reserves amounting to 80% of typical annual expenditure – a target that will likely take several years. Therefore 15-20% of annual turnover should be put towards reserves.
Funding & Budget
SheCanEngineer is driven entirely by the funds raised through sponsorship, membership and donation. The trustees understand the need to ensure a stable income to the charity, in order to maintain a consistent offering to stakeholders. On the other hand, while there has been a recent push to increase reach through relatively low-cost initiatives, the annual highlights continue to be the INWED events, which carry large expenses.
The trustees expect the funding model to remain broadly unchanged: corporate sponsors and institutional members will be the main source of income for the foreseeable future. SheCanEngineer has also been approached by a few individuals wishing to offer financial support a) not on behalf of an organisation and b) not in return for any benefits. The charity intends on providing a mechanism for accepting such donations; but the funding strategy will not look to actively seek donations from individuals.
Partnership Statements
Partnerships with Sponsors, Members (PEIs) and collaborators have been formalised with Partnership Statements, which while not legally-binding contracts, do serve as a communication of intent between the two parties.
ndividuals. |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Worst case | Most likely case | Best case | |
| Actual Total Carryover (into 2024/25) | 8,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Income | 25,000 | 40,000 | 50,000 |
| Celebratory Events | (18,000) | (20,000) | (21,000) |
| STEM Outreach | (8,000) | (10,500) | (11,000) |
| Conferences & Merchandise | (1,500) | (2,000) | (2,500) |
| Digital Media | (600) | (700) | (800) |
| Running Costs | (200) | (400) | (600) |
| Estimated Total Carryover | 4,700 | 14,400 | 22,100 |
| (into 2025/26) |
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Strategy & Future Plans
Sponsors
Sponsorship Strategy
The main objectives for Sponsorship are:
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To increase the charity’s income, to cover the expenses for the year and increase the Reserves.
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For the charity’s sponsoring organisations to represent a range of engineering industries, including academia.
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Once registered as a CIO, the approach to sponsorship required a revamp; the first step of which has been the introduction of Sponsorship Tiers. This has made contributions to the charity accessible to corporations with a range of budgets, and has allowed the committee to improve management of deliverables.
The charity has offered tailored packages, which have meant Sponsors receive the benefits that appeal to them most, hopefully encouraging long-term engagement.
With Sponsorship running on a 12-month cycle, all Sponsors are guaranteed exposure at the annual INWED event, regardless of when the partnership begins.
Sponsorship strategy for 2024/25 and beyond
Going forward, the Trustees have devised a strategy based on the following:
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Retaining current Sponsors: it is critical that the retention rate is close to 100%, and so, SheCanEngineer must align with the Sponsors’ expectations, and ensure that feedback is sought and addressed.
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Upgrading packages where possible: the trustees consider this to be the most credible route to increase income.
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New Sponsorship-leads: this is considered a longer and more difficult route to increasing sponsorship. SheCanEngineer volunteers (committee members) will be offered training opportunities, in conjunction with a customisable slide deck, in order to facilitate conversations with potential Sponsors.
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Offering Sponsors and Members the option of bolt-ons has been an effective method of building up funds during the year; while priority should be given to upgrading packages, it is noted how oneoff bolt-ons can represent a good value proposition for both the charity and the Sponsors/Members.
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Sponsorship pledges for Bronze and Silver packages will each rise in cost by £500; however, current Sponsors will be offered the chance to lock-in a renewal at the current cost.
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Multi-year Partnerships, similar to what has been established with a current Sponsor, are expected to help in the planning of events and activities in the medium term.
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All Sponsors will be assigned an Account Manager (who may be volunteers, Associate Members or trustees). It will be their role to check-in with Sponsors on a regular basis to ensure deliverables are being achieved, and offer an opportunity for more collaborative working.
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Strategy & Future Plans
Members & Collaborators
Membership Strategy
In order to maintain SheCanEngineer’s longstanding collaboration with the PEIs, the charity is continually in the process of on-boarding the PEIs as voting Members on an annual subscription. They hold the charity accountable from a governance-perspective, and have a say in the strategic direction of SheCanEngineer.
Collaborations Strategy
In terms of non-financial collaborations, SheCanEngineer has formalised partnerships with other organisations, where mutual benefits have been established. The nature of the partnership is tailored to the organisation, and tends to differ from sponsorships/memberships.
Strategy for Collaborations:
The strategy for Membership is two-fold:
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To have as wide a reach as possible, reaching the PEIs’ membership.
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To represent a range of engineering disciplines, including specialisms.
In terms of DE&I, the PEIs specialise in policy. SheCanEngineer aims to bring this policy to life – offering public benefits that can reach the PEI memberships.
The membership fee of £500 p.a. is intended to bring in funds sufficient to cover the annual running costs of SheCanEngineer.
Two Institutions chose to join as Members during 2023/24:
Memberships for 2024/25 and beyond
The onboarding process has brought to light some challenges. A couple of PEIs who have shown financial support in the past, prior to SheCanEngineer’s registration with the Charity Commission, have described limitations in their governance surrounding support of charities. More understanding by the trustees is required here.
Several PEIs have expressed interest, and the trustees are in communication with these leads.
Similarly to Sponsors, Members will be assigned an Account Manager (who may be volunteers, Associate Members or trustees). It will be their role to check-in with Members on a regular basis to ensure deliverables are being achieved, and offer an opportunity for more collaborative working.
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Selection of collaborators based on relation to the SheCanEngineer values and objects.
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Extent of collaboration based on volunteering resource capacity.
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Selection of collaborative events based on expected audience:
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Targeting engineering professionals, to grow connections and increase engagement, in line with the charitable objects.
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Targeting business decision makers, to increase exposure to potential sponsors.
Collaborators, as of Aug. 2024
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Stemazing: the partnership with the nonprofit formalises a long-standing relationship between the two initiatives. It includes plans for collaborations on in-person events, mutual promotion of activities and training opportunities.
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Engineering Futures: the partnership with Engineering Futures aims to bring DE&I into focus for their three Engineering webinar weeks.
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Mark Allen Group: the partnership with the conference producer has seen SheCanEngineer increase their reach and influence through exhibitions and publications. In return, SheCanEngineer has delivered workshops and facilitated roundtable discussions to attendees from HR and Engineering backgrounds; and has signed up as the official Charity Partner for The Engineer magazine. More conferences and exhibitions have been planned for 2024/25; though strategic selection is required, noting that exhibition stalls have proved a particularly effective means to expanding the SheCanEngineer network.
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Strategy & Future Plans
Engineering Career Awareness
INWED Celebratory Event
SheCanEngineer’s International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) celebratory events have been a highlight of the calendar, and the charity plans to deliver INWED 2025, in a similar style to previous years’ events – with a stunning venue and inspiring line-up of speakers.
SheCanEngineer aims for these activities to support schools in meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks, in particular: linking curriculum learning to careers; encounters with employers and employees; encounters with further and higher education.
STEM Outreach for 2024/25 and beyond
The aim is to broaden reach by:
The aim is to celebrate the achievements of female engineers, inspire attendees and provide an opportunity for networking with peers, industry leaders and Sponsors.
STEM Outreach Strategy
SheCanEngineer’s STEM outreach extends beyond the delivery of engineering education, by exposing students, as well as their teachers and parents, to what careers in engineering look like. The strategy continues to encompass providing students with visible female role models, normalising the role of women in engineering leadership to girls and boys alike, and inspiring confidence in students.
Historically, the strategy has been enabled through in-person STEM outreach days for Key Stage 3 and 4, comprising of :
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Workshops exposing the students to a range of technical and nontechnical skills required across engineering disciplines
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Technical debates between female engineers from a range of disciplines, backgrounds and routes into engineering.
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Careers Fair sessions , during which the students are able to engage with representatives from the different Engineering Institutions.
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Speed-networking sessions in which small groups of students get to “interview” working engineers to gain a more personal insight into the range of engineering careers.
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Organising and supporting STEM events for a wider age groups, targeting Key Stage 2 and 5.
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Supporting SheCanEngineer Partners by providing small-scale STEM activities.
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Organising and supporting in-person STEM events outside of London.
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Encouraging committee volunteers to register as STEM Ambassadors.
Universities (new to 2024/25)
SheCanEngineer has been working closely with universities in 2024 to identify opportunities for partnerships. Through these conversations it has become apparent that much of the industry exposure delivered to engineering undergraduates through societies and careers fairs is likely to be from non-engineering industries – such as finance and technology.
A SheCanEngineer outreach event for the students of Imperial is scheduled for Nov. 2024 and aims to:
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Raise awareness around diversity & inclusion, by providing students with the opportunity to ask honest questions around diversity, the workplace, challenging situations, and how the engineering landscape has changed over the years.
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Address the skills shortage in engineering industry, by exposing the students to engineers, providing a balanced overview of what a non-academic career in engineering could look like.
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Strategy & Future Plans
Digital Media
Prior to 2020, SheCanEngineer’s online presence was limited to social media. The platforms were primarily treated as enablers for promoting events but also for awareness campaigns during INWED.
The pandemic allowed the committee to expand this presence, with the creation of the SheCanEngineer podcast series and website. However, due to limited resource and a lack of expertise within the volunteerbase, Digital Media Strategy has been a shortcoming for the Charity.
SheCanEngineer enters 2024/25 with three new volunteers from Marketing and Online Community Building backgrounds, and they are shaping strategy going forward.
Social Media Strategy (2024/25 and beyond)
The strategy for Social Media encompasses:
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Raising awareness of SheCanEngineer, its values and purposes to the appropriate audience.
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Monitoring and measurement of performance and engagement rate, in order to assess impact.
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Content: a range of output styles from infographics to interactive stories and videos, in line with content pillars that reflect the organisational values. Content generation will pull in resource from beyond the Social Media Team in order to leverage numerous voices in a range of areas of expertise and focus.
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Planning: a content calendar overseen by the Social Media Lead that lends an organised approach to publishing.
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Templates: generation of templates for announcements and campaigns generated by the Graphics Lead, in order to maintain consistency.
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SheCanEngineer’s current engagement strategy, but TikTok could prove effective to expand reach substantially.
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Crisis management plan: a communications plan and response protocols to deal with negative sentiment, PR issues etc., in order to uphold trust with audiences.
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Team training: to facilitate crisis management, community safeguarding and the flagging of inappropriate content; as well as to maintain consistency across content generation.
Website Re-design
The website is currently hosted on Wix and has been difficult to maintain. New volunteers with the relevant expertise are aiming overhaul and maintain the website, starting with a move away from Wix to another website builder and hosting site. The aim is to have a website that is more user-friendly, informative and modern.
Podcast Strategy
2023/24 proved challenging in keeping the momentum up on the editing and publishing of podcast episodes, even though some have been recorded.
The committee has noted a growing interest in the podcasts from Sponsors. As a result, ‘sponsored’ podcasts are being recorded, with four to be published before June 2025. These are covering a range of topics relevant to the audiences, as well as offering insight into the values of SheCanEngineer partners.
Using social media avenues, SheCanEngineer will push for its audience to subscribe to the podcast to ensure they are notified of new episodes as and when they are published.
- Platforms: an understanding that the likes of LinkedIn are most suitable for
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SheCanEngineer’s Sponsors
Thank you to our Sponsors!
GOLD
SILVER
BRONZE
INSTITUTION
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SheCanEngineer’s Partners
Thank you to our Members & Collaborators!
INSTITUTION MEMBERS
COLLABORATORS
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Appendix: SheCanEngineer Committee Organogram Iii Iii 19
Appendix: Accounts
Balance Sheet
Shown at 05.04.24 (as required by the Charity Commission) and 31.08.24 (as per the SheCanEngineer Calendar).
| 5-Apr-2024 | 31-Aug-2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Intangible assets | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Tangible assets | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Heritage assets | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Investments | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| TOTAL FIXED ASSETS | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Stocks | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Debtors | 6500.00 | 2000.00 |
| Investments | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Cash at bank and in hand | 19233.23 | 14081.03 |
| TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS | 25733.23 | 16081.03 |
| Creditors (< 1 year) | 2301.33 | 2130.00 |
| NET CURRENT ASSETS | 23431.90 | 13951.03 |
| TOTAL ASSETS LESS LIABILITIES | 23431.90 | 13951.03 |
| Creditors (> 1 year) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Provisions for liabilities | 0.00 | 5700.00 |
| TOTAL NET ASSETS | 23431.90 | 8251.03 |
| Of which: | ||
| Endowment funds | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Restricted income funds | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Unrestricted funds | 23431.90 | 8251.03 |
| Revaluation reserve | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| TOTAL FUNDS | 23431.90 | 8251.03 |
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Appendix: Accounts
Income Statement
Shown at 05.04.24 (as required by the Charity Commission) and 31.08.24 (as per the SheCanEngineer Calendar).
| 5-Apr-2024 | 31-Aug-2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Balance from previous year* | 8117.67 | 8117.67 |
| Sponsorships | 19000.00 | 40348.12 |
| Memberships | 1000.00 | 1000.00 |
| Donations | 500.00 | 500.97 |
| NET INCOME | 20500.00 | 41849.09 |
| Celebratory Events | 5057.55 | 30013.77 |
| Running costs | 33.42 | 357.77 |
| STEM Event | 9869.17 | |
| Merchandise | 94.80 | 691.74 |
| External collaborations | 126.51 | |
| Digital & Media | 656.77 | |
| TOTAL EXPENSES | 5185.77 | 41715.73 |
| TOTAL ASSETS | 23431.90 | 8251.03 |
*Before SheCanEngineer was registered as a CIO, the group operated as a nonprofit initiative, without its own bank account. Sponsorship funds raised for SheCanEngineer activities were held in the bank accounts of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Institution of Civil Engineers. The Institutions’ Finance teams would issue and settle invoices for SheCanEngineer activities. Once SheCanEngineer was registered as a CIO, the trustees were able to set up a bank account with Metro Bank. In order to transfer the balance that remained in the Institutions’ accounts, SheCanEngineer invoiced the Institutions for that amount. This “Balance Carryover” has been treated as an Asset.
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Declaration of the Trustees
The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report.
Frances Radford, Chair 04.09.2025
Maira Bana, Secretary 04.09.2025
Martina Capecchi, Treasurer 04.09.2025
Roshni Wijesekera, Ordinary Member 04.09.2025
Laura Hoang, Ordinary Member 04.09.2025
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shecanengineer.com